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Cha Ca La Vong (Turmeric Dill Fish)

Name: Cha Ca La Vong (Turmeric Dill Fish)
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 2 lbs white fish fillets, cut into chunks; 1 tsp turmeric powder; 1 tbsp galangal, grated; 1 tbsp shrimp paste; 1 inch ginger, grated; 2 tbsp fish sauce; 2 cups fresh dill; 1 bunch green onions; 8 oz vermicelli noodles, cooked; 1/4 cup roasted peanuts; 3 tbsp oil; fermented shrimp sauce for serving

Cha Ca La Vong (Turmeric Dill Fish) reads umami 8.2, salinity 7.0 and marine & briny 6.9 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Vietnamese main, about 1 hr 30 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 10.0 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 2.0 / 10
Sour & Bright — 1.6 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 1.8 / 10
Rich & Fat — 5.1 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.0 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 8.2 · Salinity 7.0 · Marine & Briny 6.9 · Funk & Ferment 6.6 · Richness 4.2 · Herbaceous 3.7 · Nutty 3.0 · Sweetness 1.9 · Earthy 1.6 · Warm Spice 1.4 · Sourness 1.3 · Allium 1.1 · Floral 1.0 · Citrus 1.0 · Bitterness 0.9

What's in it (12)

2 lbs white fish fillets, cut into chunks
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp galangal, grated
1 tbsp shrimp paste
1 inch ginger, grated
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 cups fresh dill
1 bunch green onions
8 oz vermicelli noodles, cooked
1/4 cup roasted peanuts
3 tbsp oil
fermented shrimp sauce for serving

Time & effort: about 1 hr 30 min (25 min active) · effort: medium

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 141.6 kcal, 12.5 g protein, 3.7 g fat, 13.8 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (3 steps)

Marinate fish pieces in turmeric, galangal, and shrimp paste for at least an hour.
Fry fish in oil in a sizzling pan, adding dill and green onions in the final minute.
Serve with vermicelli, crushed peanuts, and fermented shrimp sauce to wrap with fresh herbs.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Gyeran Jjim (계란찜) — Korean
Oven-Roasted Halibut with Black Olive Tapenade on Roasted Red Peppers (Rape Asado con Tapenada Negra Y Pimientos Morrones) — Spanish
Hoy Tod (Thai Oyster Omelette) — Thai
Thai Basil Shrimp (Pad Kra Pao Goong) — Thai
Siu Mai (烧卖) — Chinese

Keep reading: what umami, salinity, marine & briny mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.