-Snacking Vietnam1
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PREFACE I have always been fascinated by Vietnamese food, not only because it is my mother land, but also because of the healthiness and the passion present in every dish. The idea for this cookbook has been nurtured for a long time, even before the topic had been determined. When I think of my vibrant Vietnam, in my mind I see images of charming street vendors and colorful food stalls selling appealing umami snacks along the busy pavements. Even so, Bánh mì (stuffed baguette) and Gỏi cuốn (cold rolls) are the only snacks foreigners know. This cookbook would love to introduce you to the diversity of snacks in the three main regions of Vietnam, the country where you never have to worry about missing a meal! I would like to thank my family, friends and colleagues for the precious support and encouragement during the production of the book.
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CONTENTS 8
Introduction
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Northern Part Bánh tôm
16
Bánh đúc nóng
20
Bánh cuốn
24
Bánh khúc
30
Bánh giò
32
Bánh rán mắn
36
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Bún chả
40 52
Central Part Bánh bèo
54
Bánh tiêu
58
Bánh cam
61
Bánh khoái
65 68
Southern Part Bột chiên
70
Bánh khọt Bánh cống
5
ABBREVIATION tsp: teaspoon (5ml) tbs: tablespoon (15ml)
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v
ietnam is a beautiful country in the South East of Asia, spreading from the North Tropic to the Equator, with a long coastline, two huge river deltas and humid tropical monsoon climate. This
country is fruitful with wheat, seafood, fresh vegetables and herbs all year round. Making use of all the available and seasonal ingredients, Vietnamese people create their delicious, nutritious and appealing dishes.
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Rice is a religion in Vietnam. Rice and its produce are used on a daily basis, from royal meals to street food.
The spirit of Vietnamese cuisine is in the sauce. Fish sauce is popular all over the country, along with other local sauces made of different types of fish and shrimp. Giant wooden buckets are used to store fish or shrimps with a huge amount of salt until fermented. Like durian, Vietnamese sauces have strong flavors, which you either hate or become addicted to. Usually it’s the second!
Tropical greens are available throughout the year, providing nice colours and healthy nutrition to every single dish.
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W
ars have always been the toughest times for the Vietnamese people, ever since the formation of the country. Despite the immeasurable damage, wars have actually contributed to the food
culture of this country. Chinese evaders brought chopsticks and soy sauce. French colonists introduced baguettes and coffee. Americans provided innovation for soft and fluffy ice cream. People from the S-shaped country have been adjusting the spices to suit their taste and creating unique dishes balanced between the 5 flavors: sweet, sour, salty, spicy and bitter. Vietnamese cuisine is titled the “nouvelle cuisine of Asia�.
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V
ietnam is divided into three main regions geographically: the Northern
region, with the Capital Hanoi, the Central with the ancient capital city of Hue and the Southern region which has the modern Ho Chi Minh City. The difference in climate, history and lifestyle between the three regions results in the variation of food and contributes to the diversity of Vietnamese food culture in general and snacks in particular.
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D
elicious and appealing dishes are available everywhere on streets - the best place to enjoy snacks in Vietnam. The fresh ingredients come straight from the crops through the skillful and
experienced hands of traditional women to the consumers. Snacks are served in small food stalls along the sidewalks, with colorful tiny little plastic seats which are also used as tables. Snacks are carried and sold in simple patterned baskets carried on the ends of flat bamboo poles, on the shoulders of petite rural women. Snacks are served to customers while they are squatting on pavements or still from motorbikes with running engines. The spirit and flavor is so amazing that no restaurant with air conditioner and proper seats and tables could compare. The atmosphere of carefree people enjoying snacks in the flow of hectic life is enough to prove the exquisite talent of Vietnamese people. 13
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NORTHERN REGION: KINGDOM OF TRADITIONS Hanoi is not only the capital of the whole country but also the symbol of the Northern cuisine. Hanoians are known for their sternness in selecting the ingredients as well as balancing the flavours for a dish. With the rice from the Delta, fish from Red River, meat from farms and vegetables from mountainous areas, Hoianans have been creating wonderful dishes in many differently methods. You would always feel appetite rising with the distinct tastes and textures in spite of their same-same ingredients. That’s why Hanoi is titled the best city for its street snacking cuisine. Hanoians do not mind spending the whole day making a snack which will definitely be consumed in half an hour, but you will find them more interested in spending time enjoying a dish. Despite the busy pace of life, once they choose a street food stall, they will patiently wait 10-15 minutes for a little plate of food. As no beauty can be seen in a hurry, they take a little of this, a few of that, a spoon of these or a pinch of those, carefully mixing them all in. They slowly enjoy every single flavor after each bite, saying ‘wow’ as if wanting to thank the sellers. The common thing among most of the Northern snacks is sweet-and-sour dipping sauce. Although it can be served in different size of bowls, it always plays an essential role in a dish: the soul. It determines whether the dish is delicious or not, which also means the survival of the food stalls in the region of such strict food critics. 15
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Bánh tôm The giant West Lake inside the city provides people here with a huge advantage: extremely fresh prawns. These newly caught prawns are marinated and coated in batter before frying. A dip in sweet and sour sauce with a few slices of crunchy pickled papaya and carrot is perfect to accomplish the fried cakes. It’s the high time to indulge yourself with this delicacy! You can find these best little fried cakes in huge stacks along the street leading to West Lake temple or in the West Lake Restaurant.
Ingredients: 1. Prawn cake:
- Oil, salt and pepper
- 500g prawns
2. Dipping sauce:
- 2 eggs
- Juice from1 coconut
- 100g tapioca starch
- 1 green papaya
- 200g plain flour
- 1 carrot
- 300g sweet potatoes
- 3 tbs white vinegar
- Spring onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tbs sugar
- Garlics, finely chopped
- 3 tbs fish sauce
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Dipping sauce: 1. Peel and thinly slice papaya and carrot. Soak in salted water for 3 minutes. Drain. 2. Combine sugar, vinegar and fish sauce with half of coconut juice in a bowl. Taste and adjust the seasonings. 3. Add soaked papaya and carrot.
Prawn cake: 4. Lightly beat the eggs, add tapioca starch, plain flour salt and pepper. Mix well and let stand for 30 minutes. 5. Peel sweet potatoes, julienne and soak in salted water up to 10 minutes. Drain. 6. Combine julienned sweet potatoes with the batter. 7. Marinate prawns with salt and pepper. 8. Heat oil in a pan. Add garlics, onions and prawns. Stir-fry until prawns change the color. Remove from heat. 9. Add more oil in the pan. With medium heat, ladle Âź cup of the batter into hot oil, top with 1 prawn. Fry and flip over until golden brown. Put on kitchen towers to remove excess oil. Serve hot with dipping sauce.
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Cook’s note - Soak sweet potatoes, papaya and carrot in salted water to remove the resin, preventing them from discoloring. - Deep fry the cake with enough oil to cover the surface of the batter. - Make the dipping sauce up to 1 day in advance to keep the flavours fresh. - Make batter, quickly fry and store in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. When used, fry again until thoroughly cooked and golden brown.
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Bánh đúc nóng Ingredients: - 240g rice flour - 900 ml water - 1 tsp salt - 2 tbs oil - 100ml lime water - 300g minced pork - 150g shallot - 50g dry Jew’s ears, soaked in warm water, and chopped - 20g dry mushrooms, soaked and chopped - Basils and corianders
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Topping: 1. Marinate minced pork with salt and pepper. 2. Chop 50g shallot. Stir-fry shallot, Jew’s ears and mushroom. 3. Thinly slice 100g shallot, fry them with oil until crispy and golden brown. Remove excess oil with kitchen towels. 4. Prepare sweet and sour dipping sauce (see Bánh cuốn)
Batter: 5. Combine rice flour and salt in lime water for several hours in the refrigerator. 6. Cook the batter over medium heat, stir constantly until translucent and condensed. 7. Ladle into a bowl, top with stir-fired pork, fried shallot, basils and corianders, drizzle with sweet and sour sauce, add chili if desired. Serve hot with some basils and corianders. 22
Cook’s note - Lime water is available in baking shops. - To make lime water from lime, dissolve 40g solid lime in 300ml water, let stand for several hours until the sediments come down the bottom. Decant the clear liquid on top into another bowl and dispose of the sediments. Store in a bottle in the refrigerator up to 3 months. - Lime water provides a distinct flavor and also encourages human digestion. 23
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Bánh cuốn In the winter, the average temperature of the capital drops down to around 20 degree with icy wind blowing. What could make you warmer than sitting in a cozy food stall, waiting for a steaming hot dish being cooked right in front of your eyes? This Bánh cuốn will certainly satisfy your sight, your smell and, of course, your taste. It is amazing as you can see the seller skillfully do all the steps in an efficiently programmed order. Your nose is caressed by the smell of cooked fresh rice flour, golden fried shallot, fish sauce and pork bologna. Your appetite is stimulated so much that you could not help digging in the dish as soon as it is served. Once you are in Hanoi, go ahead and visit the most famous Bánh cuốn stall on Hang Ga Street or any food vendors along wet markets. You will love the flavour for the rest of your life!
Ingredients: 1. Skin:
2. Filling:
- 230g rice flour
- 500g minced pork
- 40g tapioca starch
- 50g shallots, chopped
- 900ml water
- 50g Jew’s ears, soaked and chopped
- Pinch of salt
- 10g mushroom, soaked and chopped
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3. Topping:
4. Dipping sauce:
- Fried shallots
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- Basils and corianders
- Sugar, boiled water
Fish sauce
- Sliced chili, lime or lemon
Essential equipment: - Stretch a piece of bright fabric over the top of a big sauce pan. Hole the fabric near the edge . - A thin bamboo stick or a knife with long and thin blade.
Filling: 1. Preheat oil in a pan. Add shallots and minced poked, stir-fry until nearly cooked. Add Jew’s ears and mushroom. Season with salt and pepper. 2. Let cool completely 26
Skin: 1. Combine all ingredients, let stand a few hours in cool place. 2. Add some water into the sauce pan with stretched fabric on top. Boil the water. 3. When the steam comes up, quickly spread a ladle of the batter on the fabric, make it round and as thin as possible. 4. Close the lid, let cook for 30 seconds or until becoming translucent. 5. Use a bamboo stick or a knife to remove the skin. Place on a greased pan. 6. Place the filling on the skin, wrap into a cylinder. 7. Keep doing with the rest batter and filling. Serve hot with dipping sauce, fried shallot and herbs.
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Cook’s note - Make holes on the fabric allow steam to release and circulate inside the lid to cook the skin evenly. - Adjust water and tapioca starch to achieve the desired texture.
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Bánh khúc Ingredients
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Bánh giò Ingredients: 1. Skin: - 50g rice flour - 100g tapioca starch - 650-700ml chicken broth, cooled - Salt and pepper - 200mk oil (if the broth has no fat) - Banana leaves to wrap, boiled and dried 2. Filling: - 200g minced pork - 30g Jew’s ears, soaked and chopped - 1 onions, chopped - Salt, fish salt and pepper.
Filling: 1. Quickly stir-fry onions with some drizzles of oil. Let cool. 2. Combine minced pork, Jew’s ears, onions and seasonings. 33
Skin: 1. Combine all ingredients in a non-stick sauce pan. 2. Cook and stir constantly over medium heat until condensed and still opaque white. 3. Place 1 ladle in the middle of a banana leaf, place a scoop of filling on top. Fold 2 opposite sides in. fold the other 2 sides to form the shape of a mountain. Secure with string. 4. Steam for about 25-30 minutes Serve hot with pepper and chili sauce.
Cook’s note - Banana leaves give the cake nice green color and fresh tropical flavor. - Aluminum foil and cling wrap can be used as substitution for banana leaves. - Use a reasonable amount of skin and filling, ensuring that filling are completely surrounded. - Adjust amount of water and tapioca starch to achieve the desired thickness of the skin.
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Bánh rán mặn Ingredients: 1. Filling:
2. Skin:
- 120g minced pork
- 250g glutinous rice flour
- 20g green bean vermicelli, soaked and cut
- 50g rice flour
into 2cm pieces
- 50g potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashed
- 20g Jew’s ear, soaked and chopped
- 30g sugar
- 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
- 5g salt
- Salt, fish sauce and pepper
Filling: 1. Combine all the ingredients 2. Shape into small balls, 25-30g each
Skin: 1. Combine all the ingredients. Let stand for 30 minutes to an hour. 2. Divide the dough into balls, 45-50g each. 37
3. Thinly spread each ball, place a filling ball in the middle and wrap tightly 4. Deep fry the cake on medium heat. Use chopsticks to gently turn each and every ball. Serve hot with sweet and sour dipping sauce.
Cook’s note Ensure there is no bubbles between the skin and the filling or else, these bubbles would cause dangerous oil pops. Turn the cakes continuously to cook them evenly.
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Bún chả Ingredients 1. Grilled pork:
- Fish sauce, salt, pepper and sugar
- 500g belly pork, thinly sliced
3. Dipping sauce:
- 2 shallots, chopped
- Fish sauce
- 3 gloves of garlics, chopped
- Sugar
- 1 lemongrass, finely chopped
- Lime/lemon juice or vinegar
- 2 tbs caramelized dugar
- Garlics and chili, minced
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- Water
- Sugar
4. Other ingredients:
2. Grilled pork patties:
- Vermicelli, boiled and drained
- 300g minced pork
- Lettuce, mints, corianders and marjoram
- Shallots, chopped
Dipping sauce: 1. Combine sugar, lime/lemon juice and water together. 2. Gradually add fish sauce until achieve the desired taste. 41
3. Add garlic and chili.
Grilled pork: 1. Marinate belly pork and minced pork in separate bowls for at least 30 minutes. 2. Shape minced pork into small balls, flatten. 3. Prepare charcoal. Grill belly pork and patties. Ladle dipping sauce into a big bowl, add grilled pork. Serve hot with lettuce, herbs and vermicelli.
Cook’s note - Charcoal gives the pork delicious and distinct flavors. - Grilled pan and gas stove can be used as substitution for charcoal. - Dipping sauce should be reheated before serving.
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Café trứng Ingredients: - 1 egg - 1 cup of strong coffee - Honey - 15g sugar 1. Place the egg, honey and sugar in to a bowl. Put on top of a pan with simmering water. Whisk constantly until sugar dissolves. 2. Beat the egg until light and fluffy. 3. Reheat coffee to 80-90 degree of Celcius. 4. Transfer black coffee to a cup. Add egg into coffee cup. Serve hot with extra sugar if desired.
Cook’s note - Use free range egg for the best flavor. - Brew high quality Vietnamese grounded coffee with a filter with the ratio of 100gr of coffee to 44
45-ml water. - Double boil the egg to pasteurize it. Heating the egg for too long will make the eggs curdle. Whisk the egg constantly to make it cook evenly and slowly. - Bowl and whisks must be clean to be able to beat the egg to ribbon form. - Gently pour the egg over the back of a spoon to keep it on top of the coffee layer. - Do not stir too much or the coffee would cool down very quickly.
Chả cá Lã Vọng Ingredients: 1. Grilled fish:
- Saffron powder
- 1kg fish fillets
- Shallots
2. Marinade:
- Oil
- 1tbs salt
3. Dipping sauce:
- 1tbs black pepper
- Purple shrimp sauce
- 1tbs sugar
- 1tsp rice alcohol
- 2tbs purple shrimp sauce
- Sugar
- 2tbs unsweetened yoghurt
- Garlic, chili, lime juice
- Galingale powder
4. Other ingredients: 45
- Vermicelli, boiled and drained
- Roasted peanut
- Mint, coriander, basils, fennel leaves,
- Oil
spring onions
Grilled fish: 1. Combine the ingredients to make the marinade. 2. Cut fish fillet into 3x3cm pieces. 3. Add fish in the marinade, toss to coat each piece well. 4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 5. Grill fish until nearly done. Remove from heat.
Dipping sauce: 1. Finely chop garlic and chili. 2. Combine purple shrimp sauce, lime juice, sugar and rice alcohol together. Add garlic and chili. Mix well.
Serving: 1. Cut fennel leaves and spring onion into 3cm pieces. 2. Arrange vermicelli, roasted peanuts, herbs and dipping sauce in separate plates or bowls. 46
3. Prepare a small portable stove on table. Preheat oil in a pan. 4. Quickly fry fish, spring onions and fennel leaves over high heat until golden brown. Turn off stove. Serve hot.
Cook’s note - Mullet is recommended to have better flavor. - Fish can be marinated overnight to sufficient absorb the spices. - Grill fish over charcoal to get the best result. - If available, several drops of belostomatid essence should be added in dipping sauce to achieve the genuinely traditional flavor. - Sweet and sour dipping sauce can be used as substitution.
Phở cuốn Ingredients: 1. Noodle rolls:
- Lettuce, basil and coriander
- 10 fresh rice noodle sheets
2. Filling: 47
- 130g beef
- Sugar, salt and pepper
- 2 white onions, thinly sliced
4. Dipping sauce:
3. Marinade:
- Fish sauce
- Oyster sauce
- Lime juice
- Soy sauce
- Kohlrabi and papaya
- Shallots, chopped
- Chili
- Sesame oil
- Sugar, vinegar and water
- Cooking oil
Filling: 1. Combine all ingredients, except cooking oil, to make the marinade. 2. Thinly slice beef. Add into marinate. Toss well. 3. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 4. Preheat oil. Fry onions and beef over high heat. Remove from heat.
Dipping sauce: 1. Thinly slice kohlrabi and papaya into bite-sized pieces. Mix well with some salt, pepper, sugar and vinegar. Refrigerate about 30 minutes. 2. Combine fish sauce, sugar, vinegar, lime juice and water to taste. 48
3. Add kohlrabi, papaya and chili.
Noodle rolls: 1. Spread a rice noodle sheet on a board. 2. Top with lettuce, coriander, basil and fried beef. 3. Roll tightly. Serve with sweet and soup dipping sauce.
Cook’s note - Spread shiny side of noodle sheet outside of the roll to have appealing presentation. - Beef should be marinated for no longer than 30 minutes or it will lose the meaty juice.
Phở chiên giòn Ingredients: 1. Crispy noodle cubes:
- 1 onion
- 600g rice noodle sheets
- 1 tomato
- Oil
- Mustard greens
2. Topping:
- Salt and pepper
- 200g beef, thinly sliced
- Soy sauce 49
3. Dipping sauce:
- Vinegar
- 1 carrot
- Sugar
- Chili, sliced
- Salt
- Fish sauce
- Water
Dipping sauce: 1. Thinly slice carrot. 2. Combine sugar, vinegar and salt together. Add carrot and mix well. Let stand for 10 minutes. 3. Combine fish sauce, sugar, vinegar and water to taste. Add carrots and chili slices.
Crispy rice noodle cubes: 1. Cut noodle sheets into 2-centimetre squares. 2. Place 5 squares on top of each other into a pile. Use fingers to press the borders tightly. 3. Deep-fry the rice noodles over medium high heat until crispy and golden brown. 4. Remove from heat and drain any excess oil. 5. Arrange on a deep plate.
Topping: 1. Cut onion and tomato into wedges. 2. In a pan, heat some oil. 50
3. Add beef wedges and stir-fry. 4. When beef is near cooked, add onion, tomato and mustard greens. 5. Season with salt, pepper and soy sauce to taste. Remove from heat. 6. Pour beef, greens and juice on top of the crispy noodle. Serve hot with dipping sauce.
Cook’s note - Do not overcook beef or it will be tough. - Immerse noodle cubes in oil and turn constantly to cook evenly. Noodle cubes should be crispy outside but moist and soft inside.
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CENTRAL REGION: REALM OF ROYALTY The Central region of Vietnam is famous for its beautiful Hue city with its antique architecture of the imperial palaces as well as its ancient wooden houses. As a result, there were royal and casual cuisines at the same time. While the imperial cuisine was delicately made only for the king and his families with the best quality ingredients from the whole country, the casual one was made and served widely on streets from fresh local produce. Despite the contrasting contexts, Hue’s food was always divided into tiny portions with a huge number of toppings. The dipping sauce is a combination of high quality concentrated shrimp/fish paste and other spices to emphasize on the salty, sweet and extremely spicy tastes, providing warmth and energy for people. Time passed by and historical culture faded away. There is no more kingdom and lord. The royal cuisine automatically has blended in the casual one to survive. Fortunately, with the attempts from the government and the artists in cooking, Hue original cuisines have been being recovered, providing us with a precious opportunity to taste the flower of Vietnamese food. With the most beautiful coastal line in the world, with the ancient cultures, fresh marine products and the distinct snacking style, the Central Region of Vietnam is definitely the next destination for your vacations.
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Bánh bèo This dish is definitely on your “must list” when you visit Hue as it is the perfect combination of royal and casual cuisines, of crop and seafood, of different flavors and textures. Bánh bèo are served in every food stalls along the streets. The rice cakes are steamed beforehand, arranged neatly in a glass cupboard, waiting for the customers’ orders. Tell the vendor a number and you will see her, at a lightning speed, scoop a generous amount of dipping sauce and sprinkle shredded prawns with pork cracklings onto each ramekin. In a flash, an appealing snack is ready for you to dig in. Smooth rice cake with crispy pork and extremely spicy sauce are delicious till the last bite. There is absolutely no surprise if you can’t help yourself from ordering some more!
Ingredients 1. Batter:
- 1 tbs finely diced red shallots
- 100g rice flour
- 1 tbs finely diced garlic
- 15g tapioca starch
- ½ tsp black peppers
- ¼ tsp salt
- 400g small prawns
- 1 cup lukewarm water
- 1 cup pork crackling, crushed
- 4 tsp vegetable oil
3. Dipping sauce:
2. Topping:
- 3 tbs sugar 55
- 2 tbs vinegar
- ½ cup prawn broth
- 3 tbs fish sauce
- 2 chilies, chopped
Topping: 1. Cook prawn for 6 minutes in boiling water. 2. Remove the prawns, drain well and reserve the broth. 3. Pound the prawns in a mortal with a pestle until crushed. 4. Fry shallots and garlic in a pan on low heat. Add crushed prawns and stir for 5 minutes or until complete dry. 5. Turn off the heat. Add pepper and stir for 3 more minutes.
Batter: 1. Combine rice flour, tapioca starch and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in half of the warm water./ 2. Stir and knead the dough until well combined. 3. Add the rest of water and stir with a wooden spoon until achieving a fine liquid batter. 4. Bring a steamer pot to a boil, place as many ramekins as possible to the steamer. Fill each ramekin with batter up to 2/3 full. Cover and steam for 5 minutes. 5. Repeat with the rest batter.
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Dipping sauce: 1. Combine sugar, vinegar, fish sauce and reserved prawn broth together until dissolved. 2. Add chili and set aside.
Serving: 1. Add a few drops of vegetable oil on each of the steamed cakes. 2. Top with dry prawns, pork cracklings and sauce
Cook’s notes - Choose high quality rice flour to achieve the best flavor. Rice flour can be made at home by processing soaked rice with a small amount of water until finely crushed. - Croutons can be used as substitution for pork cracklings.
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BĂĄnh tiĂŞu Ingredients: - 350g bread flour
- 5g salt
- 235ml warm water (30 − 40đ?‘œ )
- 5s baking powder
- 5g instant active yeast
- Sesame seeds to coat.
- 15g sugar
- Oil
1. Dissolve yeast in warm water. 2. Add a quarter of bread flour in yeast solution. Mix well. Cover with wet tea towel and let stand for 30 minutes to rise in volume. 3. Combine the rest 3 quarters of flour, salt, sugar, baking powder into the dough. Knead well. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes. 4. Divide dough into even balls. 5. Roll each ball into flat circles. Coat 2 sides with sesame seeds. 6. In a sauce pan, heat oil. 7. Deep-fry flat circles of dough. Remove when golden brown and floating on surface. 8. Remove and place on kitchen towels. Serve hot with tea if desired. 59
Cook’s note - Use 7g of yeast in the winter to ensure the dough can double in volume. - Immerse each circle in oil and flip to cook evenly. They should swell well while frying. - Products should be hollow and golden brown.
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Bรกnh cam Ingredients: 1. Skin:
2. Filling:
- 250g glutinous rice flour
- 150g mung bean, soaked in water for
- 10g rice flour
several hours
- 150g water
- 3tbs water
- 80g sugar
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of salt
- 50g sugar
- 70-80g potato, boiled until soft, peeled
- 50g grated copra
and mashed
3. Coating:
- 10ml oil
- 50g sesame seeds
Skin: 1. Heat water until nearly boil. 2. Dissolve salt and sugar in hot water. 3. Add flour, mashed potato and oil. Mix well. 4. Knead carefully until well combined and smooth. 5. Cover tightly and let stand for 1-2 hours. 63
Filling: 1. Steamed mung beans until soft. 2. Mash cooked beans until smooth. 3. In another sauce pan, heat 3tbs water. 4. Dissolve salt and sugar. 5. Add mashed mung bean and stir constantly until dry and thick. 6. Remove from heat. Let cool for 5-10 minutes. 7. Divided into 16 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball tightly. 8. Let stand without cover until the surface of each ball dry completely.
Shaping: 1. Divide the dough into 16 equal balls. 2. Flatten each ball. Place a ball of filling in the center. 3. Cover the entire filling ball with the dough. Roll into spheres. 4. Coat each ball with sesame seeds until completely covered. 5. Deep-fry the balls over medium-low heat. Stir continuously until firm and golden brown. Remove from heat. Serve hot with tea if desired.
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Cook’s note - Try to remove all air between the skin and the filling or it will explode when frying. - After coating in sesame seeds, lightly squeeze each ball to ensure seeds stick firmly. - Final products must grow in size, be hollow, evenly cooked and crispy.
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Bánh khoái Ingredients: - 400g rice flour - 200g beef, thinly sliced - 200g lean pork - 300g prawns - 5 duck eggs - 100g pork liver
Bánh trôi Bánh bột lọc Bánh canh cá Cao lầu Chí mà phù 67
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SOUTHERN REGION: WORLD OF INTEGRATION Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon, is the heart of Southern Region, one of the youngest yet busiest cities of Vietnam. Hence, there is no surprise when people always mistake it for the capital! The potential of Saigon has been drawing many people not only from other provinces but also from other countries towards its life, which increases the population as well as enhances the diversity in its culture. With all the freshest tropical ingredients from Mekong Delta and the hospitality of native people, many delicious dishes have been created as a combination of different flavors and styles. However, there is always soy sauce, sugar and chili in Saigon’s cuisine as a result of strong influence of the large community of Chinese immigrants. In compare with the other two regions, Southern part has the most leniently tropical climate all year round with the largest fertilized delta. Making use of these advantages, people here grow an abundant source of greens and fruits. Undoubtedly, they use these local produce in every dish, even snacks, in order to balance the oil and sweet flavor. The best snacks, again, can only be found along streets, in wet markets and parks. Dine in or take away, it’s up to you. Feel free to ask for additions or substitutions. Saigon is the absolutely the destination for interntional-food-lovers!
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chiĂŞn
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Bột chiên Bột chiên is the most popular snack at Ho Chi Minh City as you can easily notice the appealingly golden brown color of fried rice cakes and eggs, the freshly green of spring onions and mount of pickled carrots and unripe papayas. This dish is symbolic of the integration of the city since the combination of sweet and sour is typical for Vietnamese cuisine while the use of soy sauce addresses the impact of historical Chinese colony. Nowadays, following the steps of Southern Vietnamese people, this dish has been spread out all over the world, especially in Little Saigon in the United States of America. However, with the exquisite vendors, freshest ingredients and unique atmosphere of alfresco stalls, the best Bột chiên could only be found in Sai Gon!
Ingredients 1. Dipping sauce
- 450g rice flour
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 tbs corn starch or tapioca starch
- ½ cup water
- ½ tsp salt
- 1½ tbs sugar
- 2 tbs oil
- 2 tbs vinegar
- 7 cups water
- 3 hot chilies, chopped
- Green onions, chopped
2. Batter
- 10 eggs 71
Dipping sauce Mix all the ingredients together until well combined.
Batter 1. Mix rice flour, corn starch, salt, oil and water until well combined. 2. Transfer the mixture into a sauce pan. Cook the mixture over medium low heat and stir constantly until slightly thickened. 3. Pour the thickened mixture into a greased pan. Steam over high heat for 20 minutes or until cooked. 4. Let the rice cake cool down completely. 5. Cut the rice cake into bite-sized rectangle pieces. 6. Pan-fry both sides of the rice cake until crispy and golden brown. 7. Add chopped green onions and eggs. Stir-fry until cooked. Serve with dipping sauce and pickled julienne pawpaw and carrot.
Cook’s note - Be careful not to overcook the batter. 72
- Stir vigorously to prevent uneven cook. It is better to blend the mixture with hand-mixer to achieve an evenly smooth texture. - Insert a toothpick/chopstick and see if it comes out clean to check whether the batter is steamed enough. - The cake should rest in the fridge overnight to cool down and harden completely before being cut and fried.
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Bánh khọt Bánh quai vạc Bánh tráng trộn Bánh bò hấp Bánh xèo Bánh đúc ngọt Chè trôi nước Chè chuối Chuối nếp nướng Bánh ú nhân thịt
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Reference List Interviews Duong-Thuy-Bao, T 2012, pers.comm., 28 August. Nguyen-Thi, D 2012, pers.comm., 3 September. Phan-Thi-Minh, L 2012, pers.comm., 30 August. Magazines/ Newspapers Articles - Printed Hoang, N 2011, 'Mới lạ phở cuốn kiểu Trung Quốc', Bưu Điện Việt Nam, 20 November, accessed 30 August 2012. Nguyen, V 2012, 'Vietnamese Food: Eating out in Vietnam', The Economist Newspaper Limited, 9 December, accessed 30 August 2012. Parker, L 2011, 'Sai Gon- Street Life', Travel Gourmet, vol.2, 3 November, pp.34-35. Food blogs Khai Tam, 2009, 'Bánh khúc', Bếp Rùa , blog, 27 October, accessed 13 September 2012, http://khaitam.wordpress.com/2009/10/27/banh-khuc/. Government Website Đặc trưng ẩm thực Việt Nam 2011, INSTITUTE OF SCIENTIFIC STUDY FOR TALENT - HUMAN RESOURCES (ISSTH), accessed 30 August 2012, http://www.vanhoa.vn/vanhoa/177/ItemID/644/Dac_trung_am_thuc_Viet_Nam.aspx. Articles from Websites with author Celro, 2011, 'Bột chiên - món ăn vặt dân dã của đất Sài Thành ', AFamily, 22 December, accessed 11 October 2012, <http://afamily.vn/an-ngon/20111220032236845/Bot-chien-mon-an-vat-dan-da-cua-datSai-Thanh.chn>. Articles from websites with no author 24h 2010, 'Trứng vịt lộn xào me', 11 August, accessed 09 October 2012, <http://us.24h.com.vn/amthuc/trung-vit-lon-xao-me-c460a316465.html>. Television single program Anh Does Vietnam 2012, Seven Network, Australia, 7 October. 75
Bánh cốn
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