Cha Ca La Vong (Hanoi Turmeric Fish with Dill) Recipe
Vietnamese dishesFish and Meat CakesNorthern Vietnam150 minutes, including 2 hours marinating the fish
Cha ca La Vong made with ca lang starts from a jar of me (fermented rice starter) and mam tom (fermented shrimp paste), the two things that give this dish its particular perfume. Ca lang fillet has few bones, sweet flesh and just enough fat, and once it is marinated in turmeric and galangal and cooked, the whole kitchen smells of it.
The hardest part is the heat, since fish taken too far turns dry and loses its sweetness. The fish needs a full 2 hours for the turmeric and galangal to work into the flesh. When it goes into the pan, the oil has to be properly hot first, because a cool pan makes the fish weep and fall apart.
This batch weighs about 1.4kg, at roughly 157 calories per 100g.
Method
Wash the dill and spring onion and cut them into 5cm lengths. Peel the tough outer layers from the lemongrass and mince it. Mince the shallots. Scrape the fresh turmeric and blend it smooth. Slice the chilies on the diagonal.
Marinate 500g ca lang fillet with the minced shallot, 40g pounded galangal, the minced lemongrass, the blended turmeric, 1/3 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 2 tablespoons me (fermented rice starter), 2 tablespoons mam tom (fermented shrimp paste) and 1/2 tablespoon turmeric powder. Mix well and leave it for 2 hours.
Line a tray with foil, lay the fish out in a single layer and roast at 180C for 10 to 15 minutes.
Mix the dipping sauce: put 1 tablespoon mam tom, 1 tablespoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, calamansi juice and sliced chili in a bowl and whisk hard until it froths.
Set a small pan over the heat with 4 tablespoons cooking oil. When the oil is very hot, sear the fish until both sides are golden.
Add the spring onion and dill, toss quickly and turn off the heat. Serve hot with 500g rice vermicelli (bun), 50g roasted peanuts and the bowl of mam tom.
Tips
Charcoal gives more aroma than an oven, but the fish should come off as soon as it is just cooked, since any longer leaves it dry.
Mam tom that smells too sharp softens with 1 small spoon of white rice wine stirred in.
kOBE Monk Fruit Blend dissolves slowly, so the bowl of mam tom needs another stir after 5 minutes for the flavor to even out.
Galangal pounded by hand smells stronger than blended galangal because the fibers keep their oils.
Ca lang drained very well before marinating holds the seasoning, while water left on it thins the marinade and stops it sticking.
A small, heavy pan holds its heat best, and that is what gives the fish an even sear.
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.