Thai Gaeng Liang Ga Prau
Soup With Fish, Banana Blossoms and Basil
Recently while shopping at the Asian supermarket I discovered fresh banana blossom strips and immediately packed them up. Only when I got home did I think about what I could prepare with them. Anne then reminded me of the soup we had cooked during our cooking class at “Ying’s Thai Cooking” in Ko Samui, and I thought that was a very good idea.
As a substitute for the grilled fish I used smoked trout and sacrificed the last leaves of my Ga Prau basil plant for this clear soup as well as the rest of the
shrimp paste from Ranong and can now present you with a recipe for Thai “Gaeng Liang Ga Prau” (
Ingredients for two servings
- 125g smoked trout or grilled fish
- a handful of banana blossom strips
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 small shallot
- 1 tsp white peppercorns
- some coarse sea salt
- 1/2 tsp shrimp paste
- 300 ml water
- some leaves of holy basil
Instructions
First we peel the shallots and garlic and cut them into coarse pieces. Then we pound both together with the pepper and some coarse sea salt in a mortar until a coarse paste forms. Then we cut the fish into bite-sized pieces. Finally we briefly fry the shrimp paste until it becomes fragrant.
Next we bring the water to a boil in a pot and add the paste we just prepared as well as the fried shrimp paste. We let this simmer for about two minutes, reduce the heat and add the fish.
Then we add the banana blossom and let the soup simmer again for about two to three minutes. Now we should taste the soup and if it’s still not salty enough, add a little more shrimp paste.
Now we bring the soup to a boil again over high heat, pluck the basil leaves from their stems and add them to the pot. Then turn off the heat and stir everything well again so that the aroma of the leaves can develop.
We then distribute the finished Gaeng Liang Ga Prau into small bowls and serve it steaming hot. Some jasmine rice goes best with it.
