One of the most popular dishes in Southern Vietnam is Braised Horse Mackerel with Pickle Napa Cabbage. This is also the main dish for family meal. Serving it with boiled rice and hot soup is wonderful. This fish is really good for your health.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 horse mackerel fish
• 200g pickled Napa cabbage (Dưa cải chua) – buy at Vietnamese markets
• Purple onion; chili powder, chili fruits, spring onion, salt, fish sauce, sugar, 1 teaspoon melted sugar
• Vegetable oil

PROCESS:

Step 1: Clean fish carefully with water added a little salt. Throw away all inside of fish. Cut into short pieces. Marinate with 1 teaspoon salt and wait in 30 minutes.

Step 2: Wash pickled Napa cabbage in 3 – 4 times to reduce the salty flavor from this vegetable. Cut into short pieces and wait to get dry.

Step 3: Heat the oil (2 tablespoons oil), and add sliced fish into pan to fry until their faces turn brown yellow. Put on a plate added paper napkin to absorb wasted oil.

Step 4: Arrange fish into pot, add more smashed chili fruits, chili powder (depends on your flavor), 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon melted sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons oil. Share well and gently. Wait in 30 minutes.

Step 5: Put on cooking stove and cook with small heat in 10 – 15 minutes. Next, add more sliced pickled Napa cabbage into pot. Pour ½ bowl water and continue to cook until dish absorbs all spices. Season again to suit your flavor and turn off the heat.

Before serving, sprinkle a little pepper and sliced spring onion on face of dish to increase the flavor. Eating with boiled rice is a best choice. Hope you love it. Have a good appetite.