“Pad Cha Plaa” (
ผัดฉ่าปลา) is a wok dish with fish and various vegetables based on a spicy paste made from chilies, garlic and galangal.
It is seasoned with Chinese keys, kaffir lime leaves, Thai basil and fresh green pepper as well as fish sauce, soy sauce and rice wine.
The name component “Cha” onomatopoetically describes the sound the dish makes when frying. The first part “Pad” means “stir-fry” and at the end is “Plaa” for
“fish”. The whole thing can thus be translated as “Sizzling stir-fried fish”.
The dish is also known under the reversed name “Plaa Pad Cha” (
ปลาผัดฉ่า). According to the book
Thailand: The Cookbook, there is also a variant from Northern Thailand that uses a simpler paste but more vegetables.
Name
Pad Cha Plaa
Pad Cha (ผัดฉ่า)
sizzling stir-fry
Plaa (ปลา)
Fish (General)
Alternative names
Pad Cha Plaa,
Pad Dja Plaa,
Phat Cha Plaa,
Plaa Pad Cha,
Plaa Phat Cha
