Pla thot khamin

01 / ABOUT THE DISH

About the dish

Pla thot khamin or deep-fried turmeric fish is a fish delicacy hailing from the south of Thailand. The dish is typically made with whole, cleaned fish, seasoned with salt, and then thoroughly rubbed with a chunky mixture of fresh turmeric and garlic before it is deep-fried in hot oil until golden brown. Thai people usually prepare the marinating turmeric-garlic paste by pounding the ingredients with a mortar and pestle. In Thailand, threadfin bream is mostly used for this dish due to its suitable small size and firm flesh, but any firm-fleshed fish can be used, such as tilapia or mackerel. Crispy, soft, and fragrant, the fish is usually finished off with crispy bits of garlic and turmeric on top and served with steamed jasmine rice on the side. Apart from southern Thailand, this fish specialty is also commonly served at southern Thai restaurants in Bangkok.