A simple and classic Vietnamese Soup! I love to have it with pan fried salmon but Braised Claypot Fish goes perfectly also. The soup is very customizable. You can make it as sour, sweet or salty as you like and use as much or little of the vegetables as you like! I usually get the tamarind concentrate that's already prepared at the store so if you're using tamarind powder or making your own from pulp, please adjust the amount of tamarind accordingly.
In the video I forgot to sauté the lemongrass and ginger, but I would recommend do that to bring out more flavor.
Canh Chua Tom
6 cups water or chicken broth
2-3 tomatoes quartered (about 1/5-2 cups)
1 1/2 cup pineapple
2 Tbs vegetable oil
3 Tbs minced garlic
1/4 chopped shallots
1 cup ngo om
1 cup culantro
1 1/2 cup chopped okra
1 1/2 cup elephant ear stem (peel, cut in small slices and soak in salt water)
1/2 lb shrimp
4 Tbs tamarind concentrate
3 Tbs fish sauce
1 inch rock sugar (30 grams)
2 tsp white sugar
1/2 tsp salt (1/4 tsp + 1/4 tsp)
1 - 1.5 cup bean sprouts
1 stalk lemon grass, bruised (optional)
2 slices of ginger
1 kaffir lime leaf
Marinate shrimp with 1/4 tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, and back pepper
Fry garlic, remove for later
Sauté, shallots and lemongrass, ginger
Add shrimp and sauté for 1 minute, remove to plate
Add pineapple and sautee for 1 minute
Add water and sugar and bring to boil
Add tamarind and lime leaf, stir
Bring to boil
Add fish sauce and salt,
Simmer 5 minutes
Add okra and elephant ear steam
Simmer another 1 minutes
Add tomatoes
Simmer 3-5 minutes
Add shrimp
Once shrimp is cooked taste broth and adjust as necessary
Then add herbs and bean sprouts.
Add fried garlic (remove lime leaf and lemon grass stalk)
music: Finding Your Heart Tony Anderson
Somewhere With You Sunshine Recorder