Cha Ca Va Long (Vietnamese Turmeric Fish)

Overhead shot of cha ca in a cast iron, served with herbs and rice noodles.

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Cha Ca Va Long (Vietnamese Turmeric Fish)

Cha ca va long, or Vietnamese turmeric fish with dill, is a breeze to make and a delight to the tastebuds. Marinate, pan-fry, and savor the aromatic delight with noodles and herbs!

Prep Time10

Cook Time2

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Diet: Low Calorie, Low Fat

Servings:

Calories: 468kcal

Author: Clara

Ingredients

Marinade

2 cloves Garlic
1 tablespoon Fish sauce
1 teaspoon Sugar
½ teaspoon Turmeric
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Shallot

Dipping Sauce

1 tablespoon Fish sauce
1 tbsp Sugar
1-2 tablespoon Hot water Dilute as needed
Limes (To Taste)

Main Dish

8 oz Cod
3 bunches Dill
1-2 Scallions
52 g Rice noodles (Dried, uncooked)

Instructions

Cut the white fish – Cut the white fish into small, bite-sized pieces of relatively equal thickness. Set aside.
Prepare the noodles – Cook your noodles according to the package directions.
Mince and mix the marinade ingredients – Mince the garlic and shallots and mix in a bowl with turmeric, salt, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of fish sauce. Once the marinade is mixed together thoroughly, add in the fish pieces and mix thoroughly.
Chop the vegetables – Clean the dill and green onions and cut the green onions into long, lengthwise pieces.
Make the nuoc cham – Mix the remainder of the fish sauce and sugar together and add 1 tablespoon of hot water, or until at the desired level of saltiness. Add lime juice and adjust the dipping sauce with the 4 ingredients to your liking.
Cook the fish – Turn the heat up to medium-high and spray a frying pan with cooking spray. Add the fish pieces into the pan in a single layer, along with some dill and green onions, and cook the fish for about 1-2 minutes on each side.
Put everything together – Plate the fish. To eat, add rice noodles to a bowl, top with fish and herbs, and add the dipping sauce. Enjoy your delicious turmeric fish recipe!

Notes

Substitutions and Variations

Use a different white fish – I used cod in this recipe but any white fish, such as tilapia and bass, would work. You can also use catfish, although when I talked to people in Vietnam, multiple people mentioned that people tend to use river fish at home rather than catfish due to catfish sometimes having a muddy aftertaste.

Sub noodles for rice – While cha ca is typically served with rice noodles, you can also opt to serve it with some jasmine rice.

Expert Tips

Add some of the herbs while cooking and top some fresh ones – Cooking some of the herbs, especially the green onion, gives it a delicious taste while topping with herbs gives it a touch of freshness.

Don’t overcook the white fish – Cut the white fish into relatively similar-sized thickness and cook for 1-2 pieces on each side. Overcooking will result in an unpleasantly chewy texture.

Nutrition