Vietnamese Turmeric & Lemongrass Fried Fish Fillets (Ca Chien Sa Nghe)
If you are not a whole fish kind of person, try this fried fish fillet recipe with lemongrass and turmeric. It’s quick. It’s easy. But most importantly, it’s delicious
I don’t always have time to prepare a whole fish so I love having fish fillets in the freezer ready to go. This is especially helpful on busy week nights when there’s little time to get dinner ready.
Fillets are just the boneless flesh part of the fish so they cook up quickly. You can have a healthy and delicious meal on the table in less than 30 minutes.
This fillet fish recipe uses a marinade of fresh minced lemongrass, garlic, turmeric powder, sea salt, fish sauce and as always in Asian cooking, a bit of sugar to balance out the flavor. The fillets are lightly coated with corn starch then pan-fried for a crispy crust.
If you like this recipe, check out the famous noodle version, Hanoi’s turmeric fried fish with dill (Cha Ca La Vong).
Vietnamese Turmeric & Lemongrass Fried Fish Fillets (Ca Chien Sa Nghe)
- Total Time: 23 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
A quick and easy fried fish fillet with lemongrass and turmeric. Lightly coated with corn starch and pan-fried to crispy perfection.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs fish fillets (cod, bass tilapia or any other white fish)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon granulated white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/4 cup finely minced lemongrass
- 3 garlic cloves (minced)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (a little more for pan frying)
- 1/2 cup corn starch
Instructions
- Marinate: In a small bowl, mix together salt, fish sauce, sugar, ground black pepper, turmeric powder, lemongrass, garlic and vegetable oil (2 tablespoons). Marinate fillets with mixture for at least 15 minutes or overnight in the fridge.
- Flour the fish: When ready to fry, lightly dust fillets with corn starch. Tap off excess.
- Pan fry: Using a large non-stick skillet, add a thin layer of oil and heat on medium-high. Add fish fillets and pan-fry for 2 minutes per side. You may have to fry in two batches depending on the size of your skillet. Transfer fried fillet to a wire rack to drain excess oil. Serve immediately with rice or noodles for a complete meal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Category: side dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: asian, vietnamese
