Trey kho umpil.
( Caramelized basa fish with tamarind.)

Chunks basa fish caramelized in sweet, spicy hot and tangy tamarind sauce is Khmer Krom ethnic food that originated from Mott Chrouk (Chau Doc) province. Chau Doc is well known around the world for produces the best basa fish. The basa fish breeders from Chau Doc keeps their fish in large cages under their floating homes along the bank of Mekong river. During Khmer empire, there are so many good eating fish in Mekong River that the ancient Khmer didn’t care for basa or catfish, because they said basa and catfish eats anything. They left the catfish a lone in Mekong River; after so many years these catfish grew into very big fish. Some of these giant catfish weights several hundred pounds.
When Cambodia lost Kampuchea Krom on 6-4-1949, the hardship of living is also began for the Khmer Krom. The villagers began to catch anything they can get their hands on for foods including giant catfish. But giant catfish they caught couldn’t sell because most Khmer Krom said big catfish is too tough and it didn’t taste good. That was when some of Khmer Krom started to breeds basa and catfish to the popular demand sizes for the consumers.
My dad told me before Cambodia lost Kampuchea Krom, he saw a giant catfish as big as fresh water Mekong dolphin. Now that a very giant catfish!
• Ingredients :
  • 1 Tablespoon water
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • 2 Cups water
  • 2 Cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 Yellow onion, sliced
  • 3 Tablespoons fish sauce
  • 2 Tablespoons seedless tamarind pulps
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • 1 lb Package frozen basa catfish with skin on, or 1 lb basa catfish fillet
  • 3 Chopped hot chili pepper, or to your taste(option)
  • 2 Stalks green onion, chopped
  • ¼ Teaspoon black pepper
• Procedures :
  First make caramelized sauce by put 1 tablespoon of water and 1 tablespoon of sugar in a pot or skillet that big enough to hold all ingredients. Cook and stir frequently till sugar turns dark brown color, immediately pour 2-cup water over caramelized sauce, stirs well.
  Add garlic, yellow onion, fish sauce, tamrind pulps and sugar, stirs well.
  Add fish and simmering till fish tender and water reduced, while cooking turns fish over couple time so both sides well coated with sauce.
  Add chili pepper, green onion and black pepper.
  Serve hot with rice.