By Hong Pham and Kim Dao, The Ravenous Couple
Canh Chua Sour Tamarind Soup
6 cups of water or fish stock
1/2 pound large prawns, cleaned
1 cup tamarind pulp purée
1/2 sweet pineapple, peeled, sliced into bite-sized pieces
2 tomatoes, cut in wedges
2 tablespoons sugar, plus additional to taste
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus additonal to taste
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1-2 elephant ear stems, peeled and sliced on diagonal 1/2-inch thick
1 cup okra, sliced diagonal
2 red chilli, sliced (optional)
1/2 cup of bean sprouts
10 springs of rice paddy herb, roughly chopped
fried garlic
1. Combine the tamarind pulp in equal amounts (i.e., 14-ounce block, 14-fluid-ounces of water, roughly 1 cup) of hot water in a large bowl and soak for 15 minutes. Work the pulp with your hands until dissolved, squeezing out the purée and then tossing away the membranes. You're left with just the thick brown pulp purée. You can also strain the pulp through a fine sieve instead of using your hands.
2. In large pot bring water or fish stock to boil and then add prawns, tamarind pulp purée, tomatoes, pineapple, okra, fish sauce, salt, and sugar and bring back to boil.
3. When prawns are pink and tomatoes are just tender, add bean sprouts and elephant ear stems and season with additional salt or fish salt and sugar to taste. It should be sweet, sour, and savory.
4. Remove from heat and transfer to serving bowl. Finish with rice patty herb, fried garlic and optional chili.
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