Pla duk phat phet is a Thai fish specialty made with pieces of deep-fried catfish that are stir-fried in a spicy Thai red curry sauce. Apart from fresh Thai red curry paste (nam phrik kaeng phet daeng), the sauce typically contains ingredients such as kaffir lime leaves, chili peppers, garlic, krachai (Chinese ginger), water or chicken stock, and (optionally) lemongrass or galangal.
Fish sauce, oyster sauce, and palm sugar are added to the dish to enhance its flavor, while some versions call for the addition of coconut milk to the sauce. Crispy catfish pieces immersed in a flavor-packed curry sauce are often topped with fried Thai basil leaves and thin crunchy strips of red bell peppers, and are usually accompanied by sticky rice or steamed jasmine rice on the side.