Easy Steamed Fish with Sour Plums
This Steamed Fish recipe has the perfect balance of saltiness and sourness in the gravy, going so well with the sweet, fresh Tilapia fish and vegetables. It uses salted sour plums and a little of its brine to carry the main flavour, along with some oyster sauce and light soy sauce for umami-ness, a depth of flavour and a touch of familiarity.
These are the reasons why I love this recipe: it’s easy, it takes roughly 20 minutes to cook from start to finish; and it combines the proteins (the fish and tofu) together with the vegetables (tomatoes, mushrooms, and cabbage leaves)… meaning we cook one delicious dish and it’s nutritionally complete!
It’s one of the perfect, quick and simple dishes to make while waiting for the rice to cook!
This Steamed Fish with Sour Plums recipe serves 4.
Ingredients
Fish, the main protein of this dish. I recommend using the freshest one that you can find. I usually use tilapia, but other white-fleshed fishes like pomfret and seabass work as well.
Salt, to season the fish.
Ginger, cut into long strips. Used as a stuffing, this herb is frequently used to kill the fishy smell as the fish cooks. It absorbs those odours, leaving a lovely, clean taste of the flesh to enjoy. If unavailable, smashed lemongrass is suitable as well.
Cilantro leaves, with roots intact. I used the roots as another herb that absorb the fishy smell. This ingredient is often used in Thai cuisine. The leaves were chopped and used as garnishing for both the fragrance and colourful appearance.
Red chilli adds a little hint of spiciness, as using half of it is not enough to overpower the gravy’s flavour.
Tomatoes add a little sweetness and tanginess to the gravy, as well as bright red colour to the steamed fish. Did you know that they are nutritionally better cooked than raw?
Firm tofu, for extra protein. As the sauce will be quite strong to mask any residue of fishiness, I took the opportunity to add some tofu to enjoy with the gravy. Use firm tofu for this as it holds the shape better than soft/ silken tofu, especially once cut.
Fresh shiitake mushrooms give a lovely, earthy sweetness and a touch of umami-ness to the gravy. If using dried mushrooms, be sure to soak them in water until soft, for about 4 hours (or 1 hour in hot water).
Salted sour plums (with a little brine) is the main ingredient for this Steamed Fish with Sour Plum. The sourness and tanginess make this dish appetising and very tasty. Smash those sour plums to add intensity!
Oyster sauce gives the gravy a touch of umami.
Light soy sauce adds a little saltiness and umami.
Fried shallots gives colour, a crispy texture and a burst of sweetness in between bites.
Water is both used to steam the fish, and to dilute the strong flavours of sour plum and sauces so they do not overpower the other ingredients.
Steps
Here are the brief steps to make Steamed Fish with Sour Plums:
- Boil water in a covered steamer on medium heat.
- Marinate the fish with salt.
- Stuff ginger and cilantro roots in the stomach. Add some ginger and Chinese cabbage to the base of the steaming plate.
- Top the fish with chilli strips, tomato wedges, halved mushrooms and cubed tofu.
- Steam the fish for 7 minutes.
- Chop cilantro leaves and set aside.
- Mix the salted plums with water, oyster sauce and light soy sauce.
- Pour the salted plum mixture over the fish.
- Cover and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.
- Switch off the heat and remove the fish with a steam clamp.
- Sprinkle the cut cilantro and fried shallots as garnishing.
- Serve with white rice.
Tips
- Use very fresh fish for this recipe as we will not be removing the released fishy water after steaming.
- Any white-fleshed fresh fish can be used.
- Make sure to salt the fish thoroughly in between the scores and stomach.
- Stuffing ginger strips and cilantro roots help absorb and remove the fishiness from the Tilapia.
- Wash the mushrooms just before cutting them to prevent them from getting slimy.
- Smashing the sour plums releases more flavour into the mixture.
- Use a steam clamp or mittens to carefully remove the steaming plate from the steamer.
- Best enjoyed immediately after cooking; with white rice.
- Watch the video to see exactly how I made it!
Storage Instructions
This Steamed Fish with Sour Plums dish is best served and finished immediately once cooked and garnished.
I do not recommend keeping it in the fridge or freezer as steamed fish dishes like this tend to deteriorate rapidly, losing their freshness and developing a fishy smell a few hours after they are cooked.
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- Easy Steamed Fish in Light Soy Sauce
- Simple Salted Plum Steamed Fish
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Easy Steamed Fish with Tofu & Sour Plums
Equipment
- Steamer
- Steamer Clamp
- Sharp Kitchen Knife
- Chopping Board
Ingredients
- 1.5 L water, for steaming
- 540 g fish, Tilapia
- 1 tsp salt
- 40 g ginger, cut into strips
- 2 cilantro, stalks
- 4 Chinese cabbage leaves
- 1/2 red chilli, cut into strips
- 1 tomato, cut into wedges
- 4 pieces shiitake mushrooms, fresh, cut into half
- 1/2 block firm tofu, cut into cubes
- 100 ml water, to mix with sour plums
Sour Plum Mixture
- 3 pieces salted sour plums, pits removed and smashed, with some brine
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
Garnishing
- 2 stalks cilantro leaves, chopped
- 2 tbsp crispy fried shallots
Instructions
- Pour 1.5L of water into a steaming pot. Switch on the stove to high heat. Cover the pot and let it come to a rolling boil.
- Marinate the fish with salt, distributing it evenly in the scores, stomach and on the other side of the fish.
- Stuff half of the ginger strips in the stomach of the fish. Layer the other half on the steaming plate and place the fish on top of it.
- Cut the roots from the cilantro stalks and stuff them in the fish's stomach.
- Place the Chinese cabbage leaves under the fish.
- Sprinkle the red chilli strips, tomato wedges, halved shiitake mushrooms and cut, cubed tofu over the fish. Place the steaming plate into the steamer and put it over the boiling water. Cover the pot and let it cook for 7 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add 100ml of water into a mixing bowl. Smash the sour plums and add them all, with the brine, into the mixing bowl.
- Add and stir in the oyster sauce and light soy sauce into the sour plum mixture.
- Once the fish has been steaming for 7 minutes, pour all the sour plum mixture over the fish. Cover the pot again and continue steaming the fish for 5 minutes.
- When 5 minutes is over, carefully remove the fish from the steaming pot with a steam clamp and/ or mittens.
- Sprinkle the chopped cilantro leaves and crispy shallots over the fish. Serve with white rice.
Video
Notes
- Use very fresh fish for this recipe as we will not be removing the released fishy water after steaming.
- Any white-fleshed fresh fish can be used.
- Make sure to salt the fish throughly in between the scores and stomach.
- Stuffing ginger strips and cilantro roots help absorb and remove the fishyness from the Tilapia.
- Wash the mushrooms just before cutting to prevent them from getting slimy.
- Smashing the sour plums releases more flavour into the mixture.
- Use a steam clamp or mittens to carefully remove the steaming plate from the steamer.
- Best enjoyed immediately after cooking; with white rice.
- Not advisible to refridgerate or freeze as steamed fish dishes lose their freshness rapidly over time.
- Watch the video to see exactly how I made it!
- The nutritional information does not include the served white rice.