The ingredients of cha ca consist of catfish, dill, onion, turmeric, galingale, fermented rice, fermented shrimp paste, pepper, chili, lemon, sugar, fish sauce and herbs.
 To make a tastycha ca, fermented rice and fermented shrimp paste are indispensable ingredients. |
It is not too difficult to cook the dish. Clean the fish, drain and cut it into square pieces which are then marinated with turmeric, galingale, fermented rice, fermented shrimp paste, pepper and fish sauce for at least an hour.
After that, put the fish in bamboo clips and grill them over charcoal until both sides turn yellow.
Then fry the fish in a pan with hot oil and dill and spring onion for a couples of minutes.
Cha ca is served hot with rice vermicelli, toasted peanuts and herbs, and a dipping sauce made from fish sauce, vinegar, salt, sugar, garlic and chili. The dipping sauce can also be made from fermented shrimp paste mixed with sugar and lemon juice.
Cha ca is not only a popular dish for Hanoians but also a favorite of many foreigners.
