Vietnamese National Dishes

Lẩu cá đuối Vũng Tàu — sour stingray hotpot with bamboo shoots and bún

Name: Lẩu cá đuối Vũng Tàu — sour stingray hotpot with bamboo shoots and bún
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 60 min
Cuisine: Vietnam
Ingredients: 800 g fresh cleaned stingray, cut into thick chunks at least 2.5 cm thick; 1.5 L water; 250 g green pineapple, peeled and sliced; 300 g ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges; 250 g pickled sour bamboo shoots, rinsed and drained; 30 g tamarind pulp; 2 lemongrass stalks, bruised; 40 g shallots, thinly sliced; 10 g garlic, minced; 1 red chili, split lengthwise; 15 ml neutral oil; 45 ml fish sauce; 15 g granulated sugar; 300 g dried rice vermicelli (bún); 300 g water spinach, trimmed; 200 g taro stems, peeled and sliced; 30 g rice paddy herb and sawtooth coriander leaves

This Vũng Tàu-style hotpot pairs stingray with a tangy broth of pineapple, tomato and pickled bamboo shoots. Serve it bubbling with bún, water spinach, tender taro stems and fresh herbs. Cook the fish in small batches in the simmering pot so each thick piece reaches a safe temperature.

Vietnamese National Dishes

Vietnamese sour stingray hotpot with tomato, pineapple, sour bamboo shoots, greens and rice vermicelli. Wide horizontal table view. — Steaming Vũng Tàu-style stingray hotpot with sour bamboo, pineapple and bún.

Yield 4 servings

Cook 25 minutes

Passive None

Total 1 hour

Calories About 550 kcal per serving

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Lẩu cá đuối Vũng Tàu — sour stingray hotpot with bamboo shoots and bún

Lẩu cá đuối is closely associated with Vũng Tàu, where stingray is served in a sour, savoury hotpot with rice noodles and vegetables. Reported broths vary: sources describe pineapple and pickled bamboo shoots, while other local accounts mention fermented rice or sour leaves, lemongrass and chili. This home version follows the workbook's tomato, bamboo-shoot and herb profile and adds pineapple for rounded acidity; it is one practical variation, not a single definitive formula.

Stingray has soft, boneless flesh and a cartilage-rich texture. Local hotpots are often cooked at the table, with raw fish added to the boiling broth. At home, use thick pieces and a clean thermometer to verify 63°C / 145°F in the thickest part. The broth stays at a steady simmer while the fish is cooked in manageable batches, then the cooked fish and vegetables are served with bún.

Do not rinse raw fish. Pat it dry with paper towels, discard them, and wash your hands; keep the fish and its juices away from ready-to-eat foods.

Practical

Keys to successKeep the cleaned stingray chilled until it goes into the pot. Rinse and drain pickled bamboo shoots to control their salt and sourness. Simmer the broth before adding fish, and cook fish in batches rather than crowding the pot. Check the center of the thickest piece reaches 63°C / 145°F with a clean instant-read thermometer. Add water spinach and taro stems near serving time so they remain tender but not mushy.

Ingredients

Stingray

800 g fresh cleaned stingray, cut into thick chunks at least 2.5 cm thick

Sour broth

1.5 L water
250 g green pineapple, peeled and sliced
300 g ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
250 g pickled sour bamboo shoots, rinsed and drained
30 g tamarind pulp
2 lemongrass stalks, bruised
40 g shallots, thinly sliced
10 g garlic, minced
1 red chili, split lengthwise
15 ml neutral oil
45 ml fish sauce
15 g granulated sugar

Noodles and hotpot vegetables

300 g dried rice vermicelli (bún)
300 g water spinach, trimmed
200 g taro stems, peeled and sliced
30 g rice paddy herb and sawtooth coriander leaves

Method

Pat the stingray dry with paper towels; discard them and wash your hands. Keep the fish chilled and separate from produce and cooked noodles.
Rinse and drain the bamboo shoots. Prepare the pineapple, tomatoes, lemongrass, shallots and garlic. Wash and trim the greens and herbs; keep them chilled. Cook the bún according to its package, drain and rinse cool.
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic and bruised lemongrass; cook for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add pineapple, tomatoes and bamboo shoots and cook for 3 minutes.
Add 1.5 L water. Soak the tamarind pulp in a little hot broth, press it through a fine strainer and return the liquid to the pot. Stir in fish sauce, sugar and chili. Simmer for 15 minutes until the broth tastes sour, savoury and gently sweet.
Transfer the broth to a tabletop hotpot burner or keep it simmering on the stove. Bring it to a steady boil before each batch of fish. Add stingray without crowding and cook until the thickest piece reaches 63°C / 145°F, checked with a clean thermometer; the flesh should also look opaque and separate readily. Timing varies with piece size.
Add water spinach and taro stems in batches and simmer until tender but still holding their shape, about 2–4 minutes. Add herbs at the end. Keep raw fish, its plate and utensils away from cooked fish and ready-to-eat greens.
Divide bún among four bowls. Ladle in broth and vegetables, then add cooked stingray. Continue cooking remaining fish in small batches in the simmering broth, checking each thick piece for 63°C / 145°F.
Serve the hotpot immediately. Refrigerate seafood, broth and other perishable leftovers within 2 hours (within 1 hour above 32°C / 90°F); reheat leftovers to 74°C / 165°F.

Practical

Practical guidance

If fresh stingray is unavailable, buy it from a reputable fishmonger and thaw frozen fish overnight in the refrigerator. Keep the broth at a steady simmer at the table; if it boils down, add hot water and adjust fish sauce and tamarind gradually. Cook noodles separately so the broth remains clear and balanced.

Troubleshooting

Broth tastes too sour: add hot water and a little sugar, then adjust the fish sauce. Broth tastes flat: add a little tamarind or fish sauce at a time. Fish breaks apart: use thicker chunks, keep the broth at a steady simmer and avoid stirring vigorously. Taro stems feel itchy: peel them thoroughly and cook until tender. Greens turn limp: add them in smaller batches just before eating.

FAQ

Can I cook the stingray at the table? Yes. Keep the broth at a steady boil and add only a few thick pieces at a time. Check the thickest piece reaches 63°C / 145°F before serving. What can replace stingray? This recipe is designed around stingray's tender flesh and cartilage. If you substitute another firm fish, cut it into similar thick pieces and cook it to 63°C / 145°F.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: one quarter of the fish, bún, broth and vegetables. Approximate values: 550 kcal; 75 g carbohydrate; 42 g protein; 12 g fat; 6 g fibre; 1,800 mg sodium. Values vary with stingray species, fish-sauce brand, bamboo shoots and how much broth is consumed.

Nutrition per serving

Serving sizeServing size: one quarter of the fish, bún, broth and vegetables. Approximate values
Calories550 kcal
carbohydrate75 g
protein42 g
fat12 g
fibre6 g
sodium1,800 mg

Allergens and safety

Contains fish (stingray and fish sauce). Check product labels for additional ingredients or cross-contact. Keep raw stingray separate from washed greens, cooked noodles and cooked fish. Refrigerate seafood and cut vegetables until needed. Cook finfish to 63°C / 145°F in the thickest piece; use a clean thermometer. Refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours (1 hour above 32°C / 90°F) and reheat leftovers to 74°C / 165°F.

Finish the hotpot at the table

Add vegetables in small batches so they keep their texture.
Taste the broth as it reduces and adjust with hot water, fish sauce or tamarind.

Lẩu cá đuối Vũng Tàu — sour stingray hotpot with bamboo shoots and bún

Practical

Ingredients

Stingray

Sour broth

Noodles and hotpot vegetables

Method

Practical

Practical guidance

Troubleshooting

FAQ

Nutrition per serving

Nutrition per serving

Allergens and safety

Finish the hotpot at the table

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