Vietnamese COOKING KOKOTARU As a developing country with Buddhist influences, vegetarian dishes are both common and refined in Vietnamese cuisine. Tomato and mushroom soup, fried green rice cakes, stir-fried okras, and Braised vegetables and cashew nuts are just a few of the delicious and easily prepared vegetarian options in this book. Vietnamese enjoy meat dishes as well. In these pages you’ll find many great recipes for chicken, beef, pork, seafood, frog and even silk worm pupae! Vietnam has no shortage of desserts however, and if you have a sweet tooth, you will enjoy one of my favourites: black glutinous rice and yogurt sweet soup.
SAHABOOK EDITIONS www.sahabook.com Vietnamese cooking 01
Measurement Conversions Volume 1 tsp = 1 teaspoon = 5 ml 1 tbs = 1 tablespoon = 15 ml 1 cup = 250 ml
Cup Equivalents ½ cup = 125 ml = 4 fl oz 1 cup = 250 ml = 8 fl oz 2 cup = 500 ml = 16 fl oz = 1 pint 4 cup = 1 litre = 32 fl oz = 1 quart
Weights 28 g = 1 oz 250 g = 8 oz 450 g = 1 lb
Lengths 0.6 cm = ¼ inch 1.2 mm = ½ inch 2 ½ cm = 1 inch
Vietnamese spices and herbs
Lemongrass With its strong fragrance, lemon grass is used widely in Vietnamese dishes. Lemon grass is usually finely chopped and mixed with main ingredients in stir-fried and grilled dishes. And it is used as whole stem in steaming dishes and soups. One can easily get it from supermarkets and wet markets.
Soy sauce Soy sauce is used more widely in the Southern Vietnam where more Chinese – origin people live, makes it the second popular seasoning sauce in Vietnamese foods. Like fish sauce, soy sauce is used as dipping sauce, as marinating and seasoning ingredients. While fish sauce cannot be used in vegetarian dishes, soy sauce is the number one choice.
Fish sauce (nuoc mam) Fish sauce is the most popular dipping and seasoning broth in Vietnamese cuisine. It is the main ingredient of nuoc cham for many dishes. It is used to marinate foods instead of salt. Meat and fish marinated with fish sauce are tenderer and more fragrant when cooked.
Small red chili There are small and large chilis avaiable in Vietnam, however, people prefer the small ones for they are much hotter than the large ones. Seeds are discarded when the chili are finely chopped to add to nuoc cham, and sliced to add to salads, broths, etc. Many Vietnamese men eat them raw when having daily meals.
Rice vinegar Rice vinegar is present in most Vietnamese-style salads and nuoc cham. It is fragrant and cheap, that’s why it is used to remove the fishy smells of some ingredients as well. 02 Vietnamese cooking
Vietnamese mint (rau ram) Rau ram is used widely in many dishes such as salads, soups, porridges. It is also eaten raw. Rau ram definitely adds distinctive flavors to some signature dishes of Vietnam, such as bun thang, ga xe phay, trung vit lon, chao trai (clam porridges).
Vietnamese perrila (tia to) Not being such popular as coriander or rau ram, still perrila is popularly used in many dishes from soups to porridges and salads to make them more flavorful. Dishes with snails, frogs for example cannot be perfect without perrila. Coriander Coriander is the herb that is most widely and easily used in all types of dishes. Its fragrance easily goes well with other spices and herbs.
Tamarind pulp Tamarind pulp is made from tamarind pods, which is dark brown in color and very sour in taste. Tamarind pulp is sold as compressed blocks at supermarkets and wet markets. It is cheap and often used in making sweet and sour soups. Shallots Shallots are regularly finely chopped and used in stir-frying dishes. They are also often thinly sliced and fried until brown and crispy, which then are used to sprikle over salads and glutinous rice dishes (xoi).
Long coriander Long coriander is also very popular being eaten raw or adding to soups, porridges and stir-fried dishes. While the big and very long leaf type is available, housewives prefer the small and short type with brings more flavor. Vietnamese cooking 03
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Beef and bitter melon soup (Canh muop dang thit bo) Ingredients: (serve 3-4) 300g beef, cubed 2 tsp fish sauce 2 tsp soy sauce Âź tsp ground black pepper 1 piece fresh ginger, crushed 2 star anise 10 small bitter melons, seeds removed, cut into large chunks Method: 1. Combine all the ingredients, except the bitter melons in a bowl. Set aside for 30 minutes. 2. Heat oil in a cooking pot, add the beef mixture and stir quickly for 3 minutes. Remove beef from the pot and pour in 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then add the bitter melons and cook for 3 minutes until they are crisptender. Return the beef and bring to a boil again. 3. Season as necessary and serve hot.
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Tomato and mushroom soup (Canh nam ca chua) Ingredients: (serve 4) 500g oyster mushrooms, washed 3 tomatoes, cut into wedges 2 shallots, finely chopped 2 tbs cooking oil 1 tbs fish sauce 2 ½ cup water chopped spring onion and coriander, to serve Method: 1. Heat oil in a pot, add the shallots, then cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and fish sauce, cook for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly. 2. Pour water into the pot and bring to a boil.Then add mushrooms and bring to a boil again. Season as necessary. Serve with spring onions and coriander.
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Stewed pork and vegetable soup (Canh thit ham) Ingredients: (serve 4-5) 300g pork belly, cut into thick pieces 2 tbs fish sauce Âź tsp ground black pepper 3 celery sticks, chopped 3 medium potatoes, peeled, cut into chunks 2 medium carrots, peeled, cut into rounds 100g whole young sweet pea pods chopped coriander, to serve Method: 1. Combine the pork with fish sauce and pepper, then marinate for 20 minutes. 2. Put the pork in a large cooking pot filled with 3 cups of water. Add the celery, potatoes and carrots, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook the mixture for 30 minutes. 3. Add the young sweet pea pods to the cooking pot, and cook until they are crisp-tender. Season as necessary.
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Braised chicken with black bean paste (Ga kho tuong dau den) Ingredients; (serve 4-5) 1 whole medium chicken or 4 chicken leg quarters, cut into large pieces 3 shallots, chopped 30g ginger, sliced ½ tsp ground black pepper 3 tbs black bean paste 200ml water fresh coriander, to serve Method: 1. Combine the chicken, shallots, ginger and pepper in a cooking pot. 2. Blend the black bean paste into water, then pour into the pot. 3. Put the pot over medium-low heat and cook until the chicken is tender and the sauce becomes condensed (about 35-40 minutes). 4. Serve with fresh coriander.
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Braised chicken with mushroom (Ga om nam) Ingredients: (serve 4) 3 chicken leg quarters 2 medium carrots, chopped 25 dried field mushrooms, soaked and keep the soaking water. 30g fresh ginger, julienned 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped 3 tbs fish sauce 1 tsp ground black pepper 2 tbs corn starch 4 tbs fresh coriander, chopped Method: 1. Cut chicken into medium pieces, then combine with carrots, ginger, garlic, fish sauce, pepper and marinate for 15 minutes. 2. Add the chicken mixture, mushrooms and soaking water to the pot, cook over low-medium heat for about 30 minutes, stirring several times. 3. When the carrots become tender, stir corn starch into ½ cup of water then pour into the pot. Cook until the mixture slightly thicken. Season as necessary. 4. Serve with fresh coriander.
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Fried green rice cake (Cha com) Ingredients: (serve 4) 200g green rice (com) 300g minced pork 200g gio song (very finely ground pork) 2 tbs fish sauce ½ tsp ground black pepper 1 large lotus leaf 3 tbs cooking oil
Method: 1. Combine all ingredients, except the lotus leaf and oil, in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly until the mixture is sticky and very well combined. Make into flat, round-shaped patties. 2. Line the lotus leaf in a steamer, arrange the patties on the leaf, and steam over high heat for 10 minutes. 3. Heat the oil in a frying pan, fry the patties over medium heat until brown on both sides.
Note: Green rice or com is immature rice kernels, a popular Hanoian’s dish when autumn comes. It is available at wet markets during autumn. It can be eaten plain or made into sweet or savory dishes. Gio song is finely minced pork. It is very smooth and sticky, which is often used in Vietnamese dishes. Gio song is available at wet markets as well as Asian supermarkets.
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Pork heart porridge (Chao tim) Ingredients: (serve 4-5) 120g rice grain 1 medium pork heart, cut into strips 1 tbs fish sauce ½ tsp ground black pepper 2 shallots, sliced 2 tbs cooking oil chopped spring onion chopped coriander
Method: 1. Soak the rice in water for 4-5 hours overnight. Drain. 2. Combine pork heart pieces with fish sauce and pepper in a bowl. Marinate for 15 minutes. 3. Heat oil in a large cooking pot, fry the shallot until fragrant. Add the pork heart pieces and stir-fry quickly until they are just cooked. Remove them from the pot and set aside. 4. Add the rice to the cooking pot and pour in about 4 cups of water. Cook over medium-low heat until the rice grains are broken and the porridge becomes thick. Add more water during cooking time if necessary. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 5. Divide the porridge into bowls. Arrange pork heart pieces on top, sprinkle with chopped spring onion, coriander and ground pepper. Serve hot.
Note: you can use a pressure cooker to reduce cooking time of the porridge.
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Seared mackerel with chili (Ca thu rim ot) Ingredients: (serve 4) 4 mackerel fillets salt and pepper 3 tbs cooking oil 2 large red chili, finely chopped 2 shallots, finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 tbs fish sauce ½ tsp chili powder 2 tbs sugar ½ tsp ground black pepper
Method: 1. Clean the fish fillets and pat dry. Sprinkle a little salt and ground black pepper on both sides of the fish fillets. Set aside for 10 minutes. 2. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Fry the fish fillets over high heat until they are all brown on both sides. 3. Meanwhile, mix chili, shallot, garlic, fish sauce, chili powder, sugar and pepper. Add the mixture to the fish and cook over low heat until the sauce is thickened. Remove from the heat and serve hot. Vietnamese cooking 19
Stir-fried beef with pineapple (Bo xao thom) Ingredients: (serve 4) 300g beef, cut into small thin pieces 3 garlic cloves, thinly chopped 1½ tbs fish sauce 2 tbs oyster sauce 1 sour medium pineapple, cut into small chunks 1 medium onion, cut into thin wedges 2 stalks Chinese celery, chopped 3 tbs cooking oil 1 tsp ground black pepper Method 1. Combine beef with garlic, fish sauce, oyster sauce and marinate for 15 minutes. 2. Heat oil in the frying pan over medium heat. Add the beef and quickly stir-fry until it is nearly cooked. Remove the beef from the pan, pour the beef juice back into the pan. 3. Add pineapple and onion into the pan, stir-frying for 2-3 minutes. Put the beef back into the pan with chopped Chinese celery and keep stirring constantly for 2 more minutes. 4. Turn off the heat and sprinkle with ground black pepper.
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Stir-fried prawns in tamarind sauce (Tom rang me) Ingredients: (serve 4) 500g prawns, washed 2 tbs tamarind pulp 7 tbs water 3 tbs palm sugar 1 ½ tbs fish sauce 2 tbs cooking oil 1 tsp finely chopped garlic 1 tsp finely chopped shallot 1 tsp chili sauce 2 tbs chopped Chinese parsley Method: 1. Combine tamarind pulp with water and stir vigorously to make tamarind juice. Discard the seeds. Stir in palm sugar and fish sauce until sugar is dissolved. 2. Heat the oil in a skillet, fry garlic and shallot for 1 minute. Add the prawns and stir-fry over high heat for 2 minutes. 3. Pour in the tamarind mixture, add chili sauce, and stir-fry altogether for 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve. 22 Vietnamese cooking
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Stir-fried prawns with green beans (Tom xao dau) Ingredients: (serve 4) 25 large prawns, heads and shells removed 1 tbs fish sauce 1 tbs oyster sauce Ÿ tsp ground black pepper 500g green beans, cut into short sticks ½ tbs chopped garlic 2 tbs cooking oil Method: 1. Combine the prawns, fish sauce, oyster sauce and pepper. Set aside for 15 minutes. 2. Soak green beans in hot boiling water for 1 minute, then drain. 3. Heat the oil in a skillet, then fry the garlic for 1 minute. Add the prawns and stir-fry for 2 minutes.Then add green beans and stir-fry for 3 minutes until they are crisp-tender. Season as necessary.
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Stir-fried okra with tomato sauce (Dau bap sot ca chua) Ingredients: (serve 4-5) 300g okra 2 large tomatoes 2 tbs cooking oil 2 shallots, minced 1/2 tbs fish sauce 1 tbs oyster sauce 1 tbs soy sauce ½ tsp ground black pepper Method: 1. Wash the okra and cut into short segments. 2. Cut tomatoes into small wedges. 3. Heat the frying pan over medium heat and add minced shallot and cook until fragrant. Add tomatoes, fish sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce and cook until tomatoes become tender.Then add the okras and cook until crisp-tender. 4. Place in a serving dish and sprinkle with pepper. 26 Vietnamese cooking
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28 Vietnamese cooking
Pork belly and Chinese broccoli with ginger sauce (Thit ba chi cai lan sot gung) Ingredients: (serve 4) 300g pork belly 50g fresh ginger, crushed 2 star anise Âź tsp ground black pepper 3 stalks spring onion, chopped Âź tsp salt 1 tbs dark soy sauce 500g Chinese broccoli (cai lan) 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 tbs cooking oil 3 tbs light soy sauce 1 tbs sugar 1 tsp sesame oil 1 tsp red wine vinegar
Method: 1. Combine pork belly, half the ginger, star anise, pepper, spring onion, salt, dark soy sauce and 2 cups of water in a cooking pot, bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes over medium heat until the pork is done. Let it cool then cut into thin slices. 2. Put Chinese broccoli in a pot with water and a little salt cook until crisp-tender. Drain. 3. Arrange the broccoli and pork on a dish. 4. Heat the oil in a frying pan, then add ginger and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and cook until boiling. Remove from the heat and drizzle the sauce over the pork. Serve hot.
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Braised pork belly with eggs (Thit kho trung) Ingredients: (serve 4) 3 tbs sugar 400g pork belly, cut into thick pieces 2 ½ tbs fish sauce Ÿ tsp ground black pepper 2 tbs cooking oil 4 hard-boiled eggs, shells removed Method: 1. Caramelize sugar in a cooking pot. Add the pork, fish sauce, black pepper and cook over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring several times while cooking . 2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan, fry the eggs until the whites turn brown. Cut the eggs into halves, then add the pork into the pan. Braise altogether for 15 minutes.Turn off the heat and serve.
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Steamed radish rolls (Cu cai cuon thit luoc) Ingredients: (serve 4) 2 cylindrical white radishes of 7cm in length and 5cm in diameter 200g ground pork 1 tbs fish sauce 1 tbs soy sauce ½ tsp ground black pepper 100g bean sprouts 1 medium carrot, julienned 1 stalk spring onions, cut into strips Method: 1. Use a sharp knife to make paper-thin sheets from the cylindrical radishes. Once peeled, soak the radish sheets in water with a little salt to soften them.Then drain. 2. Combine the pork, fish sauce, soy sauce and pepper. 3. Line a radish sheet on a cutting board. First arrange the spring onion strips, then arrange some pork mixture, bean sprouts and carrot strips together.Then roll the sheet to tighten and finish the roll. Repeat this process with the remaining ingredients. 4. Arrange the radish rolls in a large steamer. Cook over high heat for 10-15 minutes. 5. Serve with chili sauce.
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Persimmon salad (Xa lach qua hong) Ingredients: (serve 4) 3 persimmons, diced 1 green apple, diced 1 small sweet corn-cob, removed corn kernels from the cob, cooked 5 preserved baby cucumbers, diced Âź tsp salt Âź tsp ground black pepper 3 tbs chopped coriander 2 tbs chopped mint leaves 100g mayonnaise 100g lettuce
Method: 1. Combine the first five ingredients, toss thoroughly. 2. Add chopped coriander, mint, and mayonnaise to the persimmon mixture, toss well. Refrigerate for 1 hour. 3. Serve cold with lettuce.
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Quail eggs in sweet and sour sauce (Trung cut sot chua ngot) Ingredients: (serve 3-4) 20 hard boiled quail eggs, shells removed 3 tbs cooking oil 1 tbs finely chopped ginger 1 tbs finely chopped shallot 1 red chili, finely chopped 2 tbs tapioca starch 1/3 cup water 1 tbs rice vinegar 1 tbs brown sugar 1½ tbs soy sauce Ÿ tsp ground black pepper 1 stalk spring onion, finely chopped Method: 1. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the quail eggs and fry until they are all brown. Remove from the pan. 2. Add ginger, shallots and chili to the pan, then fry for 1 minute until fragrant. 3. Mix tapioca starch and water in a bowl.Then add vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and pepper. Stir altogether. Pour this mixture into the pan and cook over medium heat until the sauce is thickened. 4. Return the quail eggs to the pan, cook altogether for 2 minutes. Sprinkle with spring onions and serve.
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Kohlrabi and carrot salad (Nom su hao ca rot) Ingredients: (serve 4) 1 large kohlrabi, thinly shredded 1 large carrot, thinly shredded 50ml rice vinegar 2 tbs sugar 1 large red chili, sliced 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1/3 tsp salt 3 tbs chopped coriander 3 tbs chopped long coriander 3 tbs chopped Vietnamese balm (kinh gioi) 100g toasted peanuts, coarsely chopped 20g toasted sesame seeds Method: 1. Soak shredded kohlrabi and carrot in boiling water and drain immediately, then squeeze gently to remove remaining water. 2. Combine kohlrabi, carrot, vinegar, sugar, chili, garlic, salt and mix thoroughly. Set aside for 15 minutes. 3. Toss coriander, long coriander and Vietnamese balm into the kohlrabi and carrot mixture.Transfer the veggie mixture to a dish and sprinkle with peanuts and sesame seeds. Vietnamese cooking 39
Stir-fried eggplant with lemongrass (Ca tim xao sa) Ingredients: (serve 4) 2 eggplants, cubed 1 stalk lemongrass, finely chopped 2 tsp chopped garlic 1 red chili, finely chopped 1 tbs fish sauce 2 tbs cooking oil Method: 1. Heat the oil in a skillet, then add lemon grass, garlic and chili and cook for 1 minute. 2. Add eggplants and fish sauce. Stir-fry for 4-5 minutes until eggplants are tender.
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Stir-fried pork tongue with shacha sauce (Luoi heo xao sa te) Ingredients: (serve 4) one pork tongue, cleaned, sliced 2 tsp shacha sauce 1 tsp fish sauce 1 medium onion, sliced 2 tbs cooking oil Method: 1. Combine pork tongue pieces, shacha sauce and fish sauce in a bowl. 2. Heat oil in a skillet, add the pork tongue mixture and stir-fry until they are half-cooked. 3. Add the sliced onion and continue cooking until the meat are well-done and the onions are crisp-tender.
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Glass noodle soup with prawns and pork (Mien nau tom thit) Ingredients: (serve 4-5) 300-350g dried glass noodles, soaked and drained 20 large prawns, shells and heads removed 200g pork belly, thinly sliced 2 tbs fish sauce 2 tsp oyster sauce ½ tsp ground black pepper 2 tsp cooking oil 150g bean sprouts chopped spring onion, to serve chopped coriander, to serve chopped long coriander, to serve Method: 1. Combine the prawns, pork, fish sauce, oyster sauce and pepper in a large bowl. Let marinate for 15 minutes. 2. Heat oil in a cooking pot. Add the prawns and pork mixture. Cook, stirring constantly until the prawns and pork are just done. Remove from the pot. 3. Fill the pot with about 5 cups of water, bring to a boil. Then add the glass noodles and cook for about 3-4 minutes until the noodles are tender. Season. Remove from the heat and divide the noodles among serving bowls.Top the noodles with prawns, pork, bean sprouts, spring onion, coriander and long coriander to serve. 44 Vietnamese cooking
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Stir-fried squid and pineapple (Muc xao thom) Ingredients: (serve 4) 600g squid, cleaned, cut into chunks 1 large red chili, sliced 1 tbs fish sauce ½ tsp ground black pepper 3 tbs cooking oil 1 medium pineapple, cut into chunks chopped coriander, to serve Method: 1. Combine squid, chili, fish sauce and pepper in a bowl. 2. Heat oil in a skillet, add squid and stir-fry quickly for 1 minute. Add pineapple and continue cooking for 3 minutes. Season as necessary. 3. Serve hot with coriander.
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Stir-fried frog legs with bell peppers (Ech xao ot chuong) Ingredients: (serve 4) 400g frog legs, cleaned 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 20g fresh ginger, shredded 1 shallot, finely chopped ¼ tsp ground black pepper 1 ½ tbs fish sauce 1 tbs oyster sauce 3 tbs cooking oil ½ red bell pepper, cut into squares ½ green bell pepper, cut into squares chopped spring onion Method: 1. Combine frog legs with garlic, ginger, shallot, black pepper, fish sauce and oyster sauce in a large bowl. Let stand for 30 minutes. 2. Heat the oil in a skillet, add the frog legs and stir-fry over high heat for about 7 minutes. Add the chopped bell peppers and stir-fry quickly for 3 minutes. Season as necessary. 3. Sprinkle with spring onion and serve.
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Stewed duck with traditional Chinese medicine (Ngan ham thuoc bac) Ingredients: (serve 4-5) one small duck, cut into large pieces one pack of traditional Chinese medicine 3 cups water 2 tbs soy sauce 1 tbs fish sauce Method: 1. Combine all the ingredients in a pressure cooker on low-medium heat and cook for 3040 minutes. 2. Season as necessary. Serve hot. Note: In Vietnam, some kinds of traditional Chinese medicine are dried and combined in small packs. They are ready to used, mostly in stewed or braised dishes, and easily to buy from both wet markets and Asian supermarkets. That pack often includes these kinds of medicines: ginseng root, wolfberries, jujube, ginkgo, and some others. As stated, this pack of medicines is ready to use. If you are more careful, you can wash them quickly in water.
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Fried silkworm pupae with lime leaves (Nhong rang la chanh) Ingredients: (serve 4) 200-250g silkworm pupa Âź tsp salt 1 tsp fish sauce 1 tsp cooking oil 5-6 lime leaves Method: 1. Wash the silkworm pupa and add into a small pot filled with water, together with salt. Bring to a boil and then continue to cook for 2-3 minutes more. Drain the pupa. 2. Cut lime leaves into very thin strips. 3. Heat the oil in a skillet, add the pupa and stir-fry quickly. Add fish sauce and lime leaves, stir constantly for 2-3 minutes. Serve hot.
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Black glutinous rice with mung bean and coconut (Xoi nep cam dau xanh) Ingredients: (serve 4) 200g black glutinous rice 100g mung beans 50g sugar 100g coconut flesh, shredded
Method: 1. Wash the rice and pour into an electric cooker. Add water until it reaches the top of the rice. Cook until the rice is done. 2. Steam the mung beans until they are tender, then mash with sugar while still hot. 3. Serve the rice with mashed mung bean and shredded coconut flesh.
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Sticky rice and waxy corn (Xoi bap) Ingredients: (serve 4) 50g sticky rice 10g fresh turmeric, finely chopped 2 waxy corn cobs ½ tsp salt 100g hulled mung bean 100g cooking oil 5 shallots, sliced
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Method: 1. Blend turmeric in 2 cups of water, then squeeze to extract the yellow water. Soak the rice in turmeric water for 8-10 hours or overnight. 2. Boil the corn cobs until kernels are tender. Remove the kernels from the cobs. 3. Toss the rice, corn kernels and salt, put in a steamer and steam over high heat for 35-40 minutes until the rice is tender. 4. Soak mung beans in water for 3-4 hours, drain.Toss with a little salt and steam for 20 minutes until the beans are broken and tender. Mash mung beans into paste while still hot. 5. Heat the oil in a small pot and fry the shallots until they are dark brown and crispy. 6. Divide the rice and corn to serving bowls, top with some mashed mung bean, sprinkle with fried shallots and serve.
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58 Vietnamese cooking
“Pomegranate� and coconut milk sweet soup (Che hat luu nuoc cot dua)
Ingredients: (serve 4) 15 water chestnut (cu nang), peeled and diced red food coloring 100g tapioca or corn starch 80g white sugar 1 can coconut milk shaved ice, to serve
Method: 1. Stir a little red food coloring into about 2 cups of water. Soak the diced water chestnut in this water until they turn pink. Drain. 2. Coat the dyed water chestnut thoroughly in tapioca/corn starch. Discard the left-over starch. 3. Bring a pot filled with water to a boil, add the coated water chestnut into boiling water and cook until they float, then transfer them to a bowl of cool water. Set aside for 15 minutes then drain. 4. Combine sugar, coconut milk and half a cup of water in a small pot, put over medium heat and bring to a boil. Cook for another 10 minutes. Remove and let cool. 5. Divide the water chestnut into serving cups, fill the cups with a coconut milk mixture. Serve cool or cold with shaved ice. Vietnamese cooking 59
Sweet potato in coconut milk (Che khoai lang nuoc cot dua) Ingredients: (serve 4) 400g sweet potato ½ lime 3 cups water 1 can coconut milk 100g palm sugar ½ tsp salt Several pandan leaves, cleaned Method: 1. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into large chunks. Soak the sweet potatoes in 2 cups of water stirred with squeezed lime juice for 15-20 minutes. 2. Combine sweet potatoes, 1 cup of water, coconut milk, palm sugar, salt and pandan leaves in a cooking pot over low-medium heat until sweet potatoes are tender. 3. Serve warm or cold, with ice.
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62 Vietnamese cooking
Black glutinous rice and yogurt sweet soup (Che nep cam sua chua) Ingredients: (serve 4) 120g black glutinous rice 3 pandan leaves 3 cups water 80g sugar 4 small servings of yogurt Method: 1. Wash the rice, then put in a large cooking pot with pandan leaves, pour in water and set over lowmedium heat to cook for 25-30 minutes. 2. Add sugar and cook for 15 more minutes. Discard the pandan leaves and let the rice sweet soup cool down. Refrigerate until cold. 3. Serve with yogurt.
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Complete List of Recipes 04 Beef and bitter melon soup
38 Kohlrabi and carrot salad
06 Tomato and mushroom soup
40 Stir-fried eggplant with lemongrass
08 Stewed pork and vegetable soup 10 Braised chicken with black bean paste 12 Braised chicken with mushroom 14 Fried green rice cake 16 Pork heart porridge 18 Seared mackerel with chili 20 Stir-fried beef with pineapple 22 Stir-fried prawns in tamarind sauce 24 Stir-fried prawns with green beans 26 Stir-fried okra with tomato sauce 28 Pork belly and Chinese broccoli with ginger sauce 30 Braised pork belly with eggs 32 Steamed radish rolls 34 Persimmon salad 36 Quail eggs in sweet and sour sauce
42 Stir-fried pork tongue with shacha sauce 44 Glass noodle soup with prawns and pork 46 Stir-fried squid and pineapple 48 Stir-fried frog legs with bell peppers 50 Stewed duck with traditional Chinese Medicine 52 Fried silkworm pupae with lime leaves 54 Black glutinous rice with mung bean and coconut 56 Sticky rice and waxy corn 58 “Pomegranate� and coconut milk sweet soup 60 Sweet potato in coconut milk 62 Black glutinous rice and yogurt sweet soup
Thanh Nien Publishing House. Register No.: 288-2013/CXB/58-08/TN. 2000 copies, printed by Phu Nhuan Print. Size 13,5cmx20cm. Printed & deposited in July 2013. 64 Vietnamese cooking