Vietnamese COOKING KOKOTARU In this book you’ll find delightful options to begin your Vietnamese dining adventure right in your own home. At the heart of Vietnamese cuisine are a large selection of easily and quickly-prepared dishes for eating on the go. Traditionally, Vietnamese homes have not had fancy kitchens full of modern appliances or even refrigeration. Delicious meals were prepared without lots of time-consuming fuss and meant to be consumed on the spot. This helps make Vietnamese food an ideal choice for both the kitchen novice and people with busy schedules who don’t want to spend a lot of time preparing elaborate meals.
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
Clams and water spinach soup (Canh rau muong nau ngheu) Ingredients: (serve 4) 1 bunch of water spinach (rau muong) 500g clams 4 cups water 1 tbs fish sauce Method: 1. Wash the spinach and remove any hard parts. 2. Wash the clams, put them in a pot filled with water and cook until boiling. Drain and keep the boiling water. Discard the empty clam shells. 3. Boil the water that cooked the clam again, add the spinach, fish sauce, and clam meat and cook until the spinach is soft. Serve hot.
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Sweet leaf and beef soup (Canh rau ngot thit bo) Ingredients: (serve 4) 1 large bunch (~300g) of sweet leaf vegetable (rau ngot), washed 300g tender beef, cubes 3 garlic cloves 2 tbs cooking oil 1½ tbs fish sauce Method: 1. Rub the sweet leaves until they are crushed. 2. Combine the beef, garlic, oil and fish sauce, marinate for 15 minutes. 3. Heat a pot over medium heat with oil, add the beef mixture and quickly cook until the beef is no longer red outside.Transfer the beef to a large bowl. 4. Pour 3 cups of water into the pot, bring to a boil. Add the sweet leaves, cook for 4-5 minutes until tender. Put the beef back into the pot, bring to a boil again, then turn off the heat. Season as necessary.
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Beef and green mango soup (Canh xoai xanh thit bo) Ingredients: (serve 4) 300g beef, thinly sliced 3 tsp fish sauce ½ tsp ground black pepper 1 tsp sugar 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 medium green sour mango, shredded 2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges 1 tbs cooking oil 3 cups water 1 bunch of Vietnamese mint (rau ram) Method: 1. Combine the beef, fish sauce, pepper, sugar and garlic in a bowl. Marinate for 10 minutes. 2. Heat oil in a cooking pot, add the beef and tomato and cook until the beef is no longer red. Remove the beef and tomatoes from the pot. 3. Add water to the pot, bring to a boil. Return the beef to the pot, add green mango, cook to boil again, then add Vietnamese mint. Season as necessary.
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Chicken, bitter melon and pineapple soup (Canh ga nau muop dang va thom) Ingredients: (serve 4) 4 chicken wings, cut into parts 2 tbs fish sauce 1 tsp ground black pepper 3 shallots, finely chopped 4 cups water 7-8 small bitter melons, cut into round pieces, seeds removed ½ medium green pineapple, cut into chunks Method: 1. Combine the chicken, fish sauce, pepper and shallots in a pot. Turn the heat to medium and cook for 3-4 minutes. 2. Add water to the pot, continue to cook over lowmedium heat for 20 minutes. 3. Add bitter melons and pineapple to the soup and cook for a few minutes until the bitter melons are just tender. Do not overcook the melons. 4. Season with salt as necessary.
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Fried chicken marinated in fish sauce (Canh ga chien nuoc mam) Ingredients: (serve 3-4) 4 chicken wings, cut into parts 2 tbs fish sauce ½ tsp sugar Ÿ tsp ground black pepper 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped ½ cup cooking oil Method: 1. Clean the chicken wings and pat dry with a towel. 2. Mix fish sauce, sugar, pepper and garlic in a large bowl. Add chicken wings, toss, and set aside for 20 minutes. 3. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the chicken until they are light brown. Return the chicken to the fish sauce mixture, toss again, and let stand for 5 minutes. 4. Fry the chicken for a second time until they are evenly dark brown. 12 Vietnamese cooking
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Mushroom and tofu porridge (Chao nam dau tuoi) Ingredients: (serve 4) 1 tbs cooking oil 4 tbs chopped leek 1 ½ tbs fish sauce 200g straw mushrooms, washed and halved ½ cup rice grain, washed then drained 2 blocks silken tofu, cut into large cubes spring onion and coriander, to serve ground black pepper, to serve Method: 1. Heat oil in a cooking pot then fry the leek for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and fish sauce, stir-frying for 3 minutes. Remove the mushrooms. 2. Add rice to the pot with 4 cups of water. Cook over low heat until the rice grains are broken and become thick (about 45 minutes). Stir occasionally while cooking. 3. Return the mushrooms to the pot, add silken tofu and gently stir until the porridge bubbles. Season. 4. Divide the porridge into serving bowls, sprinkle with spring onion, coriander and pepper to serve. Vietnamese cooking 15
Sea bass with ginger sauce (Ca tuyet sot gung) Ingredients: (serve 3-4) 2 medium sea bass (fish) Salt and pepper 4 tbs cooking oil 50g fresh ginger, julienned 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 2 large red chili, sliced 2 stalks spring onion, chopped, white parts and green parts separated 2 tbs soy sauce Method: 1. Fillet the sea bass, and discard the bones. Pat dry the fish fillets with a clean towel. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on both sides of each fillet. 2. Heat 2 tbs oil in a heavy non-stick frying pan over medium heat.Then, fry the fish fillets with skin-side down for 4-5 minutes until slightly crispy. Turn the fish fillets, and fry the other side for 1 more minute. Remove from pan and arrange on a serving dish. 3. Heat 2 tbs oil in another pan, add ginger, garlic, chili and white parts of spring onion, and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add soy sauce and stir very quickly, then remove from the heat and pour over the fish. 4. Top the fish with the green parts of the spring onions and serve. 16 Vietnamese cooking
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18 Vietnamese cooking
Simplified beef noodle soup (Pho bo) Ingredients: (serve 4) 800g fresh pho noodle 500g tender beef 3 tbs fish sauce 1 tsp black ground pepper 2 tbs cooking oil 3 pho concentrated cubes 5 whole star anise 3 whole cardamom 50g fresh ginger 5 shallots 3 cinnamon sticks 4 tbs chopped spring onions 4 tbs chopped coriander 2 tbs chopped fresh mint Lime and chili to serve
Method: 1. Cut the beef into medium, thin pieces. Marinate the beef with fish sauce, pepper and oil. 2. To make the broth: Grill the anise, cardamom, ginger, shallots and cinnamon sticks over direct fire until they are fragrant and slightly browned. Wash and chop, then wrap them in a piece of cloth. Pour 4 cups of water into a cooking pot. Add pho concentrated cubes and the spices to the water, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes to extract the fragrance and taste of the spices. Add more fish sauce to the broth if necessary. 3. Prepare the noodle: Soak the noodle in hot boiling fresh water very quickly, then divide into 4 bowls. Divide and arrange the beef on top of the noodles.Then divide the spring onion, coriander and mint into each bowl. Pour the hot broth into the bowls. 4. Serve hot with squeezed lime juice and fresh chili or chili sauce.
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Stir-fried prawns with pineapple (Tom xao thom) Ingredients: (serve 4) 20-25 large prawns, heads removed 2 tsp fish sauce 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 tsp sugar 3 tbs cooking oil ½ tsp ground black pepper 1 sour medium pineapple, cut into chunks Fresh coriander, to decorate and serve Method: 1. Combine prawns, fish sauce, garlic, sugar, 1 tbs oil, and ground pepper. Marinate for 15 minutes. 2. Heat 2 tbs oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat, and stir-fry the prawns for 2 minutes until they just turn red. 3. Add the pineapple chunks and cook, stir-frying for another 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat. Sprinkle with chopped coriander and serve.
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22 Vietnamese cooking
Stir-fried prawns with bell peppers (Tom xao ot chuong) Ingredients: (serve 4) 400g prawns, heads and shells removed, halved 2 tsp fish sauce ½ tsp ground black pepper 2 tbs cooking oil half a green, yellow, and red pepper each, cut into squares 2 tsp soy sauce 2 tsp chili sauce chopped coriander, to serve Method: 1. Mix prawns with fish sauce and ground black pepper. 2. Heat oil in a skillet, add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the prawns and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Transfer the prawns to a dish. 3. Add bell peppers, soy sauce and chili sauce to the skillet, stir-fry for 5 minutes. Return the prawns and cook altogether for 1 minute. 4. Sprinkle with coriander and serve.
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Fresh rice vermicelli with prawns (Bun tom) Ingredients: (serve 4) 200g - 300g fresh rice vermicelli (bun) 500g fresh large prawns 4 cups water 3 tbs cooking oil 3 shallots, minced 3 fresh tomatoes, sliced 1 tsp ground black pepper 3 tbs fish sauce 100g bean sprouts 3 stalks spring onions, chopped 3 stalks coriander, chopped Fresh lime and chili sauce to serve
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Method: 1. Peel the heads and shells off the prawns. Save 10-12 whole prawns to serve in bowls. 2. Use a pestle and mortar, or a food processor, to ground the prawn heads and shells until they become a paste. Pour water into the prawn paste, stir and wait a few seconds for the hard parts to sink. Then gently pour the mixture into a cooking pot, and discard the remains. 3. Heat oil in a frying pan, add minced shallots, and cook for one minute. Add tomatoes, fish sauce, pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Add the shelled prawns and stir-fry until the prawns are just cooked, about 3 minutes. Remove the prawns, and add all the tomatoes sauce to the pot filled with prawn water. 4. Cook the pot until boiling. Add the raw whole prawns and remove when they are just cooked. Taste the broth, adding more fish sauce to taste if necessary. 5. Divide the rice vermicelli into 4 serving bowls. Arrange 2-3 whole prawns and some bean sprouts on top, sprinkle each bowl with chopped spring onion and coriander. Pour the broth into the bowls. 6. Serve with some fresh lime juice and chili sauce to taste.
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26 Vietnamese cooking
Tofu with soy sauce and sesame (Dau hu sot xi dau) Ingredients: (serve 4) 4 blocks cotton tofu 3 tbs soy sauce 1 ½ tsp sesame oil 2 tbs cooking oil 2 tsp toasted black sesame seeds 3 tbs chopped spring onions 3 tbs chopped coriander Method: 1. Cut tofu into medium cubes. Pat dry with a clean towel and put in a deep dish. 2. Mix soy sauce and sesame oil in a large bowl, then pour over the tofu cubes. Marinate the tofu for 10-15 minutes. 3. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat, add chopped spring onions and cook until fragrant. Add the tofu cubes and gently cook until they are evenly hot. Remove from heat and sprinkle with black sesame and coriander.
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Tofu rolls (Thit xong khoi cuon dau hu trung) Ingredients: (serve 4) 2 packs egg silken tofu (available at Asian supermarkets) 8-10 smoked bacon strips chili sauce to serve Method: 1. Cut tofu into short cylindrical pieces.Wrap bacon strips around tofu pieces to make rolls. 2. Heat a nonstick frying pan over medium heat then fry the rolls for 4-5 minutes. 3. Serve hot with chili sauce.
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Pan-fried ground pork (Thit vien chien) Ingredients: (serve 4) 300g ground pork 2 eggs 2 shallots, minced 2 tbs fish sauce ½ tsp ground black pepper cooking oil, for frying Method: 1. Add ground pork, eggs, shallot, fish sauce and pepper into a large bowl, mix well. 2. Heat just enough oil in a non-stick frying pan over low-medium heat. 3. Add tablespoons of the pork mixture into the pan, fry for a few minutes until golden brown on one side. Flip over and cook the other side until brown.
Note: Do not make the pork pieces too thin and do not overcook them, to avoid drying. Use just enough oil; add more when necessary to avoid too much oil being absorbed into the pork pieces.
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Braised vegetables and cashew nuts (Rau thap cam om hat dieu) Ingredients: (serve 4) 1 tbs peanut oil 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 tsp finely chopped ginger 300g Chinese cabbage, chopped 150g baby corns, halved 180ml chicken stock or vegetable stock 200g bamboo shoots, sliced 150g oyster mushrooms 2 tsp corn starch 2 tbs oyster sauce 2 tsp sesame oil 100g bean sprouts 75g toasted cashew nuts
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Method: 1. Heat the oil in a skillet, fry garlic and ginger for 1 minute. Add the cabbage and baby corns, stirfrying for 2 more minutes. 2. Pour the stock into the skillet and cook for 3 minutes.Then add bamboo shoots and mushrooms, cooking for another minute. 3. Mix corn starch in a little water and add to the veggies. Add oyster sauce, sesame oil and bean sprouts, mix and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and toss with cashew nuts.
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34 Vietnamese cooking
Bean sprouts and carrots salad (Gia do tron ca rot) Ingredients: (serve 4) 300g bean sprouts 1 large carrot, thinly shredded 1 large red chili, seeded and julienned a small piece of ginger, julienned 1 stalk spring onions, cut into shorter strips 100ml rice vinegar 2 tbs sugar ½ tsp salt Method: 1. Combine bean sprouts, carrots, chili, ginger and spring onion in a large bowl. 2. Mix rice vinegar with sugar and salt, stir to dissolve the sugar. Pour the vinegar mixture into the bean sprouts mixture and toss thoroughly. 3. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Toss again so that the veggies are mixed well with the dressing. Toss again if the salad sits more than 10 minutes before serving.
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Stuffed eggs (Trung hoa cuc) Ingredients: (serve 2-3) 4 large hard-boiled eggs 100g minced pork 2 dried wood ear mushrooms, soaked and finely chopped 1 shallot, finely chopped 1 tsp fish sauce 20g fresh ginger, finely chopped 2 tsp sesame oil 2 tbs soy sauce 1 tsp rice wine 1 tsp corn starch 200g bok choy Method: 1. Remove the egg shells. Cut the eggs into halves and take out the yolks. Mash the yolks and set aside. Carve the egg white halves if desire. 2. Mix the pork, wood ear mushrooms, shallot and fish sauce. Fill each egg white half with this pork mixture. Arrange the stuffed egg white on a large dish and put in a steamer. Steam over high heat for 15 minutes. 3. Mix ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar and wine in a small pan, stir to dissolve the sugar. Stir the corn starch with some water and add to the pan. Set the pan over medium heat and cook until the sauce is thickened. 4. Boil the bok choy in another pot until they are crisptender. Drain. Arrange the bok choy on a large dish along with the stuff eggs. Pour the sauce into the dish. Lastly, sprinkle mashed yolks all over the dish and serve. 36 Vietnamese cooking
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38 Vietnamese cooking
Enoki mushroom rolls (Thit muoi cuon nam kim cham chien) Ingredients: (serve 4) 2 packs enoki mushrooms 8-10 smoked bacon strips chili sauce or mayonnaise, to serve Method: 1. Wash the enoki mushrooms, then drain. 2. Wrap some mushrooms inside each bacon strip to make a roll. Repeat the step with the remaining ingredients. 3. Heat a nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat and fry the mushroom rolls for 4-5 minutes. 4. Serve hot with chili sauce or mayonnaise.
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Stir-fried beef with pumpkin (Bi do xao thit bo) Ingredients: (serve 4) 200g beef, thinly sliced 2 tsp fish sauce 2 tsp oyster sauce ½ tsp ground black pepper 500g pumpkin, cut into chunks 1 onion, thinly sliced 2 tbs cooking oil 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped chopped spring onion, to serve chopped long coriander, to serve
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Method: 1. Combine beef, fish sauce, oyster sauce, pepper in a bowl. Let stand for 15 minutes. 2. Heat oil in a skillet, add garlic and cook for 10 seconds. Add the beef, stir-fry for 2 minutes, then remove. Add pumpkin and stir-fry for 4-5 minutes until the pumpkin is tender, pouring in a little bit of water to keep moist. Return the beef and stir-fry altogether for 1 minute. Season as necessary. 3. Sprinkle with spring onion and long coriander, to serve.
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42 Vietnamese cooking
Stir-fried pork heart with onion (Tim heo xao hanh tay) Ingredients: (serve 4) I pork heart, sliced 1 ½ tbs fish sauce 1 tbs oyster sauce Ÿ tsp ground black pepper 3 tbs cooking oil 2 medium onion, cut into wedges 2 tbs chopped spring onions, to serve Method: 1. Combine pork heart, fish sauce, oyster sauce and pepper. Marinate for 15 minutes. 2. Heat oil in a skillet over mediumhigh heat, then add the pork heart and cook. Stirring quickly until the pork heart is half-cooked, then add the onions and cook until onions are crisp-tender. 3. Turn off the heat and sprinkle with spring onions.
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Stir-fried Tonkin creeper with chieck intestines (Hoa thien ly xao long ga) Ingredients: (serve 3-4) 1 chicken intestines, cleaned thoroughly, cut into small pieces 1 tbs fish sauce Âź tsp ground black pepper 400g Tonkin creeper 1 shallot 2 tbs cooking oil Method: 1. Combine the chicken intestines with fish sauce and pepper. 2. Put Tonkin creeper into a cooking pot filled with water, bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Drain. 3. Heat the oil in a skillet, add the shallot and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the chicken intestines and cook for 2 minutes. Add the Tonkin creeper and cook until they are crisp-tender. Season as necessary.
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46 Vietnamese cooking
Stir-fried potatoes and beef (Khoai tay xao thit bo) Ingredients: (serve 4) 300g beef, thinly cut 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 tbs fish sauce Âź tsp ground black pepper 1 tbs oyster sauce 4 medium potatoes, peeled, cut into thick strips cooking oil chopped coriander, to serve
Method: 1. Combine the beef, garlic, fish sauce, pepper, and oyster sauce. Marinate for 15 minutes. 2. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the potatoes until they are golden brown on all sides. 3. Heat a little oil in a skillet, then add in the beef and stir-fry until the beef is mediumcooked. Add the fried potatoes and continue stir-frying quickly along with the beef until just well-done. Season as necessary. 4. Sprinkle with chopped coriander and serve.
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Stir-fried blood cockle in tamarind sauce (So huyet rang me) Ingredients: (serve 3-4) 600g blood cockles, washed 3 tbs tamarind pulp 7 tbs water 2 tbs palm sugar 2 tbs cooking oil 2 large red chili, finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 ½ tbs fish sauce chopped coriander Method: 1. Combine tamarind pulp and water and stir vigorously to make tamarind juice. Discard the seeds. Stir palm sugar into tamarind juice until sugar is dissolved. 2. Heat the oil in a skillet, add chili and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the blood cockles after that and stir-fry over high heat for 3 minutes. 3. Pour in the tamarind mixture and fish sauce, stir-frying for 3 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped coriander and serve. 48 Vietnamese cooking
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Braised duck with preserved bean curd (Ngan nau chao) Ingredients: (serve 4) ½ duck, cut into pieces 4-5 white preserved bean curds 4-5 red preserved bean curds 2 tbs sugar 1 tbs fish sauce 2 tbs rice wine 1 tbs finely chopped ginger 1 tbs finely chopped shallots 2 tbs cooking oil juice of two coconuts 10 dried red dates 1 small lotus root, sliced 500g taro, peeled and cut into chunks Method: 1. Mash preserved bean curds with sugar. Combine the ducks, bean curb mixture, fish sauce, wine, ginger, shallot in a large cooking pot, marinate for 30 minutes. 2. Heat the oil in frying pan, fry the ducks for 15 minutes. Return the ducks to the cooking pot, pour in coconut juice, add red dates and lotus root, cook over medium heat for 30 minutes. 3. Lastly, add the taro and cook for 10-15 minutes until the taro is tender. Season and serve. 50 Vietnamese cooking
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52 Vietnamese cooking
Sticky rice with sesame and coconut milk (Xoi vung nuoc cot dua) Ingredients: (serve 2-3) 120g sticky rice 5 pandan leaves 150ml coconut milk ½ tsp salt 3 tsp sugar 10g toasted black sesame seeds 10g toasted white sesame seeds Method: 1. Soak the rice in water for at least 5-6 hours, or overnight. Wash and drain. 2. Line 3 pandan leaves in a steamer, pour in the rice and steam over medium heat until the rice is tender (about 35 – 40 minutes). 3. In another pot combine coconut milk, salt, sugar and 2 pandan leaves. Cook over low heat until boiling and sugar is dissolved. Discard the pandan leaves. 4. Divide the sticky rice into serving bowls. Drizzle coconut milk over the rice, and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Serve warm.
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Vietnamese sweet glutinous rice with mango (Xoi xoai) Ingredients: (serve 4) 150g glutinous rice 1 pandan leaf stalk ½ cup coconut milk 50g white sugar 2 ripe mangos Method: 1. Soak glutinous rice in water for 6 hours or overnight. 2. Wash the pandan leaf and cut into 3 shorter pieces. 3. Arrange the pandan pieces under and over the rice into a steaming pot filled with several cups of water in the below. Cook over medium heat for 1 hour. 4. Remove the rice from the pot and let it cool. Repeat this process one more time to get more tender rice grains. Divide the cooked rice into serving bowls. 5. Heat the coconut milk and sugar in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved. Pour over the rice. Lastly, arrange peeled mango halves on top of the rice. Serve warm or cool. 54 Vietnamese cooking
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56 Vietnamese cooking
Hanoi Pillow Puffs (Banh goi) Ingredients: (serve 4) • Pastry: 200g all-purpose flour ½ tsp salt 20g cooking oil Cold water • Filling: 300g minced pork 100g dried glass noodles, soaked until tender, cut into shorts pieces 5 dried wood ear mushrooms, soaked until tender, finely chopped 10 dried field mushrooms, soaked until tender, finely chopped 1 medium jicama or kohlrabi, medium grated 1 large carrot, medium grated 2 tbs fish sauce 1 tsp ground black pepper • Dipping sauce: 2 tbs fish sauce 1 cup of boiled water 1 ½ tbs sugar 1 ½ tbs squeezed lime juice 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 small red chili, thinly sliced • Oil for deep-frying
Method: 1. Make the pastry shells. Mix flour, salt and oil.Then gradually add in water, little by little, and knead the dough constantly until it becomes soft, elastic and no longer sticky. Roll into about 2mm thin sheet, use a round cutter of 10cm in diameter to cut into round pieces. Use extra flour to avoid them sticking together. 2. Make the filling.Thoroughly combine all the ingredients. 3. Make the puffs. Wrap enough filling in each round pastry shell, use a little water to stick the edges together and make continuous small folds resembling a pillow. Continue, using the remaining filling. 4. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan until very hot. Reduce the heat to lowmedium and deep fry until the puffs are golden. 5. Make the dipping sauce: combine all the ingredients. 6. Eat the hot pillow puffs dipped in the dipping sauce, served individually.
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Sweet corn soup (Che bap) Ingredients: (serve 4) 2 sweet corn cobs 3 cups water Ÿ tsp salt ½ cup sugar 50g corn starch 100ml coconut milk Method: 1. Remove the corn kernels from the cobs and add to a cooking pot filled with water. Add salt to the pot, and cook over medium heat until boiling. Continue cooking for more 5 minutes, then add sugar to the pot and cook for 10 minutes. 2. Mix corn starch with a little water to blend, then gradually add to the pot, stirring constantly until the mixture is slightly thickened. Remove from heat. 3. Serve warm or cold with coconut milk.
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60 Vietnamese cooking
Lotus, mung bean and dried longan sweet soup (Che hat sen dau xanh long nhan) Ingredients: (serve 4) 200g fresh lotus seeds 150g hulled mung bean 50g dried longan 4 cups water 100g palm sugar Method: 1. Combine lotus seeds, mung bean, dried longan and water in a large cooking pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook until lotus seeds are tender. 2. Add palm sugar to the pot, cook for 15 more minutes and turn off. Serve cold.
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Taro and coconut milk sweet soup (Che khoai mon nuoc cot dua) Ingredients: (serve 4-5) 1 medium taro, peeled and cut into large chunks 2 cans coconut milk ½ cup water 150g palm sugar Ÿ tsp salt Method: 1. Put coconut milk and water in a cooking pot and cook until boiling. 2. Add taro chunks to the pot. Continue cooking until taro is tender. 3. Add palm sugar and salt to the pot, cook until sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat and let cool. 4. Serve warm or cold.
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Complete List of Recipes 04
Clams and water spinach soup
36
Stuffed eggs
06
Sweet leaf and beef soup
38
Enoki mushroom rolls
08
Beef and green mango soup
40
Stir-fried beef with pumpkin
10
Chicken, bitter melon and pineapple soup
42
Stir-fried pork heart with onion
12
Fried chicken marinated in fish sauce
44
Stir-fried Tonkin creeper with chieck intestines
14
Mushroom and tofu porridge
46
Stir-fried potatoes and beef
16
Seabass with ginger sauce
48
18
Simplified beef noodle soup
Stir-fried blood cockle in tamarind sauce
20
Stir-fried prawns with pineapple
50
22
Stir-fried prawns with bell peppers
Braised duck with preserved bean curd
52
24
Fresh rice vermicelli with prawns (bĂşn tĂ´m)
Sticky rice with sesame and coconut milk
54
26
Tofu with soy sauce and sesame
Vietnamese sweet glutinous rice with mango
28
Tofu rolls
56
Hanoi Pillow Puffs
30
Pan-fried ground pork
58
Sweet corn soup
32
Braised vegetables and cashew nuts
60
Lotus, mung bean and dried longan sweet soup
34
Bean sprouts and carrots salad
62
Taro and coconut milk 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