Vietnamese Caramelized Fish with Basil

Vietnamese Caramelized fish is very different from the fish recipes I have tried. This recipe is inspired from here and a recipe I found in a South Asian cook book. Both recipes call for fish sauce, but I am not a fan of fish sauce. So if you are like me use dark soy sauce or oyster sauce. This is crispy fish in sticky sweet and savory sauce flavored with basil. The traditional recipe is braising the fish in clay pot.The recipe calls for catfish, but you can try with other thinly sliced fish.

Ingredients
Fish - 1 1/2 lb
Corn starch- 1 tsp
Ginger- thinly sliced- 2 tsp
Shallots sliced- 1/2 cup
Garlic- 3 pods
Green chilly-2
Basil leaves-a hand full
Dark brown sugar/palm sugar- 3 tbs
Fish sauce - 1 tsp
(I used dark soy sauce- 1 tsp)
Black pepper powder- 1 tsp
Red Curry paste- 1 tsp (optional)
Lemon grass powder- 1/4 tsp
Galangal powder- 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil as needed

Cut and clean the fish. Pat dry with a paper towel.Marinate with salt,pepper powder and corn starch.

Heat oil in a pan and fry the basil till crispy drain from the oil and set aside. In the same oil fry the fish till crispy and set aside. ( Frying the fish is an optional step).

Saute shallots, ginger, garlic and green chilly till it is golden brown. Add curry paste, sauces, pepper powder, salt to taste, brown sugar and 3/4 of stock or warm water and mix. Allow this to simmer and thicken. Slide the fish and simmer in low for about 15 to 20 minutes or till the sauce is well coated over the fish. Finally add fried basil. Serve with jasmine rice or fried rice.