Bun cha ca Da Nang is about a broth that is clear and naturally sweet. The fish cake is springy, the basa is braised until deeply savory, and the pumpkin melts into the pot and sweetens it on its own. The part that needs care is cleaning the basa so no slime is left.
The basa is braised separately with fish sauce and pepper for 15 minutes, and a little of that braising liquid goes into each bowl. The pineapple goes in last so it keeps its gentle sourness. One bowl is a full meal.
This batch weighs about 4kg, at roughly 139 calories per 100g.
Method
Peel the pumpkin and cut it into small cubes, cut the cabbage into bite sized pieces, cut the tomato into wedges, and peel and eye the pineapple before cutting it into small pieces.
Heat 1 tablespoon cooking oil in a pot, fry 1 tablespoon minced garlic until fragrant, then add the tomato and stir for about 5 minutes.
Pour 2 liters water into the tomato pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the pumpkin and cabbage, season with 4 tablespoons fish sauce and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and lower the heat. When it returns to a boil, add the pineapple.
Scrub the basa with salt and a little lime juice or vinegar for about 5 minutes, rinse under clean water, drain and cut into bite sized pieces.
Put the fish in a pot with 2 tablespoons kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and 100ml water, cover and braise over medium heat for 15 minutes.
Once the pumpkin and pineapple are tender, add 500g steamed fish cake and 500g fried fish cake to the broth, bring back to a boil, then turn off the heat.
Put the noodles in a bowl, arrange the basa, fish cake, pumpkin, pineapple and cabbage on top, ladle over the broth with a little of the braising liquid, and serve with Thai basil, perilla, mixed herbs and cilantro.
Tips
Boiling water poured over the basa, followed by scraping, takes the slime and the raw smell away.
A spoonful of the braising liquid in each bowl deepens the broth noticeably.
Pumpkin cut small dissolves into the broth and sweetens it naturally.
The fish cake goes in last, as long boiling costs it its bounce.
The pineapple follows the pumpkin and cabbage, since adding it at the same time sours the broth early and costs it its sweetness.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.