Thai · lunch, dinner

Pla Neung Manao (Thai Steamed Fish with Lime and Chilli)

ปลาทับทิมนึ่งมะนาว

Video by กินได้อร่อยด้วย on YouTube, in Thai · Open on YouTube

35 minServes 3198 kcal a serve
  • 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.

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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.

  1. Scale and gut the fish, wash it well, and score both sides with about three deep cuts so it steams evenly. 0:30
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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

Energy198 kcal830 kJ
Protein34 g67% of a day
Fibre1.7 g6% of a day
Carbohydrate9.7 g8 g net · 4.6 g sugars4% of a day
Fat3.4 g1.1 g saturated4% of a day
Sodium1,400 mg61% of a day

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.