AI-generated photo.
Vietnamese · Signature, South · Vietnam
Ca kho to
Ca kho to (cá kho tộ), a South dish from Vietnam.
Pai editors’ mark 5 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
Ca kho to is cooked in South as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Caramelize the sugar to a deep amber, add the fish and fish sauce, and braise covered until the sauce is dark and sticky. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Health
How this plate sits
Counted from the ingredient table. The score, richness, and badges describe one serving as written. The ring and the nutrient table follow the serving count above. This is general information, not medical advice.
64
Health score
Light & nourishing
Moderate
Richness
Light
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 57%
- Carbs 17%
- Fat 26%
Watch · Diabetes-friendly
It misses a gentler mark: sugar, fiber, the starch mix, or the richness of the plate.
Watch · Heart-friendly
Saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, or fiber keeps this off the heart-friendly list.
Watch · Weight loss
Calories, protein, or richness make this a fuller plate than a light day wants.
Watch · High protein
Protein is about 21.5 g, under the 25 g mark.
Watch · Low sodium
About 1153 mg of sodium, above the 450 mg mark.
Suits · Gluten-free
No wheat, barley, or rye in the required list. Still read labels on sauces and oats.
Suits · Dairy-free
No milk ingredients in the required list.
Watch · Vegetarian
Meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish is in the required list.
Suits · Pregnancy
No alcohol, liver, or caffeine in the required list. Cook meat, eggs, and seafood through.
Watch · Gentle when sick
The heat is more than a gentle bowl wants.
Watch · Kid-friendly
The heat is above a mild mark.
Calories by ingredient
Each number is that ingredient’s table calories, split across the servings.
- White fish fillet91 kcal
- Neutral oil31 kcal
- Granulated sugar15 kcal
- Shallot7 kcal
- Fish sauce2 kcal
- Black pepper1 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 4.2. The bands come from the ingredient table.
Portion
One serving is about 149 kcal. Two portions would be about 298 kcal if you want a fuller plate.
Allergens. Fish
Make it healthier
Use half the salt
Salt adds no calories in this table, so the calorie figure stays put while sodium falls.
About 149 kcal after the change.
Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.
The same plate with less sodium. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
Swap white fish for the same weight of firm tofu or chickpeas when you want a meatless pot.
The seasoning and the method stay. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
| Nutrient | Amount | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 149 kcal | 7% |
| Protein | 21.5 g | 43% |
| Carbohydrate | 6.6 g | 2% |
| Fiber | 0.4 g | 1% |
| Total sugars | 4.8 g | 10% |
| Fat | 4.4 g | 6% |
| Saturated fat | 0.6 g | 3% |
| Cholesterol | 61 mg | 20% |
| Sodium | 1153 mg | 50% |
| Potassium | 375 mg | 8% |
| Calcium | 19 mg | 1% |
| Iron | 0.3 mg | 2% |
| Magnesium | 37 mg | 9% |
| Zinc | 0.5 mg | 5% |
| Vitamin A | 2 mcg | 0% |
| Vitamin C | 3.5 mg | 4% |
| Vitamin D | 1.3 mcg | 7% |
| Vitamin E · estimate | 0.4 mg | 3% |
| Vitamin K · estimate | 22 mcg | 18% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0 mg | 0% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0 mg | 1% |
| Niacin (B3) · estimate | 6.7 mg | 42% |
| Vitamin B6 · estimate | 0.5 mg | 29% |
| Folate · estimate | 10 mcg | 3% |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.7 mcg | 69% |
Low-confidence marks sit on glycemic load or on vitamins the USDA row left blank. Those vitamins are filled from a food-group reference and labeled as estimates. Reported USDA values, including zeros, are kept. 50 g is the daily value for added sugar. This figure is total sugar, including fruit and milk.
- A serving stays under about 420 calories, so it can sit inside an ordinary day.
- Sodium is high, mostly from salt, fish sauce, soy, or cured seasonings.
- Fish here is a commonly eaten, lower-mercury choice when fully cooked. Follow your own pregnancy fish guidance.
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.
Equipment
- Heavy pot with a lid
- Scale
- Tongs
Ingredients
Each line is stored in grams. The second amount is the other system, so a cup measure and the gram weight stay together.
White fish fillet4 fillets520 g
Fish sauce2 tbsp21.82 ml
Granulated sugar1.33 tbsp16 g
Black pepper1 tsp2 g
Shallot2 shallots40 g
Thai chili2 chilies6 g
Water0.5 cup120 ml
Scallion1 scallion10 g
Kosher salt0.5 tsp3 g
Neutral oil1 tbsp15.38 ml
The first amount follows the unit toggle. The second is the other system. Both follow the serving count.
If you need to swap
- Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.. The same plate with less sodium.
- Swap white fish for the same weight of firm tofu or chickpeas when you want a meatless pot.. The seasoning and the method stay.
Method
AI-generated photo.
1Set out a scale and the equipment for Ca kho to. Heat to 325°F / 163°C in the oven, or a quiet simmer on the stove and give it 5 minutes so the surface is actually hot. Weigh white fish fillet, fish sauce, granulated sugar, black pepper, shallot, thai chili, water, scallion, kosher salt, neutral oil. Ca kho to is cooked in South as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Caramelize the sugar to a deep amber, add the fish and fish sauce, and braise covered until the sauce is dark and sticky. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Heat 5 min
AI-generated photo.
2Ca kho to is cooked in vietnam. Scrape the browned bits up with the liquid. That fond is the sauce.
AI-generated photo.
3Cook the aromatics first, then the main ingredient for Ca kho to, until the edges take a little color. Braise with the liquid halfway up the food, not drowning it.
Build the base
AI-generated photo.
4Add the remaining weighed foods and cook Ca kho to at 325°F / 163°C in the oven, or a quiet simmer on the stove. Start checking at 65 minutes. Ca kho to is done when the thickest piece yields to a fork and the liquid is quiet, not at a hard boil.
Braise 65 min
- 🇻🇳 VietnamSoutheast Asiasig-vietnam-ca-kho-to-step-4
Ca kho to, step 5
Step 5 · Ca kho to
5Check the center of Ca kho to, not the edge. If the cue is not true yet, give it a few more minutes and look again. Opening a lid or an oven door early drops the heat.
- 🇻🇳 VietnamSoutheast Asiasig-vietnam-ca-kho-to-step-5
Ca kho to, step 6
Step 6 · Rest 5 min
6Rest Ca kho to for 5 minutes, then taste and adjust the salt. Serve it in the way it is eaten in vietnam, with the sauce or garnish that belongs to it. Film Ca kho to in this shot order and no other: a quiet simmer with small bubbles; herbs cut in at the end; the crumb or interior on a cutting board; a spoon making a path through the sauce. Slate words for the editor: tender, ripple, marble, griddle, drizzle, emberfold, amber, thistle, oven, reduce.
Rest 5 min
How you know it is done
Ca kho to is done when the thickest piece yields to a fork and the liquid is quiet, not at a hard boil.
If it goes wrong
- Ca kho to looks done at the edge and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue, not the color. Check the thickest piece and give it a few more minutes.
- Ca kho to turned out salty, dry, or watery. Weigh the salt and the liquid next time. Keep the heat at the temperature in the method, and stop when the doneness cue appears.
Storage
Cool Ca kho to, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for a month if the dish reheats in a pot or oven. Reheat leftovers until steaming.
How this dish helps your daily life
- Ca kho to belongs to South. The method above is the one that makes it recognizable.
- Every ingredient is weighed, so the calorie, protein, and sodium lines come from the table rather than a guess.
Notes
Pregnancy. Cook meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood through. Skip alcohol if a bottle is listed, or cook it until the steam no longer smells of it. There is no raw-fish step.
From the kitchen. Caramelize the sugar to a deep amber, add the fish and fish sauce, and braise covered until the sauce is dark and sticky.
Allergens in the required list: Fish.
Your stars and note
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.