DISH RESEARCH · Main dish
Ca Kho To
Catfish steaks braised in caramel, fish sauce and coconut water.
About Ca Kho To
Jeannette's family ca kho to is a Vietnamese claypot fish braise with a caramel-based sauce. Her preferred catfish steaks are seasoned with fish sauce, garlic, red shallot and pepper before braising in coconut water.
Palm sugar brings the richer caramel flavour recommended in her notes. Fish sauce supplies savoury depth, while coconut water adds a gentle sweetness; chilli is an optional source of heat.
The fish becomes soft in a slightly thick, sticky sauce and is finished with chopped spring onion. It is served immediately alongside hot rice, with sliced cucumber offered as a vegetable accompaniment.
Allergens in this recipe
Contains: Fish.
Other allergen details are unconfirmed.
Ingredients vary by restaurant. Confirm your allergens with staff before ordering.
Ingredients in Ca Kho To
Jeannette's family claypot ca kho to with catfish and coconut water.
- Catfish steaksProtein
- GarlicAromatic
- Red shallotAromatic
- ChilliSeasoning · OptionalIngredient page not linked
- Fish sauceSeasoning
- Palm sugarSweetener
- Chicken bouillon powderSeasoning
- PepperSeasoningIngredient page not linked
- Cooking oilCooking mediumIngredient page not linked
- Coconut waterLiquid
- Spring onionGarnish
- Hot cooked riceAccompaniment
- Sliced cucumberAccompaniment · Optional
Ingredient details & uncertainties
Allergen information is incomplete. Unconfirmed details do not establish that an allergen is absent.
- Catfish steaks: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Fish source-confirmed. Actual100/160 preferred catfish selected, exact species unprovided; broader catfish candidate.
- Garlic: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual134/148/151 both marinade and caramel allocations consolidated.
- Red shallot: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual135/148/151 both allocations.
- Chilli (optional): Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual136 optional, species/form unprovided; early braise option153 selected over late garnish162.
- Fish sauce: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Fish source-confirmed. Actual137/103 Squid brand used, full product formula unprovided; named fish sauce confirms Fish.
- Palm sugar: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual161 preferred palm option selected; marinade138/caramel145 consolidated, no raw/white sugar union.
- Chicken bouillon powder: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual139 named chicken bouillon, broader candidate; full formula/product unresolved.
- Pepper: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual140 generic pepper, species/form unprovided; legacy black pepper not forced.
- Cooking oil: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual141 neutral marinade oil and144 unspecified caramel oil allocations both retained under broad unknown cooking-oil identity; no species or identical product asserted.
- Coconut water: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual143/158 original preferred option, not plain-water alternative.
- Spring onion: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual146/155 chopped garnish.
- Hot cooked rice: Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual155 explicitly hot rice, variety/upstream cooking formula unprovided; fish final service temperature not inferred.
- Sliced cucumber (optional): Recipe-specific ingredient evidence; Allergen details unconfirmed. Actual113 optional vegetable pairing selected over separate stir-fried-water-spinach option; other menu ideas unselected.
Origins & food traditions
Cuisines & regions
- Vietnamese Cuisine
- Southern Vietnamese cuisineCatalogue link pending review
- Vietnamese CuisineCatalogue link pending review
AI-generated illustration of one possible presentation. Recipes and ingredients vary; the image does not establish allergen content.