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Vietnamese Turmeric Fish with Wilted Herbs and Peanuts
This dish draws inspiration from a Hanoi restaurant, Cha Ca La Vong, renowned for its fish—the only item on the menu— seasoned with turmeric and dill. For our version, cornstarch and ground turmeric form a delicate crust on tilapia fillets that are quickly sautéed. Other firm white fish, such as snapper or cod, would work well here, but you'll need to increase the cooking time for fillets thicker than ½ inch. Generous fresh herbs—we use scallions, dill and cilantro, but mint is great, too—along with a sauce of lime juice and fish sauce brighten the dish. To add spice, stir red pepper flakes into the sauce or offer Sriracha at the table. Serve with thin rice noodles.
4
Servings
Tip
Don't overcook the herb mixture. Transfer it to the platter with the fish as soon as the cilantro and dill are stirred in.
40 minutes
Ingredients
-
2
tablespoons white sugar
-
¼
cup lime juice
Directions
-
01In a small bowl, stir together ⅓ cup water, sugar, lime juice and fish sauce until the sugar dissolves. Set aside. Season fish with salt and pepper. In a gallon zip-close bag, mix together the cornstarch, turmeric, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Add the fish, seal the bag and shake to coat. Transfer to a plate, shaking off any excess coating.
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June 24, 2023
Punchy flavor and easy for a weeknight
I served this over rice. Make extra sauce and herbs, you’ll want more it’s so good. I used other flaky white fish with much success.
June 24, 2022
Tasty and easy
One of the best things I’ve ever made and incredibly easy. Recipes like this are why I love milk street. The turmeric and herbs make it so flavorful that it doesn’t need the sauce - though the sauce only takes a minute to make.
March 3, 2024
Fresh easy and delicious
Really loved the simplicity of this dish. I substituted tofu for the fish and it turned out great! Would highly recommend for a quick weeknight meal
August 31, 2023
Just amazing
This recipe is so good, it's unbelievable. Do not change a thing.
This is delicious with rice noodles! I made it with a 50/50 mix of mint and dill instead of all dill, and it turned out great. It also held up well as leftovers the next day. Note that the turmeric-tinted oil splatter from the frying can be a bit messy/staining, so I recommend using a splatter screen.
I’ve made this dish a few times, exactly as stated - with rice noodles. It is a very good dish. Says 4 servings, and with 16 oz of rice noodles, it’s absolutely a hearty 4-person recipe. I’ve also halved it (although about the same full amount of herb mixture) and it was perfect. Highly recommended.
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I love this dish! It works equally well with firm tofu if you are interested in a less-meaty option.