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Thai

Pla nueng manao

Non-vegetarian

ปลานึ่งมะนาว · pla nueng manao

A whole sea bass steamed with lemongrass, then drenched in a sharp, garlicky lime and chilli dressing — bright, light and fiery.

Pla nueng manao is a Thai main course from Thailand, ready in about 30 minutes and made with sea bass, garlic and lime juice. It serves 3 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking
Whole steamed fish in lime, garlic and chilli dressing with lettuce
Photo: Takeaway / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-3.0
Prep
15 min
Cook
15 min
Total
30 min
Serves
3
Level
Easy
Calories
305

Ingredients

3 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Stuff the fish cavity with lemongrass (opens in a new tab) and lay it on a heatproof plate, on cabbage leaves if you like.

    • 3 min

  2. Step 2

    Steam over high heat until the flesh at the thickest part flakes from the bone.

    Food safety: Cook fish until it is opaque and flakes easily (63 °C).

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile stir the garlic (opens in a new tab), chillies, lime juice (opens in a new tab), fish sauce (opens in a new tab), sugar (opens in a new tab) and hot stock together until the sugar dissolves.

    • 4 min

  4. Step 4

    Pour the dressing over the hot fish, scatter with coriander and serve straight away.

    • 1 min
    Fresh herbs scattered over a finished dish
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Thailand · Well documentedMore food from Thailand
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Main courses
Cooking method
Steamed
Taste
sour, spicy (chilli heat), garlicky, fresh
Diet
No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · High-protein · Low-fat · Calorie-conscious
With the listed swaps: PescatarianWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Everyday
Cook more with
Sea bass · Garlic · Lime juice · Lemongrass · Fresh red chilli · Fish sauce
Techniques
Steaming

Allergens

  • Contains: Fishfrom sea bass, fish sauce
  • May contain: Crustaceansfrom fish sauce
  • May contain: Celeryfrom chicken stock

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

305 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 362 g · recipe makes 3

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 62%
  • Carbohydrate 22%
  • Fat 16%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy305 kcal84 kcal
Protein46.3 g12.8 g
Carbohydrate16.5 g4.6 g
Net carbohydrate15.9 g4.4 g
Sugars6.7 g1.8 g
Added sugars4.2 g1.2 g
Fibre0.6 g0.2 g
Fat5.4 g1.5 g
Saturated fat1.4 g0.4 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol97 mg27 mg
Sodium1616 mg447 mg
Salt equivalent4 g1.1 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
924 mg
Calcium
69 mg
Iron
2.4 mg
Magnesium
145 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
132 µg
Vitamin C
30 mg
Vitamin D
13.1 µg
Vitamin B12
0.8 µg
Folate (DFE)
41 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: napa cabbage.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Restaurants serve it on a fish-shaped burner to keep the broth hot; a warmed plate does the job at home.

Common mistakes

  • Adding the lime dressing before steaming — it dulls and turns bitter.

Serve with

  • Serve with jasmine rice to soak up the dressing.

Storage

  • Best eaten immediately.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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