Cha Ca La Vong- Vietnamese Grilled Fish
Cha ca la Vong is a great Vietnamese Fish Dish and is considered a delicacy not a street food. It originates from Hanoi.
How To Make
Cut the fish in pieces, marinate in turmeric, shrimp paste, fish sauce, and ginger. Marinate 30 minute. Forget that overnight stuff with fish it doesn’t take long to marinate fish and it ruins the texture.
Heat up a pan with some oil and sauté the fish on each side for a minute. After you see some browning throw in the dill and scallion and keep it moving until the fish is done.
Serving The Fish
The grilled fish is usually served family style with rice noodles, peanuts, fresh herbs, rice cracker, lettuce leaves, and a dip. I like a shrimp paste dip but most recipes have a fish sauce dip like Nuoc Cham. The shrimp paste dip is funky good but may be to much for some. Give it a try!
Eating is fun!
Eat this grilled fish with your hands. Pick up some fish, some grilled herbs, some fresh herbs, rice noodles, peanuts, rice cracker and wrap it in a lettuce leaf and dip.
Eat it with the Vietnamese crepe, Banh Xeo is eaten the same way and would be a great accompaniment.
Try this great vegan Pho recipe.
Cha Ca La Vong
Vietnamese grilled fish with dill and tumeric.
Marinade
- 2 lbs catfish or tilapia (cut in 2 inch pieces)
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tbsp minced shallot
- 2 tsp minced garlic and ginger
- 2 tbsp fish sauce or 1 tsp shrimp paste
- 1 tsp sugar
After The Marinade
- 1 bunch dill (not little plastic pack) very coarsely chopped
- 1 bunch scallion in 1 inch pieces
Serve With
- rice noodle
- sesame rice cracker (microwave until puffed)
- chopped peanuts
- fried shallot (optional) (Available at the Asian market)
- leaf lettuce
- Thai Basil, Mint
- Mam Tom or Nuoc Cham dipping sauce
Mix the marinade and add the fish for a half hour. Many recipes say overnight, don't! Fish absorbs marinade vey fast.
Heat a large skillet with some oil. Add the fish and sear both sides. Throw in dill and scallion and keep mixing and flipping until done
serve with lettuce, herbs, peanut, rice crackers, and dipping sauces (see above)