Fish egg soup with lemongrass and galangal
This is a simplified version of the Thai Tom Yam Kai Pa. By simplified, I mean I did not have some of the traditional ingredients so I just omitted them. I don’t know how much difference the omission of kaffir leaves and pickled bamboo made but my fish egg soup turned out very well — spicy, citrusy and, with the sprinkling of cilantro just before serving, wonderfully aromatic. If you’re not a fan of fish eggs — though I hope you are because they’re just incomparable — you can always use fish fillets or even a combination of fish and fish eggs just like what I did in an older fish eggs soup recipe.
Serves 3.
Ingredients :
3 fish eggs in sacs (about 400 grams total)
ginger
1 tsp. of crushed galangal
2 stalks of lemongrass
1 tbsp. of tamarind pulp
patis (fish sauce), to taste
3-4 chilis (I used finger chilis or siling haba — I was too chicken to use siling labuyo)
a bunch of cilantro
Cooking procedure :
In a pot, boil about five cups of water. While waiting for the water to boil, prepare the rest of the ingredients.
From the root ends, cut about 2 to 3 inches of the lemongrass stalk. Discard the upper portion; you only need the light-colored portion from the root ends. Crush the stalks (the side of a cleaver, a rolling pin or a pestle) then thinly slice.
Cut three (ring) slices of ginger about 1/4 inch thick and dice.
When the water boils, add the ginger, lemongrass, galangal and tamarind pulp. Season with patis. Add the fish eggs, lower the heat, cover and simmer for about five minutes and no longer. The fish eggs should still be soft inside when served.
To serve, place one fish egg in an individual bowl, cover with broth and sprinkle with fresh cilantro.
Notes:
1The original recipe does not include ginger but, in my experience, ginger and lemongrass go very well together. Insofar as this soup went, I was right. 
2If fresh tamarind is not available from which to get the pulp, substitute about a teaspoonful of powdered sinigang mix.
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Kaffir lime leaves have a very distinctive sort of flavour and would actually make a big difference to the taste (I’m not sure if it’s for everyone, but I really like it). I imagine the pickled bamboo is just there to make it more sour or something, I usually just squeeze in a couple of limes to get the hot-sour balance right.
Still haven’t gone to Manila Seedling Bank. I hear they sell kaffir trees there. Will go soon.
Hi Connie! just wondering if you bought the fish eggs separately from the fish. If yes, where did you bought them? It looks yummmmmmyyyy! Thanks!
I just have to comment on this entry cos i absolutely loveeeee fish eggs =) Here in mebourne fish egg ’season’ is during the winter months and my mom and I always buy them by the kilos! Sobrang sarapppp =) We cook it as sinigang, paksiw and even fry it with lots of garlic =)
Love the photo as usual Connie…nagpapagutom na naman! hayyy!
Issa, yes, separately. Antipolo public market.
Ellen, yah, masarap nga isigang yan.
Once in a while I see this fish kind of fish eggs and had not thought of cooking them into sinigang.When I was in NC(they abundant seafood), laging may tinda na ganito. And I buy them (so cheap kasi walang ibang bumibili), and I deep fry the, yikes, ang dami kong tiilamsik, parang freckles sa braso, nagagalit ang spouse ko. So with this newly acquired knowledge of how to cook fish eggs, I can’t wait till they sell it in the store and I will buy them right away.Sinigang with talbos ng sitaw (which just recently din nalaman ko na masarap pala). Thanks again Connie. Talagang maasahan ka. Medio different subject, did you say Manila Seedling (where it is located) sells various trees and plants? Kasi I am starting to ask my cousin to plant various trees in my mom farm in Quezon. Barren old coconut grove kasi yung namana ko.Thanks for the info.
Wow, fish eggs!
Something i haven’t had in years. I never see it in the market. That looks big!
I see you still haven’t got your kaffir tree. Personally, i didn’t pick the leaves from the tree i bought. The tree is about a foot and half and i’m scared that if pick the leave it might die. I’m really not good with plants.
Strange looking sa kin yung food.. usual na nakikita kong fish eggs eh maliliit lang, pero etong nasa pic, malaki sya… mukhang… talong(?).. parang may mga veins pa…hik!hik!
Ebba, yes, the Horticulture Society is stationed there. Hayan si Peterb was able to buy a kaffir tree there.
Peterb, I don’t pick leaves from my potted herbs either unless they are really thriving already. You can tell from the sudden spurt of growth.
Happy Joy, size of small talong, yes. The talakitok they came from was about 2-1/2 feet long.
Masarap ang fish eggs pag sinawsaw sa calamansi suka w/chili sauce… kakabitin lang sa picture. Sana may listahan kayo kung sino yun pinakamaraming comment na natanggap ninyo, siguro yun taong yun ang pinakagutom dito sa blog.
Thanks Connie. Yesterday naghanap ako ng fish eggs sa isang vietnamese market, ay wala silang tinda, lungkot nga ako eh. Anyway, I ended up buying a 3-foot calamondin (kalamansi) bush. Ililipat ko ng ng bagong paso today. Its nice sunny cool weather today dito sa Houston, Texas.
Laurent, LOL interesting. There is a plugin actually but I don’t know if the number of comments is necessarily equal to the appetite.
Ebba, good luck! We had a kalamasi plant (bought in Tanay) but we made the mistake of planting it too near the dill. The dill grew so fast that it overpowered the kalamansi nearby.