Name: Lẩu cá linh bông điên điển
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 70 min
Cuisine: Vietnam
Ingredients: 750 g small cá linh (freshwater fish), whole and cleaned, about 16–24 depending on size; keep chilled; 2 L water, plus 200 ml hot water for tamarind; 60 g ripe tamarind pulp, with seeds if using whole pulp; 300 g ripe tomatoes, about 3 medium, cut into wedges; 200 g pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into bite-size pieces; 60 g shallots, peeled and finely sliced; 20 g garlic, peeled and minced; 30 g lemongrass, tender lower stalks bruised and cut into 5 cm lengths; 15 ml neutral oil; 25 ml fish sauce, added gradually; 25 g sugar; 4 g fine salt, added gradually; 250 g bông điên điển (yellow common sesbania flowers), tough stems removed, rinsed and drained; 150 g water spinach, tender stems and leaves, washed and cut into 5 cm lengths; 100 g bean sprouts, rinsed and drained; 500 g fresh rice vermicelli, ready to serve, divided into four portions; 15 g rau om (rice paddy herb), washed and roughly chopped; 15 g culantro (ngò gai), washed and sliced; 5 g fresh red chili, thinly sliced, optional

A Mekong Delta table with a simmering cá linh hot pot, raw fish on a separate platter, yellow flowers, greens and rice vermicelli. — A shared hot pot setup with fish cooked in small batches and flowers dipped just before serving.

Yield 4 servings

Cook 35 minutes

Passive 10 minutes

Total 1 hour 10 minutes

Calories per serving About 430 kcal

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Lẩu cá linh bông điên điển

Lẩu cá linh bông điên điển is a Mekong Delta hot pot built around two seasonal ingredients: small cá linh fish and yellow bông điên điển flowers. The An Giang provincial portal describes cá linh as a flood-season fish and notes the contrast of tamarind’s sourness with the flowers’ sweetness. Preparations differ; this version follows a documented home-style method with tomato, pineapple, lemongrass and a gently sour broth.

The broth is made first, so it can take on the fragrance of shallot, garlic and lemongrass before the pot reaches the table. Cá linh cooks quickly, and the flowers need only a brief dip. Cooking in small batches keeps the fish tender and the flowers pleasantly crisp. Fresh rice vermicelli makes a mild base for the bright, savory broth.

Set the raw fish apart from cooked food and use dedicated tongs for it. The recipe keeps the Vietnamese names of cá linh and bông điên điển because species and flower names do not map neatly to everyday English market terms. It is one practical An Giang-area expression, not a claim that every household uses the same broth or greens.

Practical

Tips for successBuy fresh fish that has been kept cold; ask the fishmonger to clean and gut it, and keep it refrigerated until cooking. Strain the tamarind liquid so seeds and fibres do not end up in the broth. Simmer the tomato, pineapple and lemongrass broth for 12–15 minutes before serving to let their flavors blend. Keep the hot pot at a steady simmer rather than a hard boil, which can break the small fish apart. Cook only a few fish at a time; check a fish large enough to probe for 63°C / 145°F. Very small fish should be opaque throughout and separate easily from the backbone. Dip bông điên điển and bean sprouts briefly at the end so they retain some texture.

Ingredients

Tamarind broth and fish

750 g small cá linh (freshwater fish), whole and cleaned, about 16–24 depending on size; keep chilled
2 L water, plus 200 ml hot water for tamarind
60 g ripe tamarind pulp, with seeds if using whole pulp
300 g ripe tomatoes, about 3 medium, cut into wedges
200 g pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into bite-size pieces
60 g shallots, peeled and finely sliced
20 g garlic, peeled and minced
30 g lemongrass, tender lower stalks bruised and cut into 5 cm lengths
15 ml neutral oil
25 ml fish sauce, added gradually
25 g sugar
4 g fine salt, added gradually

Flowers, vegetables and serving

250 g bông điên điển (yellow common sesbania flowers), tough stems removed, rinsed and drained
150 g water spinach, tender stems and leaves, washed and cut into 5 cm lengths
100 g bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
500 g fresh rice vermicelli, ready to serve, divided into four portions
15 g rau om (rice paddy herb), washed and roughly chopped
15 g culantro (ngò gai), washed and sliced
5 g fresh red chili, thinly sliced, optional

Method

Prepare the tamarind and produce. Cover the tamarind with 200 ml hot water and leave for 10 minutes. Mash it, then strain out seeds and fibres. Pick tough stems from the flowers and rinse them gently. Prepare the vegetables, herbs and aromatics as listed. Keep the cleaned fish refrigerated, pat it dry, and use a separate plate and tongs for it.
Build the broth base. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté shallots and garlic for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Add the bruised lemongrass, tomato and pineapple; cook for 3 minutes, until the tomato begins to soften.
Season and simmer. Add 2 L water, strained tamarind liquid, fish sauce, sugar and salt. Bring to a simmer, then cook gently for 12–15 minutes. Taste and adjust within the measured amounts before transferring the broth to a stable tabletop burner. Keep it at a steady simmer.
Set up the hot pot safely. Put the raw fish on its own chilled platter with dedicated tongs. Keep cooked-food plates, fresh herbs and noodles well away from raw-fish contact. Bring the broth to a steady simmer before adding any fish.
Cook the cá linh. Add only a few fish at a time, without crowding the pot. Cook for about 3–5 minutes, depending on size and simmer strength. If a thin probe fits the thickest fish, confirm it reaches 63°C / 145°F. For very small fish that cannot be measured reliably, cook until the flesh is opaque throughout and separates easily from the backbone. Use clean tongs to move cooked fish to bowls; never return it to the raw-fish plate.
Dip the vegetables and serve. Add water spinach to the broth for 1–2 minutes. Dip bông điên điển and bean sprouts for 30–60 seconds, just until tender-crisp. Turn off the heat and stir in rau om and culantro. Serve with fresh rice vermicelli and optional chili. Small whole fish may contain fine bones, so eat carefully.
Store leftovers safely. Discard juices from the raw-fish plate. Cool leftover broth and cooked fish in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours, or within 1 hour if the room is above 32°C / 90°F. Store at or below 4°C / 40°F and use within 3 days. Reheat broth and fish to 74°C / 165°F. Do not save raw fish that has been left at the table beyond safe cold-holding time.

Practical

Practical guidance

Prepare and strain the broth up to a day ahead, then cool it quickly and refrigerate it. Reheat the broth to a simmer before bringing it to the table. Clean the fish shortly before cooking, keep it cold, and bring it out in small batches rather than leaving the full platter at room temperature. Fresh rice vermicelli is ready to serve; if its package says otherwise, follow the label. Bông điên điển is the defining flower in this pot; if it is unavailable, other greens can be dipped in the broth, but the dish will have a different character. For make-ahead portions, cook only the fish and greens you will eat and store remaining broth separately.

Troubleshooting

The broth is too sour: Add a little more of the measured sugar and taste again; do not add extra tamarind. The fish breaks apart: Reduce the simmer, avoid stirring, and cook fewer fish at a time. The flowers turn limp: Dip them for only 30–60 seconds and lift them out as soon as they soften slightly. The broth tastes flat: Taste after it has simmered, then adjust fish sauce and salt gradually within the recipe amounts.

Frequently asked questions

What is cá linh? It is the Vietnamese name used for a small freshwater fish associated with the Mekong flood season. Keep the name when shopping at a Vietnamese market, since common English fish names can be imprecise. Can I use another souring ingredient? Tamarind is used here. Some regional recipes use young tamarind leaves or another sour leaf; those choices change the flavor and need their own measured amounts. Can I cook the pot entirely on the stove? Yes. Keep the broth simmering on the stove, cook fish in small batches, and briefly dip the vegetables before serving. A tabletop burner is mainly useful for the shared hot-pot style.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

Serving sizeOne quarter of the hot pot with broth, fish, vegetables and 125 g fresh rice vermicelli
Calories430 kcal
Carbohydrate55 g
Protein28 g
Fat10 g
Fibre4 g
Sodium900 mg

Allergens and food safety

Contains fish, including cá linh and fish sauce. Check the rice vermicelli and fish-sauce labels for other allergens or cross-contact. Keep raw fish at or below 4°C / 40°F, use a dedicated plate and tongs, and keep raw-fish juices away from ready-to-eat herbs, cooked fish and noodles. Cook fish to 63°C / 145°F when it can be measured; for very small fish, cook until opaque and easy to separate from the backbone. Refrigerate cooked leftovers promptly and reheat to 74°C / 165°F. Small whole fish contain bones.

To finish

Serve the pot at a steady simmer with fresh rice vermicelli, and dip the flowers only as each bowl is ready.
Keep raw-fish utensils separate from the clean ladle and cooked-food plates throughout the meal.

Lẩu cá linh bông điên điển

Practical

Ingredients

Tamarind broth and fish

Flowers, vegetables and serving

Method

Practical

Practical guidance

Troubleshooting

Frequently asked questions

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

Allergens and food safety

To finish

Vietnamese National Dishes

Măng chua nấu cá

Nem nướng Đà Lạt

Cơm lam Tây Nguyên