Kaeng Som Pla Nil Cha-Om Kai [Nile Tilapia Sour Fish Curry with Acacia Omelette]

A refreshing sour curry yet heartily rich in nile tilapia, a fish forever linked to a royal friendship and a king caring for his people. The young organic acacia greens in omelette completes the dish as it soaks up the healthy tamarind fish broth into a somewhat ‘soft crunchy’ texture, giving it an almost spongy juiciness. Acacia is expensive so it’s seldom cooked by as a main dish itself. In traditional medicine it helps with digestive complaints. & interestingly, its scent is supposed to repel myna birds.

All our recipes are healthy yet authentic-tasting! Zero-to-low calorie by using real sugar that’s not absorbed by the body, 43% lower sodium than normal salt, while our rice benefit from lowered GI [Glycemic Index], and a boost in fibre, prebiotics, & natural minerals. And we source locally as much as possible.

Pla Nil was coined from the scientific name of the fish, Tilapia Nilotica, and this is the story of a fish & 2 royals - the late King Rama IX was looking for a fast-breeding & highly nutritious fish to help with the malnourished in the rural areas, one that could be raised in rice fields, & discovered that the ideal fish was in Japan. 

He invited the then Crown Prince Akihito, a fish aficionado, to Kasetsart University’s museum, & impressed the Crown Prince with a fish discovered by one of the top fish experts - the Mahidol goby fish [named after the King’s father]. The 2 Royals bonded, and shortly after, Crown Prince Akihito sent 50 nile tilapias to Thailand. 

While only 10 fish survived the trip, the late King Rama IX had the fish bred within the Chitralada Palace, which eventually grew to 9 ponds of Pla Nil. After a year, he granted 10,000 Pla Nil to fisheries to be bred & released into water sources throughout Thailand. 

Notes: nutrition