Embark on a culinary journey to the vibrant streets of Vietnam and discover the tantalizing flavors of Vietnamese shrimp and crab fritters, also known as "cha ca", a delectable dish that captures the essence of Vietnamese cuisine. These crispy fritters, bursting with the freshness of succulent shrimp and crab, are expertly seasoned with aromatic herbs and encased in a golden-brown crust. Dipped in a piquant chili lime sauce, they offer an explosion of flavors that will tantalize your taste buds and leave you craving more.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
VIETNAMESE-STYLE CRISPY SHRIMP CAKES
These crispy shrimp cakes were inspired by chao tom, Vietnamese shrimp on sugar cane, a delectable appetizer you'll find at restaurants in which shrimp is whirled into a paste in the food processor, then patted on pieces of sugar cane and steamed before grilling or frying. This version leaves out the sugar cane, which can be hard for some home cooks to find, but keeps the essence of the dish: golden-edged, pan-fried cakes that are served with nuoc cham, a piquant sauce. Although traditional recipes keep the shrimp seasonings to a minimum, making up for it later with the sauce, this one spices up the paste, adding lemon grass to the shrimp along with green chiles and scallions. (If you don't often cook with lemon grass, this video will show you how to prepare it.) You can serve the cakes as an appetizer wrapped in lettuce leaves or herbs (large basil leaves are wonderful in summer). Or fry them up for dinner, heaping them on rice noodles and dousing it all with nuoc cham.
Provided by Melissa Clark
Categories appetizer
Time 35m
Yield 14 cakes
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine shrimp, cornstarch, lemon grass, garlic, chiles, white and light green scallion bottoms, 2 teaspoons sugar and salt. Pulse until mixture forms a coarse paste.
- In a small bowl, whisk together fish sauce, lime zest and juice, 1 tablespoon sugar and the dark green scallion tops.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Wet hands to keep shrimp paste from sticking. Form 2 tablespoons of shrimp mixture into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Dust patty with cornstarch. Repeat with remaining batter. Fry patties in batches until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve over rice noodles, if desired, drizzled with fish sauce mixture and strewn with cilantro.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 387, UnsaturatedFat 24 grams, Carbohydrate 13 grams, Fat 31 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 17 grams, SaturatedFat 5 grams, Sodium 2059 milligrams, Sugar 7 grams, TransFat 0 grams
VIETNAMESE SHRIMP AND CRAB FRITTERS WITH CHILI-LIME SAUCE
Categories Fish Ginger Pepper Shellfish Appetizer Fry Halibut Shrimp Summer Bon Appétit Sugar Conscious Kidney Friendly Pescatarian Dairy Free Wheat/Gluten-Free Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free
Yield Makes about 20 fritters
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- With machine running, drop garlic cloves through feed tube of processor and chop finely. Add sea bass and next 8 ingredients and process just until blended. Transfer to large bowl; stir in crabmeat, shrimp, cilantro and red bell pepper.
- Pour enough oil into heavy large skillet to reach depth of 1 inch; heat oil over medium-high heat to 350°F. Working in batches, drop rounded tablespoonfuls of fritter mixture into hot oil. Fry fritters until golden brown and cooked through, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer cooked fritters to paper-towel-lined plate; drain.
- Arrange fritters on platter with lettuce leaves. Serve with Chili-Lime Sauce.
- *Available at Asian markets and in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets.
SPICY CRAB AND PRAWN FRITTERS WITH CHILLI LIME DIPPING SAUCE
This is from The Australian Women's Weekly Best Food collection. This is a good recipe for a finger food type party or get together.
Provided by Terese
Categories Crab
Time 30m
Yield 30 fritters
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Shell and devein prawns, blend or process with crab, paste, egg, onion, herbs and chill until just combined.
- Using hands, shape level tablespoons of mixture into fritter shapes.
- Heat oil in a large frying pan, cook fritters, in batches, until golden brown and cooked through, drain on absorbent paper.
- Serve fritters with chili lime dipping sauce.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 37.4, Fat 1.4, SaturatedFat 0.2, Cholesterol 38.3, Sodium 251.4, Carbohydrate 0.8, Sugar 0.3, Protein 5.3
ASIAN SHRIMP AND GINGER FRITTERS WITH SWEET CHILI DIPPING SAUCE
These tasty morsels are always popular as an appetizer and team well with the sweet chili dipping sauce. Add more chilies to the sauce if you like it hot! You can obtain fish sauce (and also a sweet chili dipping sauce, if you prefer not to make your own) in an Asian food store. The fritters can also be served with my Thai Sweet Chili Sauce, posted separately.
Provided by Daydream
Categories Asian
Time 30m
Yield 15-20 fritters
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Shrimp and Ginger Fritters: Place the breadcrumbs and coconut milk together in a bowl, and set aside.
- Place the shrimp meat, ginger, cilantro, egg and fish sauce into a food processor bowl, and pulse until the mixture is combined.
- It is important not to over-mix or otherwise it will turn into a paste!
- Add the breadcrumbs, which by now should have absorbed all the coconut milk, and pulse until just blended.
- Heat the vegetable oil over high heat, or to 350 degrees F (180 C) in a deep-fryer.
- Drop rounded tablespoons of the mixture into the hot oil, and cook until golden brown on all sides, about 2 minutes.
- Do this in batches.
- As the fritters cook, remove from the oil with a slotted spoon, drain on kitchen paper, and keep warm in a low oven.
- Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce: Place all ingredients in a blender and whizz until blended and sugar is dissolved.
- Serve in a small bowl (it yields 1 cup) to accompany the Asian Shrimp and Ginger Fritters.
CRUNCHY CHILI LIME SHRIMP
Easy, quick and family friendly, this chili lime shrimp recipe is dairy free and comes together in about 30 minutes. The secret is the bright, flavor-packed sauce. Serve over greens, store-bought slaw or cauliflower rice. -Julie Peterson Crofton, Maryland
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 30m
Yield 8 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 425°. Place the first 7 ingredients in a greased 15x10x1-in. pan. Finely grate zest from lime. Cut lime crosswise in half; squeeze juice. Add zest and juice to shrimp mixture; toss to coat., In a small bowl, combine crushed chips, cilantro and oil; sprinkle over shrimp mixture. Bake until shrimp turn pink, 12-15 minutes. Top with tomatoes and avocado. If desired, serve with additional lime wedges and cilantro.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 230 calories, Fat 13g fat (2g saturated fat), Cholesterol 138mg cholesterol, Sodium 315mg sodium, Carbohydrate 10g carbohydrate (1g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 20g protein. Diabetic Exchanges
CRAB FRITTERS WITH SPICY LIME SAUCE
Steps:
- Make sauce:
- Mix all ingredients in large bowl to blend. Cover and chill at least 1 hour or overnight to develop flavors.
- Make fritters:
- Mix mayonnaise, mustard, lemon peel and hot pepper sauce in medium bowl to blend. Mix in crabmeat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Shape crab mixture into six 2 1/4-inch-diameter patties, using 1/4 cup mixture for each. Place fritters on baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours.
- Cut all peel and white pith from grapefruits. Using small sharp knife, cut between membranes to release segments. Repeat with oranges. Chill segments until ready to serve.
- Place panko in shallow dish. Cost each fritter with panko, pressing to adhere. Pour oil into heavy large skillet to depth of 1/2 inch and heat to 350°F. Cook fritters in batches until brown and heated through, about 2 minutes per side. Drain fritters on paper towels.
- Fan avocado slices and grapefruit and orange segments on plates. Drizzle 1 tablespoon sauce over each plate. Top each with 1 fritter. Sprinkle cilantro and chives over and serve.
Tips:
- Use fresh shrimp and crab: Fresh seafood will give your fritters the best flavor. If you can't find fresh shrimp or crab, you can use frozen, but make sure to thaw them completely before using.
- Chop the shrimp and crab finely: This will help them to bind together better and make the fritters easier to eat.
- Use a light hand when mixing the batter: Overmixing will make the fritters tough. Mix just until the ingredients are combined.
- Fry the fritters in hot oil: This will help them to cook evenly and become crispy.
- Serve the fritters with a dipping sauce: The chili lime sauce is a great option, but you can also use your favorite dipping sauce.
Conclusion:
Vietnamese shrimp and crab fritters are a delicious and easy-to-make appetizer or snack. They are perfect for parties or gatherings, and they are sure to be a hit with your guests. So next time you are looking for a new recipe to try, give these fritters a try. You won't be disappointed!
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