River Valley Plate · Chili-Tomato Fish Curry
Nga Paa
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It's served just steps from one of Bhutan's most visited temples — a river-valley fish curry sold at the cafeteria near Punakha's Chimi Lhakhang, better known abroad as the 'temple of the divine madman.'
Fresh or dried fish is simmered in a mild chili-and-tomato broth with local spices until rich and slightly tangy, then ladled over red rice. It's a specialty of Punakha's lower, river-fed valley, where the Mo Chhu and Pho Chhu rivers make fish more available than in Bhutan's higher, colder districts.
Why it's made this way: Punakha's warmer elevation and its two rivers give the valley a fish supply that colder highland districts simply don't have, turning this curry into a distinctly Punakha alternative to the cheese-and-chili stews found elsewhere in Bhutan.
Roughly what's in it
260kcal
22gprotein
10gcarbs
14gfat
Estimated per typical street-vendor portion — not lab-tested.
More from Bhutan
Part of World of Street Food — 3248 dishes from 118 countries.
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