Preparation
30 minutesCooking
60 minutesServes
3-4 people
Cha ca chep bach hoa is a delicious traditional Vietnamese dish enjoyed during the Lunar New Year celebrations. It is a flavorful and visually appealing dish, perfect for ancestral worship or as a festive treat.
1Ingredients for Cha Ca Chep Bach Hoa
- 200g fish surimi
- 35g lean pork paste
- 100g smoked ham
- 10 salted duck eggs
- 2 preserved duck eggs
- 50g green peas
- 100g carrots
- 2g dried shiitake mushrooms
- 5g fried shallots
- 10g spring onions
- 2g peppercorns
- Five-spice powder
- Turmeric powder
- Seasonings: Salt, monosodium glutamate, annatto oil, sugar
Ingredients for Cha Ca Chep Bach Hoa
2How to Make Cha Ca Chep Bach Hoa
Step 1 Prepare the Ingredients
Soak the salted eggs in white rice wine and ginger to remove any fishy odor. Rinse the eggs with clean water, pat them dry, and marinate them in a teaspoon of sesame oil to enhance their aroma. Steam the eggs for about 5 minutes until cooked.
Soak the dried mushrooms in warm water. Peel and shred the carrots. Chop the spring onion roots and the white parts, reserving the green parts for garnish. Finely chop the fried shallots.
In a pot of boiling water, blanch the green peas for 5 minutes with a pinch of sugar and salt. Remove the peas and repeat the process with the shredded carrots. Plunge the vegetables into ice-cold water to retain their crunch.
Preparing the Ingredients
Step 2 Make the Yellow Fish Cake
Take 2 egg yolks from the salted eggs and place them in a bowl. Add 1g of turmeric and 1g of five-spice powder, mashing them together. In a separate bowl, combine 50g of fish surimi, mashing it until smooth. Add 100g of lean pork paste, a pinch of chopped spring onions and fried shallots, and mix well. Season with 1g of monosodium glutamate, 2g of sugar, and the mashed egg mixture. Continue mixing until the batter is sticky and elastic.
Add a dash of vodka and a few drops of annatto oil to the mixture and combine well. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.
Making the Yellow Fish Cake
Step 3 Make the White Fish Cake
In a separate bowl, combine 150g of fish surimi, 2g of monosodium glutamate, 2g of salt, and 4g of sugar. Mix well, then add 150g of lean pork paste, a pinch of fried shallots and spring onions, and 2 drops of white rice wine. Knead the mixture until it becomes sticky and elastic.
Making the White Fish Cake
Step 4 Prepare the Filling
In a bowl, combine 100g of lean pork paste, diced ham, carrots, green peas, and peppercorns. Mix well.
Preparing the Filling
Step 5 Shape and Steam the Fish Cakes
Brush annatto oil onto a carp-shaped mold, placing 2 peppercorns where the fish’s eyes would be. Fill the mold with the yellow fish cake mixture, spreading it thinly to create the “skin” of the carp. Add the white fish cake mixture, followed by the filling, and place 2 salted eggs and 1/4 of a preserved duck egg inside the “carp.” Cover the bottom with a layer of white fish cake and a final layer of yellow fish cake, pressing down firmly.
Wrap the carp-shaped mold in aluminum foil and steam for about 30 minutes.
Steaming the Fish Cakes
Step 6 Serve
Once the fish cakes are cooked, let them cool slightly before carefully removing them from the mold. Slice the carp-shaped cake into thin pieces and arrange them on a serving platter.
Cha Ca Chep Bach Hoa – Final Product
3Enjoy!
Cha Ca Chep Bach Hoa is a stunning dish, resembling a golden carp. The fish cakes are chewy and flavorful, with a pleasant spiciness from the peppercorns. The salted and preserved eggs add a creamy, savory element, while the vegetables provide a satisfying crunch, preventing the dish from becoming overly rich.
Cha Ca Chep Bach Hoa – A Delicious Traditional Dish
Source: Natha Food
Now you know how to make Cha Ca Chep Bach Hoa at home. Impress your family and friends with this delicious and beautiful dish during the Lunar New Year celebrations!
Frequently asked questions
Cha Ca Chep Bach Hoa is a traditional Vietnamese dish, often prepared during Lunar New Year celebrations. It is a flavorful and visually appealing dish, perfect for special occasions.
The key ingredients for Cha Ca Chep Bach Hoa include fish surimi, lean pork paste, smoked ham, salted and preserved duck eggs, green peas, carrots, dried shiitake mushrooms, fried shallots, spring onions, peppercorns, and various seasonings such as five-spice powder, turmeric powder, salt, monosodium glutamate, annatto oil, and sugar.
To prepare the ingredients, start by soaking the salted eggs in rice wine and ginger to remove any fishy odor. Rinse, pat dry, and marinate them in sesame oil. Steam these eggs until cooked. Soak the dried mushrooms in warm water, and blanch the green peas and shredded carrots briefly in boiling water with a pinch of sugar and salt. Peel and shred the carrots, and chop the spring onion roots and white parts, reserving the greens for garnish. Don’t forget to finely chop the fried shallots.
For the yellow fish cake, take 2 egg yolks from the salted eggs and mix them with turmeric and five-spice powder. In a separate bowl, combine fish surimi and lean pork paste, adding chopped spring onions, fried shallots, monosodium glutamate, sugar, and the mashed egg mixture. Mix until the batter is sticky and elastic. Add a dash of vodka and annatto oil, then refrigerate for 30 minutes.
To make the white fish cake, combine fish surimi, lean pork paste, monosodium glutamate, salt, and sugar in a separate bowl. Add fried shallots, spring onions, and a couple of drops of white rice wine. Knead the mixture until it becomes sticky and elastic.
For the filling, simply combine lean pork paste with diced ham, carrots, green peas, and peppercorns. Mix well.
After preparing the filling, it’s time to shape and steam the fish cakes. Brush annatto oil onto a carp-shaped mold, placing peppercorns where the fish’s eyes would be. Layer the mold with the yellow fish cake mixture, followed by the white fish cake mixture, and finally, add the filling. Include 2 salted eggs and a quarter of a preserved duck egg inside the ‘carp.’ Top it off with another layer of white fish cake and a final layer of yellow fish cake, pressing down firmly. Wrap the mold in aluminum foil and steam for around 30 minutes.
Once the fish cakes are cooked, let them cool slightly before carefully removing them from the mold. Slice the carp-shaped cake into thin pieces and arrange them on a serving platter. Cha Ca Chep Bach Hoa resembles a golden carp and is best served during festive occasions.
Cha Ca Chep Bach Hoa offers a delightful combination of flavors and textures. The fish cakes are chewy and flavorful, with a pleasant spiciness from the peppercorns. The salted and preserved eggs add a creamy, savory element, while the vegetables provide a satisfying crunch to balance the richness of the dish.
You can explore more delicious Vietnamese recipes, including traditional dishes like Cha Ca Chep Bach Hoa, by referring to sources such as Natha Food, or seeking recommendations from Vietnamese cuisine enthusiasts online.
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