Prep: Clean the fish thoroughly. Depending on the size, cut into pieces (today I used small fish that can be eaten with the bones). Pat dry. Slice the galangal, and leave the chili peppers whole or cut into pieces. Once the fish is dry, marinate it with the seasoning mix for about 15–20 minutes to let the flavors absorb.

Cooking: Make caramel sauce (nuoc hang) or use store-bought caramel sauce. After marinating, layer the fish in the rice cooker (a pressure cooker works even better) with alternating layers of sliced galangal, fish, and pork belly. Once the caramel sauce is ready, add about 2 soup bowls of hot water and pour it into the pot (this helps remove any fishy smell). When the liquid is almost gone, add 1 small bowl of water and continue cooking until the rice cooker finishes its cycle.