Thai · lunch, dinner
Pla Neung Manao (Thai Steamed Fish with Lime and Chilli)
ปลาทับทิมนึ่งมะนาว
Video by กินได้อร่อยด้วย on YouTube, in Thai · Open on YouTube
- Pescatarian
- Gluten-free ingredients
- Dairy-free
- Nut-free
Contains: Fish. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.
Whole fish steamed with no oil and dressed with lime, garlic and chilli: about 34 g protein and 8 g net carbs a serve, with about 2 g added sugar.
The printable card is ink-friendly, fits on one page and has a QR code back to this recipe.
Ingredients 13
Method
The cook speaks Thai; every step is written here in English. Tap a time to watch that step in the video. For subtitles, tap CC in the video, then Settings › Subtitles › Auto-translate › English.
- Scale and gut the fish, wash it well, and score both sides with about three deep cuts so it steams evenly. 0:30
- Line a heatproof plate with sliced cabbage so the fish doesn't stick, lay the fish on top and steam over rapidly boiling water for about 12 minutes for a 1 kg fish (8–10 minutes if smaller). 1:42
- Meanwhile squeeze the limes, keeping a few slices for the top, and slice the culantro, Chinese celery and coriander leaves, keeping the coriander roots for the sauce. 3:20
- Put the coriander roots, garlic and both chillies in a small chopper, add the lime juice, fish sauce, palm sugar and water, and blend to a coarse, sharp sauce. 4:35
- Check the fish is cooked: a fork should slide easily into the thickest part. Lay more cabbage and the herbs in a hot pot or serving plate and lift the fish onto it. 6:44
- Pour the lime sauce all over the fish, top with the herbs, lime slices and garlic, and serve hot, ideally over a burner. 8:25
Tip. Serves 3 (our estimate: about 120 g cooked fish each). The sauce is very salty; we count half of it as eaten (1.4 g sodium a serve) and eating it all doubles that, so spoon it over the fish. Snapper or barramundi work too. Eaten with rice.
The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.
One serve gives you 1 of 3
Where the energy comes from one serve
- Net carbs 16%
- Protein 69%
- Fat 15%
Low carb: under 26% of the energy is from carbs.
One serve has about 61% of a day’s sodium. Use less salt, stock or sauce, or a reduced-salt version, to bring it down.
Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more
Selenium High122%
67 µg a serve, mostly from red tilapia (98%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.
Vitamin B12 High96%
2.3 µg a serve, mostly from red tilapia (96%). Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.
Vitamin K High61%
73 µg a serve, mostly from cabbage leaves (34%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.
Vitamin C High32%
29 mg a serve, mostly from cabbage leaves (42%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.
Vitamin B6 High24%
0.4 mg a serve, mostly from red tilapia (36%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.
Vitamin D High22%
4.4 µg a serve, mostly from red tilapia (100%). Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.
Magnesium High20%
82 mg a serve, mostly from red tilapia (50%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.
Potassium Source15%
710 mg a serve, mostly from red tilapia (64%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.
Omega-3 Source15%
0.2 g a serve, mostly from red tilapia (98%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.
Vitamin E Source11%
1.6 mg a serve, mostly from red tilapia (60%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.
Folate Source11%
44 µg a serve, mostly from cabbage leaves (32%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.
Show the other 4
Iron9%
1.6 mg a serve, mostly from red tilapia (53%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.
Zinc7%
0.8 mg a serve, mostly from red tilapia (62%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.
Vitamin A6%
54 µg a serve, mostly from culantro (42%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.
Calcium5%
67 mg a serve, mostly from red tilapia (25%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.
Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works
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Recipe and video by กินได้อร่อยด้วย; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.