12 Delicious Catfish Recipes That Everyone Will Love

Hemibagrus is one of the freshwater fish species favored by many families thanks to its sweet, fatty meat, few fine bones, and ease of preparation into many attractive dishes. If you are wondering what delicious dishes can be made with Hemibagrus, this article will introduce 12 detailed dishes from Hemibagrus, along with attractive fried and stir-fried dishes, helping you make your family meals more diverse. Let’s explore the details right below!

1. What is Hemibagrus? Popular types of Hemibagrus in Vietnam

Hemibagrus (English name: Bagridae) is a scaleless freshwater fish species with smooth skin, spines on the front back, a slightly flattened head, and four long barbels. They live mainly in Asia and Africa, feeding omnivorously on small fish, shrimp, crabs to larvae, and usually spawn in the 7th-8th lunar month in underwater bushy areas. Hemibagrus varies in size, averaging up to 1.5m long and weighing 10-39kg.

Popular types of Hemibagrus in Vietnam

• Spotted Bagrid (Hemibagrus guttatus): Often lives in large northern rivers such as the Da River and Lo River, weighing 40-50kg, with smooth skin and characteristic black spots.
• Golden Bagrid: This type of fish often lives in the lower reaches of rivers and swamps in Phu Tho province. The skin of the golden bagrid is glossy yellow, the meat is purely sweet, meaty, has no fine bones, and is rich in nutrients.
• Red-tail Bagrid: Mainly distributed in the Mekong Delta, Mekong River, and Serepok River. Red-tail bagrid has large fins, a red tail, and weighs over 30kg. The fish meat is very nutritious and has a high price.

2. Nutritional value and benefits of Hemibagrus

In 100g of Hemibagrus, there are about 112 kcal, containing 19g of protein and 4g of fat, providing a high nutritional value source. Hemibagrus meat is rich in Vitamin A, which helps brighten the eyes, improve vision, and prevent macular degeneration in the elderly. At the same time, the collagen content in the fish supports smooth, healthy skin and slows down the aging process.

In addition, Hemibagrus also contains Omega-3 and DHA to help brain development and enhance memory, especially suitable for children in the developing age. Therefore, Hemibagrus is a nutritious food, good for eyes, skin, and brain, and should be prioritized in the family diet.

3. Tips for choosing and preparing fresh Hemibagrus

How to choose fresh live Hemibagrus

To make Hemibagrus dishes achieve delicious flavor and high nutrition, choosing fresh fish is the top priority.

• When buying, you should prioritize fish that are still healthy, have smooth skin, clear, bright eyes, and are not blurry or cloudy.
• Check that the fish gills must be bright red, wet, and have no foul smell. Avoid fish with soft bodies, scratched scales or skin, or strange odors because those are signs that the fish has been left for a long time or is not fresh.
• If possible, choose Hemibagrus that are just big enough, not too big or too small, so the meat is firm, sweet, and has few bones.

Secrets to cleaning and effectively deodorizing Hemibagrus

Hemibagrus is a scaleless fish with a slippery, slimy body, so before processing, it needs to be cleaned thoroughly to remove the characteristic fishy smell. First, wash the fish under running water to remove slime and dirt on the body. Next, use grain salt or white wine to rub evenly on the outside and inside of the fish belly, combined with crushed fresh ginger.

You can also replace wine with lemon or white vinegar to deodorize. After rubbing thoroughly, you should wash the fish many times with clean water and let it drain before preparation. With this method, the Hemibagrus will be fragrant, clean, free of fishy smell, and ready for cooking, grilling, or hotpot dishes.

4. What delicious dishes can be made with Hemibagrus?

4.1. Hemibagrus hotpot with sour bamboo shoots

Ingredients (for 2 people)

• Hemibagrus: 2 kg
• Sour bamboo shoots: 500 g
• Pineapple: 1 fruit
• Lemon: 1.5 fruits
• 6 lemongrass stalks, 3 tomatoes
• Hotpot vegetables: as desired (water spinach, celery, banana blossoms, yellow velvetleaf, mustard greens, Malabar spinach, water lily)
• White sesame: 1 teaspoon
• Salt, sugar, cooking oil, satay, fish sauce

How to make Hemibagrus hotpot with sour bamboo shoots

• Step 1 – Prepare Hemibagrus: To remove the fishy smell, blanch the fish in boiling water, then use a knife to scrape off the slime layer on the skin. Next, rub the fish with salt and lemon juice, wash clean, and cut into bite-sized pieces.
• Step 2 – Prepare other ingredients: Wash the hotpot vegetables and drain. Cut tomatoes into wedges, peel and slice the pineapple. Soak sour bamboo shoots in water for 10 minutes, wash again and tear into bite-sized pieces, and cut lemongrass into segments about 3 finger-joints long.
• Step 3 – Cook hotpot broth: Next, place a pot on the stove, heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, and sauté tomatoes and pineapple for about 3 minutes. Add 4 cups of filtered water along with lemongrass, and boil over medium heat. When the water boils, add fish sauce, satay, sugar, and white sesame, season to taste, then turn off the heat.
• Step 4 – Enjoy: Finally, add the fish, vegetables, and sour bamboo shoots to the hotpot, dipping fresh rice vermicelli when eating. The fish is soft, the hotpot broth is sweet and sour blended with the crunchy taste of sour bamboo shoots, creating a delicious flavor, perfect for chilly days.

4.2. La Vong Fish Cake (Chả cá Lã Vọng)

Ingredients to prepare include:

• Fresh Hemibagrus: 1 fish (~500 g)
• Galingale, ginger, minced shallots: 2 tablespoons each
• Green onions: 5 stalks
• Dill and accompanying herbs: a little
• 1 lemon, 1 fresh chili
• Turmeric powder: 1 teaspoon
• Fermented rice (mẻ), shrimp paste: 2 tablespoons each
• Roasted peanuts: 100 g
• Fresh rice vermicelli: 1 kg
• Salt, cooking oil

Steps to make La Vong Fish Cake:

• Step 1 – Prepare fish: First, wash the fish with boiling water then scrape off the slime. Next, use salt and lemon to rub the whole body to remove the fishy smell. Fillet the fish into bite-sized pieces, pat dry, then marinate with fermented rice, galingale, ginger, minced shallots, shrimp paste, and turmeric powder. Mix well and let the fish absorb the spices for about 2 hours.
• Step 2 – Prepare other ingredients: Proceed to wash green onions and dill, cut into segments about 2 finger-joints long; thinly slice the white onion parts. Wash the chili, remove the stem, and slice. Wash the accompanying herbs and drain.
• Step 3 – Grill the fish: Arrange the marinated fish in an air fryer and grill at 200°C for 20 minutes until the fish is golden and fragrant.
• Step 4 – Enjoy: Put the fish on a plate, sprinkle with green onions, dill, and herbs. You can eat it with fresh rice vermicelli and roasted peanuts, dipped in shrimp paste mixed with a little chili to increase the spicy and rich flavor. The hot, golden fish pieces combined with the rich dipping sauce create the authentic taste of La Vong Fish Cake.

4.3. Hemibagrus stewed with banana and tofu

Ingredients

• Hemibagrus: 500 g
• Green bananas: 3 fruits
• Fried tofu: 4 pieces
• 5 g ginger, 30g perilla leaves
• 3 green onion stalks
• Fresh chili, minced garlic
• Fresh turmeric finely crushed (or turmeric powder): 5 g
• Seasoning: fish sauce, seasoning powder, MSG, pepper

Execution steps

• Step 1 – Prepare Hemibagrus: You gut the fish, remove the entrails and belly fat, wash the fish with a mixture of salt and vinegar (or lemon) in a 2:1 ratio to disinfect and remove the fishy smell. Wash again with clean water, drain, cut the fish head and body into bite-sized pieces.
• Step 2 – Prepare other ingredients: Peel green bananas, cut into bite-sized pieces, split in half or quarters, soak in diluted vinegar for about 10 minutes to reduce sap and avoid browning. Cut tofu into small squares, fry until crispy and drain oil. Wash green onions and perilla, cut into segments, and peel and julienne the ginger.
• Step 3 – Marinate Hemibagrus: Mix the fish with turmeric, ginger, garlic, chili, fish sauce, seasoning powder, MSG, and pepper. Marinate for about 30 minutes so the spices absorb evenly.
• Step 4 – Stew fish with banana and tofu: Sauté garlic over low heat until lightly golden, add the fish and stir well. When the fish starts to firm up, add the bananas and tofu, continue to stir. Then, pour in 1 liter of water and simmer until the fish and bananas are soft. Season to taste, add green onions, perilla, and chili, stir well for about 1 minute, then turn off the heat.

4.4. Hemibagrus hotpot with Sesbania grandiflora flowers

Ingredients:

• Hemibagrus: 600 g
• Sesbania grandiflora flowers (Bông so đũa): 200 g
• Water mimosa, water spinach stalks, enoki mushrooms: 100 g each
• Kimchi hotpot seasoning: 1 pack (46 g)
• 2 tomatoes, 1 horn chili
• 2 lemongrass stalks, 7 Mexican mint leaves (rau tần)
• Herbs: 50 g (culantro, rice paddy herb, coriander)
• Seasoning: cooking oil, fish sauce, sugar, salt

Execution steps:

• Step 1 – Prepare and marinate Hemibagrus: First, clean the Hemibagrus then cut the fish into slices about 1 finger-joint thick. Soak the fish in diluted salt water for 10 minutes to remove the fishy smell, then wash and drain. Marinate the fish with 1 tablespoon of kimchi hotpot seasoning, mix well and let it absorb for about 15-20 minutes.
• Step 2 – Prepare other ingredients: Next, wash all the vegetables. Cut tomatoes into wedges and crush lemongrass, then cut into segments. Cut herbs into short segments, finely chop the Mexican mint leaves, and slice the chili.
• Step 3 – Briefly stir-fry the fish: Heat a pan with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, add lemongrass to sauté until fragrant, then add the marinated Hemibagrus and stir-fry for 5-7 minutes over medium heat until the fish is slightly firm.
• Step 4 – Cook hotpot: Boil 1.5 liters of water, add the remaining kimchi hotpot seasoning and stir to dissolve. When the water boils again, add the stir-fried Hemibagrus along with tomatoes and chili to the pot. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1 tablespoon of fish sauce. When the broth tastes right, sprinkle with herbs and Mexican mint then turn off the heat. When enjoying, boil the hotpot pot and dip enoki mushrooms, Sesbania grandiflora flowers, water mimosa, and water spinach stalks. The Hemibagrus is soft and sweet blending in the sour and spicy kimchi hotpot broth, served with vermicelli or noodles and dipping the fish in chili fish sauce will be even richer.

4.5. Hemibagrus braised with turmeric

Ingredients

• Hemibagrus: 500 g
• Garlic: 5 cloves
• 2 shallots, 1 lemon
• Chili: 1 fruit
• Seasoning: fish sauce, cooking oil, salt, turmeric powder

Execution steps

• Step 1 – Prepare fish and ingredients: You pour boiling water over the Hemibagrus then scrape off the slime layer. Rub a mixture of lemon and salt to deodorize, then wash again with clean water. Cut the fish into slices and arrange them in a pot. Crush the garlic and shallots; cut the chili or leave it whole depending on taste.
• Step 2 – Marinate Hemibagrus: Add to the fish pot: garlic, shallots, 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, and 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder to create color and fragrance. Mix well and marinate for about 20 minutes for the fish to absorb the flavor. You can add chili if you like a spicy taste.
• Step 3 – Braise the fish: Pour boiling water into the pot to barely cover the fish surface. Cook over high heat until it boils, then lower to a simmer, braise for 15-20 minutes. Occasionally shake the pot gently so the fish is evenly absorbed and does not stick to the bottom. When the braising liquid thickens, season one last time to taste.
• Step 4 – Finished product: Hemibagrus braised with turmeric has a beautiful yellow color, a strong smell of turmeric, garlic, and fish sauce. The fish meat is soft and chewy, absorbed with spices but still retains its natural sweetness. The braising sauce is smooth, fatty, and slightly spicy, which goes very well with rice. Enjoying it with hot white rice will give the most complete flavor.

4.6. Hemibagrus braised with pepper

Ingredients

• Hemibagrus: 600 g
• Green pepper: 4 sprigs
• 3 shallots, 2 chilies
• Garlic, ginger: 1 bulb each
• 2 green onion stalks
• Caramel sauce: 1 tablespoon
• Cooking oil, salt, seasoning powder, sugar, fish sauce, turmeric powder

Execution steps

• Step 1 – Prepare ingredients: First, wash the Hemibagrus clean, remove slime and fishy smell, then cut into slices about 3 cm thick. Wash green onions, keep the white part. Peel shallots and garlic, crush then mince, and peel and thinly slice the ginger.
• Step 2 – Marinate fish: Put the fish in a bowl and season: 1 tablespoon of salt, 2 teaspoons of seasoning powder, 1 teaspoon of MSG, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon of turmeric powder, 1 tablespoon of caramel sauce, and 2 tablespoons of fish sauce. Add ginger, shallots, and minced garlic then mix well and marinate for about 40 minutes for the fish to absorb the flavor.
• Step 3 – Braise the fish: Then, heat the oil and sauté the shallots, garlic, and ginger with 2 sprigs of green pepper. Add the fish and lightly fry both sides until firm. Add the marinating liquid to the pot, braise over low heat without covering until the water gradually reduces. Continue to add chilies, the remaining green pepper, and half a cup of water. Braise until the sauce thickens, then turn off the heat.
• Step 4 – Finished product: Hemibagrus braised with pepper has a beautiful golden color, the pungent taste of pepper blending with the natural sweetness of the fish meat. The fish meat is firm, rich, and very appetizing when eaten hot with white rice.

4.7. Hemibagrus braised in a clay pot

Ingredients

• 1 Hemibagrus fish
• 2 green onion stalks
• 2 bird’s eye chilies
• 1 tablespoon of pork cracklings
• 2 tablespoons of minced shallots
• Seasoning: fish sauce, soy sauce, caramel sauce, sugar, salt, pepper

Execution steps

• Step 1 – Prepare Hemibagrus: First, clean the fish’s entrails, rub salt on the body and belly to deodorize. Lightly scrape the slime layer on the skin and wash many times with water. Then cut the fish into slices about 2 cm thick and put them into a clay pot or braising pot.
• Step 2 – Marinate fish: Put pork cracklings at the bottom of the pot, arrange the fish on top. Add green onions, minced shallots, 1 tablespoon of caramel sauce, 1/2 tablespoon of sugar, 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1/2 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1/2 tablespoon of pepper, and 2 bird’s eye chilies. Mix well for the fish to absorb spices and marinate for about 30 minutes.
• Step 3 – Braise the fish: Place the pot on the stove, braise over high heat until the fish surface is slightly firm then flip. Lower the heat and continue braising for 15-20 minutes, occasionally stirring gently so the fish is evenly cooked and does not burn. Finally, sprinkle some more pepper for fragrance and turn off the heat.
• Step 4 – Finished product: Hemibagrus braised in a clay pot has an eye-catching golden-brown color, the fish meat is rich with a balanced sweet and salty taste, with a little light spiciness from chili and pepper. The dish is especially appetizing and is also very delicious when served with raw vegetables.

4.8. Hemibagrus salad

Ingredients

• 250g Hemibagrus
• 200g sprout vegetables
• 100g culantro (ngò gai)
• 2 horn chilies, 4 shallots
• 3 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon of mustard
• 2 tablespoons of chili powder
• Seasoning: fish sauce, sugar

Execution steps

• Step 1 – Prepare and blanch Hemibagrus: First, wash the Hemibagrus clean, take the fish belly part and cut into thin slices about half a finger-joint thick. Boil a pot of water, blanch the fish quickly then immediately put it into a bowl of ice water for about 3 minutes to maintain the crispness and beautiful color, then take it out and drain.
• Step 2 – Prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, mix fish sauce, sugar, and lemon juice in a 1:1:1 ratio. When the sugar is dissolved, add mustard and chili powder, stir well to create a rich sweet and sour spicy sauce mixture.
• Step 3 – Mix the salad: Then, put the blanched fish into a basin, drizzle ⅓ of the sauce amount and mix lightly to absorb. Continue to add sprout vegetables, thinly sliced shallots, culantro, and horn chili. Drizzle the remaining sauce then mix evenly and arrange on a plate for the whole family to enjoy while still fresh. Hemibagrus salad with sprouts brings the soft sweetness of the fish, blending with the freshness of sprouts and a balanced sweet and sour spicy sauce, creating an attractive and very easy-to-eat appetizer.

4.9. Hemibagrus sour soup

Ingredients

• 1 Hemibagrus fish ~350g
• 100g bean sprouts, 3 calamansi fruits
• ½ pineapple, 3 tomatoes
• Herbs: rice paddy herb, culantro
• 5 stalks of elephant ear stems (bạc hà), 10 okra pods
• Horn chili, shallots, fried shallots
• Seasoning: fish sauce, sugar, seasoning powder, salt, pepper, MSG, cooking oil, garlic powder

Execution steps

• Step 1 – Prepare ingredients: First, clean the Hemibagrus with warm water or vinegar to remove slime and fishy smell, then cut into bite-sized slices. Wash and cut pineapple, tomatoes, elephant ear stems, and okra into pieces. Finely chop rice paddy herb and culantro and slice the horn chili.
• Step 2 – Marinate and lightly fry fish: Marinate the fish with seasoning powder, sugar, garlic powder, salt, MSG, and pepper, mix well for absorption. Sauté shallots then add the fish to lightly fry until the fish surface is firm so it doesn’t break when cooking.
• Step 3 – Cook Hemibagrus sour soup: Then, boil 1 liter of water, add the fried fish to cook until the water boils again then take the fish out to keep the sweetness. Continue to add pineapple, tomatoes, and okra to the pot, season with fish sauce, sugar, seasoning powder, salt, MSG, and calamansi juice so that the sweet and sour taste is balanced. Skim off foam to keep the soup clear. Finally, add sprouts, elephant ear stems, Hemibagrus, and herbs, cook for another 3 minutes and it’s done.

4.10. Hemibagrus porridge

Ingredients

• 1 Hemibagrus fish ~1 kg
• Plain rice 100g, glutinous rice 50g
• Mustard greens 200g
• Ginger, turmeric, shallots, green onions
• Fish sauce, salt, seasoning powder, pepper
• Cooking oil 1 tablespoon

Execution steps:

• Step 1 – Prepare Hemibagrus: You clean the fish, remove entrails, and wash thoroughly to remove fishy blood. Cut off the head, filter the bones, and slice the fish meat into bite-sized pieces. Boil water then blanch the fish head quickly for about 2 minutes to remove slime and fishy smell.
• Step 2 – Prepare ingredients: Crush the ginger; peel shallots, mince 1 bulb to sauté; separate green onion white parts and leaves; wash and finely cut the mustard greens. Crush the turmeric, squeeze out the juice to create a beautiful color and increase the fragrance for the porridge.
• Step 3 – Cook broth: Put 1.5 liters of water in a pot, add ginger, shallots, onion whites, the fish head, and bones to simmer for about 30 minutes. Filter to get clear broth.
• Step 4 – Stir-fry fish meat: Sauté shallots with cooking oil, add fish meat and stir lightly until firm. Season with fish sauce, seasoning powder, and pepper to make the fish fragrant.
• Step 5 – Cook porridge: Cook plain rice and glutinous rice with 1 liter of water until soft and blooming, then pour in the broth and continue to cook for the porridge to thicken. Add the stir-fried fish to the pot, season again with seasoning powder, fish sauce, and turmeric juice so the porridge has a gentle, eye-catching yellow color. Finally, add mustard greens, green onions, and pepper, boil slightly then turn off the heat.

4.11. Hemibagrus fish cake noodle soup (Bánh canh)

Ingredients

• 400g rice flour
• 150g tapioca starch
• 100g Hemibagrus fish cake
• 200g pork bones
• Hemibagrus head or bones
• White radish, carrot
• Sprouts, chives to serve with
• Green onions, fried garlic, fried shallots
• Seasoning: sugar, salt, seasoning powder, cashew oil, fish sauce

Execution steps:

• Step 1 – Prepare ingredients: First, wash the pork bones, rub with salt and blanch in boiling water for 4-5 minutes to remove smell and dirt, then wash again with cold water. Peel the radish and carrot, cut into bite-sized pieces.
• Step 2 – Simmer broth: Put 2 liters of water in a pot, boil then add pork bones, Hemibagrus head/bones, radish, and carrot to simmer for about 30 minutes for a sweet and clear broth.
• Step 3 – Knead dough to make noodles: Next, you mix rice flour, tapioca starch, and a little salt then add 500ml of hot water about 70°C to knead until the dough is smooth and cohesive. Press the dough block firmly, pour boiling water to cover the dough by about 4cm and incubate for 4 hours. After incubation, drain the water, knead again, and add about 200ml of hot water to achieve the soft, flexible consistency.
• Step 4 – Create and blanch noodles: Then, you boil a pot of water then reduce to low heat. Put the dough into a coconut shell with a hole and tap gently for the dough to flow down to form strands. When the noodle strands float, cook for another 1-2 minutes then transfer to cold water so the strands are chewy and don’t stick.
• Step 5 – Cook bánh canh: When the broth is sweet enough, add cashew oil and roll the Hemibagrus fish cake into balls and add to cook for about 2 minutes. Season the broth with seasoning powder, sugar, fish sauce, and adjust to taste. Put noodles in a bowl, add sprouts, chives, green onions; pour hot broth, add fried Hemibagrus fish cake along with fried garlic and fried shallots.

4.12. Hemibagrus grilled with lemongrass and turmeric

Ingredients

• 600g Hemibagrus
• Lemongrass, turmeric (20g each)
• 20g sour tamarind, 10g chili
• 1 garlic bulb
• Lemon juice from 2 fruits
• 50ml vinegar
• Seasoning: cooking oil, fish sauce, salt, sugar, MSG

Execution steps:

• Step 1 – Prepare fish and ingredients: First, clean the Hemibagrus, remove entrails and fins, rub with salt to remove slime and fishy smell. Soak the fish in diluted lemon water or vinegar water for 5 minutes, then wash again and drain. Cut the fish into bite-sized segments. Finely mince turmeric and lemongrass while soaking tamarind in warm water, filter out seeds and keep the juice.
• Step 2 – Marinate fish: Next, put the fish in a bowl, add minced turmeric, minced lemongrass, 1 teaspoon of MSG, 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, and 1 teaspoon of cooking oil. Mix well and marinate for about 20 minutes for the fish to absorb the full flavor.
• Step 3 – Grill fish: Arrange the fish on a rack, grill over charcoal or a grill until golden on both sides and giving off the characteristic aroma of lemongrass and turmeric.
• Step 4 – Prepare tamarind dipping sauce: Finally, mix tamarind juice with chili, garlic, 2 teaspoons of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of fish sauce. Stir well until the sugar dissolves, creating an attractive sweet and sour dipping sauce mixture.

5. Other attractive fried and stir-fried Hemibagrus dishes

What delicious dishes can be made with Hemibagrus? In addition to the above suggestions, you can also process Hemibagrus with fried or stir-fried dishes as below:

5.1. Crispy fried Hemibagrus

Ingredients

• 1.5kg Hemibagrus
• 1 duck egg (or chicken egg)
• 3 galingale roots, 5 lemongrass stalks
• 5 shallots, 2 garlic bulbs
• 1 tablespoon of tapioca starch, ½ tablespoon of custard powder (Lion)
• Satay: 2 teaspoons
• Cashew oil: 2 teaspoons, sesame oil: 1 teaspoon
• Seasoning: salt, sugar, seasoning powder, MSG, cooking oil

Execution steps

• Step 1 – Prepare Hemibagrus: First, blanch the Hemibagrus through boiling water until the skin turns white, then scrub clean under running water to remove the slime membrane. Gut the fish, discard viscera and wash many times until clean. Fillet the meat from the body and cut into bite-sized square segments.
• Step 2 – Prepare ingredients: Wash lemongrass, crush and cut into short segments. Peel and finely grind the galingale while peeling and mincing the shallots and garlic.
• Step 3 – Marinate and coat the fish with flour: Next, you mix tapioca starch and custard powder to create a crispy coating mixture. Put the fish in a bowl, season with MSG, seasoning powder, sugar, satay, cashew oil, sesame oil, and a little cooking oil. Then, you add egg yolk and juice from shallots, garlic, lemongrass, and galingale to increase fragrance. Mix well, then add a little of the flour mixture and marinate for 5-10 minutes.
• Step 4 – Fry the fish and make crispy lemongrass galingale: Heat the oil, drop the fish in to fry for about 10 minutes until golden and crispy, then take out and drain. Continue to add lemongrass and galingale mixed with the remaining flour to fry until crunchy. Finally, fry the fish again for the second time for 2 minutes for the crust to stay crispy longer and have a richer flavor. Arrange the fish on a plate, sprinkle crispy fried lemongrass and galingale on top then decorate with raw vegetables or cucumber as desired.

5.2. Sautéed Hemibagrus (Cá lăng xào lăn)

Ingredients

• Hemibagrus
• Dill, turmeric powder, wheat flour
• Coconut milk, onion
• Minced garlic, minced shallots, minced lemongrass
• Roasted peanuts
• Seasoning: salt, sugar, seasoning powder, pepper, cooking oil

Execution steps

• Step 1 – Prepare fish and ingredients: Wash the Hemibagrus clean, remove all entrails, cut into bite-sized segments about 2 finger-joints long, and drain. Cut dill into segments, slice onion, and finely mince garlic, shallots, and lemongrass. Wash other ingredients and set aside.
• Step 2 – Fry fish: Heat oil in a non-stick pan, roll the fish through wheat flour and turmeric powder, then fry both sides until golden. Do not flip the fish too early so the meat does not break.
• Step 3 – Sauté fish with spices: Sauté minced garlic, shallots, and lemongrass then add the fish to sauté gently. Add coconut milk and season to taste, then simmer over low heat until the sauce is smooth and the fish is evenly absorbed with flavor.
• Step 4 – Complete the dish: Add green onions, chili, and dill, stir well and turn off the heat. Before enjoying, sprinkle crushed roasted peanuts on top to make the dish more nutty, fragrant, and attractive. The fish meat is white and soft, the sauce is rich and fatty, blending with the aroma of lemongrass, shallots, and dill.

5.3. Fried Hemibagrus with tamarind sauce

Ingredients

• Hemibagrus fillet
• Pressed tamarind
• Minced garlic, chili
• Crispy frying flour
• Roasted peanuts, chili sauce
• Seasoning: cooking oil, sugar, fish sauce, pepper, chili powder

Execution steps

• Step 1 – Prepare and fry fish: First, wash the Hemibagrus clean, marinate with salt to remove the fishy smell, and cut into bite-sized pieces. Roll the fish through crispy frying flour, deep fry until golden, take out and drain.
• Step 2 – Prepare and cook tamarind sauce: Then, mix tamarind juice with fish sauce, sugar, chili sauce, and chili powder. Sauté minced garlic and chili, pour the mixture in, simmer over low heat until the sauce is smooth, and season to taste.
• Step 3 – Complete the dish: Finally, put the fried fish in and toss well with the sauce, turn off the heat. Sprinkle roasted peanuts on top before enjoying. The fish is crispy outside, soft and sweet inside, blending with the sweet, sour, and slightly spicy taste of tamarind sauce, creating an attractive and flavorful dish.

5.4. Hemibagrus fried with five-spice powder

Ingredients

• Hemibagrus slices
• Lemon leaves, minced lemongrass
• Five-spice powder, salt, MSG, fish sauce, sugar

How to make Hemibagrus fried with five-spice powder

• Step 1: After buying the fish, you need to clean it with salt water and marinate the fish with five-spice powder and seasonings for about 1 hour for even absorption then cut lemon leaves into strands and mince lemongrass.
• Step 2: Fry the fish over low heat until both sides are golden and crispy, then take out and drain.
• Step 3: Finally, sauté lemongrass and lemon leaves in hot oil until fragrant, add the fish marinating liquid and stir until dry, then pour into the fried fish pan, stir well for the fish to absorb the seasoning.

6. Some frequently asked questions about Hemibagrus

6.1. What is the price of Hemibagrus per 1kg?

The price of Hemibagrus currently fluctuates quite widely, from about 100,000 to 700,000 VND per kilogram, depending on the type of fish, size as well as the form of preservation. Live whole fish usually has a higher price than cleaned or cold-preserved fish. When buying, you should pay attention to the origin and preservation method to ensure the fish is fresh, delicious, and safe for meals.

6.2. Distinguish between Catfish (Cá trê) and Hemibagrus (Cá lăng)?

Catfish and Hemibagrus have many similarities such as smooth skin, flattened head, and four barbels so they are easily confused. However, there are still signs to help you distinguish these two types of fish:

• Skin color: Catfish usually have darker skin color, while Hemibagrus have lighter and paler skin.
• Tail shape: The catfish tail is not divided, while the Hemibagrus tail has a clearly divided wing part.
• Head and mouth: The catfish head is jet black, the mouth is pouting and wider, while the Hemibagrus head is pale and the mouth is more compact.

Hemibagrus is a highly nutritious food and has a characteristic delicious flavor, easily processed into many attractive dishes such as Hemibagrus braised with pepper, Hemibagrus grilled with lemongrass and turmeric, Hemibagrus porridge or Hemibagrus sour soup,… Through this article, we hope to have helped you answer the question “what delicious dishes can be made with Hemibagrus?” and if you still have any questions or want to explore more attractive recipes, don’t forget to visit the Culinary Corner section of Ola Squid! Beside the delicious fish dishes, if you are a fan of dried seafood, you can also explore our premium whole dried squid for your family.