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Vietnamse Canh Chua (Sour Soup)

>> Nov 27, 2008



Canh chua (literally "sour soup") is a sour soup indigenous to the Mekong River region of southern Vietnam. It is typically made with fish from the Mekong River, pineapple, tomatoes (and sometimes also other vegetables such as okra or bạc hà), and bean sprouts, in a tamarind-flavored broth. It is garnished with the lemony-scented herb ngò ôm (Limnophila aromatica), caramelized garlic, and chopped scallions, as well as other herbs, according to the specific variety of canh chua; these other herbs may include ngò gai (long coriander), and rau quế (Thai basil),rau ôm....The sour taste of the soup comes from tamarind, which is mixed with a small amount of hot water; the mixture is then stirred for a few moments to release all the essence, and the liquid (minus the tamarind seeds and other solids, which are discarded) is then added to the soup.When made in style of a hot pot, canh chua is called lẩu canh chua.The dish is similar to the Cambodian dish samlar machu.
Ingredients:

-1lb Fish/shrimps

-1 stalk Bạc Hà/dọc mùng(taro stem): Peel ,slice into thin pieces

-1/2lb bean sprouts

-1 stalk celery : Slice into thin pieces

-1/2 pineapple :Slice into bite size pieces

-1 medium tomato :cut into 4-6 wedges

-1/3 lb okra : Cut into half or into slices

-sour tamarind:soak in hot water (about 100g tamarind in 1 cup of water) , strain, use the “tamarind juice” to flavor the soup

-fish sauce

-sugar

-salt

-chilli(optional)

-basil/ngò gai (saw tooth herb) and ngò om (rice patty herb) :Chop

-fried shallots

Method:
Bring the water to boil. add fish/shrimp then add tamarind juice ( the sour will prevent fish from fishy smell). when the fish is cooked add in the veggies bring the soup back to a boil.turn off the flame add sugar,salt,fish sauce,(MsG) test the soup ( it should be sweet,sour,salty the same) .Garnish with chopped herbs,sliced chilli and fried shallots .Serve hot .it goes well with plain fish sace (dipping) and Cá kho tộ ( braised fish in claypot) ,steamed rice.


cá kho tô


#For sour taste you maybe use :lemon just,sour starfruit, sour fermented rice...in place of tamarind juice
Adjust the ingredients to create what ever version you’re in the mood for varieties:
• Canh chua me - made with tamarind; includes most varieties of canh chua o Canh chua me đất or canh chua rau nhút - made with water mimosa (Neptunia oleracea)

• Canh chua cá - made with fish

o Canh chua đầu cá - made with fish heads

o Canh chua cá lóc - made with snakehead fish

o Canh chua cá bông lau - made with Pangasius krempfi catfish

o Canh chua cá lăng - made with Hemibagrus catfish

o Canh chua cá ngát - made with Plotosus catfish

o Canh chua cá trê - made with airbreathing catfish

o Canh chua cá linh bông so đũa - made with mud carp and Sesbania grandiflora flowers

o Canh chua lá giang cá kèo - made with Aganonerion polymorphum leaves and mudskipper fish in the genus Apocryptes

o Canh chua lươn - made with eel

o Canh chua cá hồi - made with salmon

o Canh cải chua cá - made with made with pickled mustard greens and fish

• Canh chua tôm - made with shrimp

o Canh chua tôm rau muống or canh chua rau muống nấu tôm - made with shrimp and water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica)

o Canh chua thơm nấu tép or canh chua thơm nấu với tép - made with pineapple and small shrimp

• Canh chua gà - made with chicken

o Canh chua lá giang gà or canh chua gà lá giang - made with chicken and Aganonerion polymorphum leaves

o Canh chua lá giang cá kèo - made with Aganonerion polymorphum leaves and mudskipper fish in the genus Apocryptes

• Canh chua rau muống - made with water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica)

o Canh chua tôm rau muống or canh chua rau muống nấu tôm - made with water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) and shrimp

• Canh chua chay - vegetarian :Omit garlic, use tofu (fresh and fried), and straw mushrooms.

• Canh chua măng - made with pickled bamboo shoots

• Canh cải chua - made with pickled mustard greens

o Canh cải chua thịt bằm - made with pickled mustard greens and ground pork

o Canh cải chua sườn non - made with pickled mustard greens and baby back pork ribs

o Canh cải chua cá - made with made with pickled mustard greens and fish

o Canh cải chua ruột non or canh cải chua lòng heo - made with pickled mustard greens and pork intestines

o Canh cải chua nấu với bắp bò - made with pickled mustard greens and beef shank

• Canh chua Thái or canh chua Thái Lan - an adaptation of Thai tom yum

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Vietnamese Grilled Lemongrass Beef Noodle Salad


(Bún Bò nướng)

This one-dish salad has the advantage of being both delectable and easy to make. You can prepare and assemble everything ahead of time, making this a perfect company meal. Partially freezing the beef firms it and makes for easier slicing. If you wish, you can substitute chicken breast for the beef.

Ingredients : Serves 6

225 g Rice vermicelli (yields 4 1/2 cups)

450 g Beef sirloin, flank steak or top round

1 Medium yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped

3 cloves Garlic, peeled

2 stalks Lemongrass, finely chopped

1 teaspoon Salt

½ teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon Curry powder, optional

1 tablespoon Fish sauce

12 Bamboo skewers

200 g Shredded lettuce

1 Cucumber, peeled and shredded

225 g Bean sprouts

40 g Fresh mint leaves

40 g Coriander (coarsely chopped)

150 g Shredded carrot

3 tablespoons Oil

100 g Crushed roasted peanuts

1 cup mixed fish sauce

Method :

• Soak the noodles in cold water for 20 minutes. In a large covered saucepan, bring water to the boil and add the noodles. Cook in boiling water for 2 minutes, rinse under cold water, drain and set aside.

• Slice the beef into strips 5 x 2 1/2 x 1/3 cm (1 x 2 x 1/8 in) and place the strips in a non-reactive container.

• To make the marinade paste, pound the onion, garlic and lemongrass with a mortar and pestle or with a food processor until coarse. Add in the salt, black pepper, curry powder if desired, and fish sauce. Stir mixture over the beef and marinate for 1 hour.

• Meanwhile, start the barbecue fire and soak the bamboo skewers in water,

• Arrange the lettuce leaves, cucumber, bean sprouts, mint leaves, fresh coriander and shredded carrot on a serving platter.

• When you are ready to eat, thread the meat strips onto the bamboo skewers

Cook over medium-hot coals, 1 to 2 minutes per side, taking care not to burn the meat. Remove the skewers from the fire, and arrange the skewers on the serving platter.

• To serve, place a portion of noodles in a large soup bowl. Then place the beef, lettuce, cucumber, bean sprouts, mint leaves, fresh coriander, carrot and 1 teaspoon crushed peanuts on top of the noodles. Dress the ingredients with 2 tablespoons mixed fishsauce, or more to taste. Toss the ingredients together and serve. Repeat the process for each serving


mixed fishsauce

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Vietnamese dipping fish sauce - Nuoc mam

>> Nov 25, 2008

Mai Pham, Special to The Chronicle

Wednesday, August 15, 2001


Unlike in many Western traditions where the best sauces begin with fresh stock and require considerable time to make, Vietnamese sauces are typically uncooked. They're made with a handful of simple ingredients such as garlic, chiles and lime, then mixed with fish sauce - the quintessential seasoning in our cuisine.

Similar to dressings, the sauces are served at room temperature and can be prepared in minutes. But their simplicity is deceptive, because when served with other ingredients or dishes, the results are usually magical.

Take, for example, bun thit nuong, or rice noodles with grilled pork - a dish that I love to eat at the Ben Thanh market in Saigon. The last time I was there, I remember eagerly watching my favorite noodle vendor cook behind the glass case filled with jars of sauces. I could see her small frame dancing in front of the smoking charcoal stove, one moment flipping the pork over the hot grill, the next assembling the noodles.

When she handed me my bowl, the sweet, savory aroma of grilled meat wafted in my face. It was perfectly cooked, its edges slightly charred and curled up. I reached for the large jar of nuoc cham and doused the dish. The complex flavors resonated in my mouth - the slightly fermented taste of the soft, velvety noodles, the smoky meat, the crisp bean sprouts and cucumbers, the aromatic herbs and the crunchiness of roasted peanuts. Although sweet, sour, salty and spicy all at once, the flavors and textures were delicately balanced.

The sauce accented the other ingredients, creating an entirely different layer of flavor.

To me, this dish is an example of Vietnamese cooking at its best. No matter what mood you're in, be it for a salad, noodles or fish, the first step in Vietnamese cooking is to build a meal around a dipping sauce. The second step is to use ingredients to build layers of texture and flavor. Serve hot food with cold food, soft with crunchy, light with rich. Play up the contrasts, then let the contrast itself be a source of flavor.

Once you've rounded up a basic list of Vietnamese staples, have bought yourself an automatic insulated rice cooker (perfectly cooked rice is essential) and have mastered the following key dipping sauces, you're ready to recreate a whole host of mouthwatering Vietnamese dishes with ease.

For most of my meals, I rely on three basic sauce recipes - all made from fish sauce. Nuoc cham, often referred to as Vietnamese Dipping Sauce, is a light-bodied sauce made by diluting with water nuoc mam, or fish sauce (a concentrated, pungent liquid extracted from anchovies fermented in brine), garlic, chiles, lime juice and sugar.

In Vietnam, a premium-graded product is slightly viscous (that means it has a higher protein content), with a clear, light-brown tinge and no colorings or additives. The flavor varies depending on the brand, the kind of anchovies used and where the fish was harvested.

In the U.S., fish sauce is available at Asian markets, specialty stores and some supermarkets. However, it's hard to determine the quality of the products because they are not graded. best bet is to select a higher-priced brand in a glass (not plastic) bottle. The liquid should be a clear light brown, not dark brown.

Wipe the opening clean after each use and store the sauce in a cool place or, better yet, in the refrigerator. Fish sauce will last indefinitely because of its high salt content, but in a typical Vietnamese home, it rarely sits around longer than six months.

Vietnamese Dipping Sauce is versatile enough to be served with rice noodles,

fried rice, stir-fries and salads, such as one made with pomelo or grapefruit and grilled shrimp. We also love this sauce for dipping spring rolls, salad rolls or any small pieces of meat or seafood that have been wrapped in lettuce and herbs.

My second favorite is nuoc mam gung, or Ginger-Lime Sauce. I drizzle it, along with all the pounded ginger and chiles, over grilled or pan-seared salmon and hot steamed rice for an easy Sunday dinner. If you like the peppery flavor of watercress as I do, serve it on the side, using the sauce as a dressing. It's also delicious over grilled beef or chicken.

The third sauce is a puckeringly sour but addicting nuoc mam chanh, or Chile-Lime Sauce, made with equal parts of fish sauce, sugar and lime, studded with lots of chiles.

Chile-Lime Sauce makes a fabulous dipping sauce for boiled peel-your-own shrimp, steamed clams and mussels. It turns rice and steamed vegetables into a quick meal and is a good dressing for salads such as green mango and grilled beef, banana blossom with chicken or cabbage salad with pork.

No matter which recipes become your favorites, dipping sauces play a pivotal role in the overall meal. Once you master them, you'll be able to recreate all the bold and vibrant flavors of the Vietnamese table in your own home.


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Mai Pham, chef/owner of Lemon Grass Restaurant in Sacramento, is author of the just-released "Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table" (HarperCollins, 2001). She's also the host of "Vietnam: My Country, My Kitchen," to be broadcast on the Food Network on Monday at 7:30 p.m., with a repeat at 10:30 p.m. Visit her Web site at www.lemongrassrestaurant.com or e-mail her at food@sfchronicle.com.
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VIETNAMESE DIPPING SAUCE
Nuoc cham is a must at every Vietnamese table, no matter what is served. You can use this condiment for dipping meat, seafood and vegetables, and for drizzling on rice. Although it will keep for up to two weeks in the refrigerator, nuoc cham is best when freshly made.


Ingredients
3 Thai bird chiles, or 1 serrano chile

1 garlic clove, sliced

3 tablespoons sugar

2/3 cup warm water

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

5 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons finely shredded carrots for garnish (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS: Cut the chiles into thin rings. Set aside one third of the chiles for garnish. Place the remaining chiles, the garlic and sugar in a mortar and pound into a coarse, wet paste. (You may also chop by hand.) Transfer to a small bowl and add the water, lime juice and fish sauce. Stir well to dissolve the sugar. Add the reserved chiles and the carrots.

Set aside for 10 minutes before using.

Yields 1 cup.

PER TABLESPOON: 15 calories, 1 g protein, 3 g carbohydrate, 0 fat, 3 mg cholesterol, 425 mg sodium, 0 fiber. .



GINGER-LIME DIPPING SAUCE
Intensely gingery and spicy, this sauce goes well with foods that have been simply prepared such as steamed or grilled chicken, meat or seafood. Although this sauce will keep for up to two weeks in the refrigerator, I prefer to make it fresh because the ginger tends to lose its sharp flavor when held overnight. Ingredients

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

3 Thai bird chiles, or 1 serrano chile, chopped

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

1/4 cup fish sauce

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 tablespoons water

INSTRUCTIONS: Place the garlic, chiles, sugar and ginger in a mortar and pound into a paste. Transfer to a small mixing bowl and add the fish sauce, lime juice and water.

Let sit for 15 minutes before using.

Yields about 1 cup.

PER TABLESPOON: 15 calories, 1 g protein, 3 g carbohydrate, 0 fat, 3 mg cholesterol, 340 mg sodium, 0 fiber. .


CHILE-LIME DIPPING SAUCE
This spicy and lime-y dipping sauce is guaranteed to add zip to steamed and grilled foods and even salads. Make sure to use fresh lime and gently scrape the segments and pulp into the sauce. Ingredients

1 to 2 garlic cloves

3 Thai bird chiles, chopped

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons fish sauce

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice with some pulp and segments

INSTRUCTIONS: Place the garlic, chiles and sugar in a mortar and pound to a paste. (You can also chop by hand.) Transfer to a small mixing bowl and add the fish sauce and lime juice and pulp. Set aside for 15 minutes for the flavors to develop.

This sauce will keep for up to 2 weeks stored in the refrigerator in a tightly closed jar.

Yields about 1/2 cup.

PER TABLESPOON: 25 calories, 1 g protein, 5 g carbohydrate, 0 fat, 4 mg cholesterol, 510 mg sodium, 0 fiber. .
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Anchovy dipping sauce:
This is traditionally served with Beef Fondue with Vinegar (Bo Nhung Giam) that is part of the Vietnamese feast called Bo Bay Mon (Beef in seven ways++seven distinct ways of preparing beef). It's good with other stuff too but can be a bit strong to Western tastes


1 c Minced fresh pineapple
3 tb Mam nem (anchovy sauce)
2 Garlic cloves, crushed
1 Fresh red chili pepper,
-seeded 1 tb Sugar
3 tb Fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 ts Rice vinegar
Traditionally, mam nem is served as a dipping sauce for barbecued or fried fish. In general it goes well with grilled foods. It is an essential sauce fro Beef Fondue with Vinegar. Use only fresh pineapple and remember to shake the bottle of anchovy sauce thoroughly before using. Anchovy cream may be substituted. Over a bowl, squeeze the pineapple between your hands to extract as much juice as possible. Combine the pulp and juice and set aside. Into a bowl, strain the anchovy sauce through a very fine sieve, pressing on th solids with a spoon to extract all of the liquid. Discard the solids. Pound or crush the garlic, chile and sugar to a fine paste in a bowl. Stir in the pineapple mixture, strained anchovy sauce, lemon juice, vinegar an fish sauce. Stir to blend. Yield: 1 1/3 cups

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vietnamese lotus root salad recipe

>> Nov 21, 2008


ingredients and cooking method

Ingredients : Serves 4
225g Jar preserved lotus stems, drained and cut into 5 cm strips
1/2 Cucumber
8–12 prawns, boiled/grilled shelled,cut them in half, lengthways

500g pork belly,boiled ,cut into thin strips
2 Shallots, finely sliced
24 g Fresh basil leaves, shredded
1 sprig Fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves, for garnishing

For the dressing
1 Lime, juiced
15-30 ml fishsauce

1 Red Thai chilies, seeded and finely chopped
1 clove Garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon Sugar
cooking method :
To make the dressing, mix together the dressing ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
Peel the cucumber and cut it into thin 5 cm strips.
Soak the strips in cold salted water for 20 minutes.
Put the lotus stems into a bowl of water. Using a pair of chopsticks, stir the water constantly so that the loose fibres of the stems wrap around the sticks. Drain the stems and put them in a bowl.
Drain the cucumber strips and add them to the bowl, then add the shallots, shredded basil leaves and the prepared dressing. Leave the salad to marinate for 20 minutes before serving.
Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

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Vietnamese Recipe :Grilled Leaf-Wrapped Beef Kebabs (Bo La Lot)




Makes 26 to 30 rolls, enough for 6 as a snack

1 pound ground beef, chuck preferred

Seasoning option #1:
¼ cup minced scallion, green and white part
2 teaspoons fish sauce
Scant ½ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Madras curry powder, Sun brand preferred

Seasoning option #2:
2 tablespoons finely minced lemongrass (about 1 medium-small stalk)
2 teaspoons Madras curry powder, Sun brand preferred
¼ cup minced scallion, green and white part
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons oyster sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon cornstarch (optional, if you want a firm filling that does not weep during cooking)
About 4 ounces la lot leaves with the stems attached, enough to yield 26 to 30 large leaves
1 tablespoon neutral flavored oil
1 recipe Basic Dipping Sauce (nuoc cham), made with the addition of minced garlic

1. In a bowl, combine the beef with one of the seasoning options and cornstarch. Use your fingers to mix well. Set aside to marinate while you prepare the leaves.

2. Use scissors or your fingers to detach the leaves from their center stems. Make sure to keep the leaf stem attached to the leaf. You’ll need it later for creating the rolls. Rory puts the leaves matted side facing up so they’re efficiently ready to roll and he doesn’t forget which side the meat goes on.

3. To make the rolls, put a leaf on your work surface, matted side up. Take a bit of meat (about 2 tablespoons) and use your hand to shape it into a small sausage of sorts. Place the meat on the leaf, about 1/3 of the way below the pointy tip. The length of the sausage doesn’t need to span the full width of the leaf because the leaf shrivels during cooking, Rory says. I like to get the meat to span the full width so that there’s moisture from the meat to prevent less charring during cooking. It’s your choice.

Then roll up the meat in the leaf and use the little stem to seal it up. The roll will keep its shape. Place the finished roll on a foil-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining leaves until all the beef is used. Rub a bit of oil on each roll when all of them are done.


4. To cook, position an oven rack on the top third of the oven and preheat to broil. Slip the baking sheet into the oven and broil for 6 to 8 minutes, turning them frequently to cook evenly and prevent too much charring of the leaf. The cooked rolls will feel firm, look a bit shriveled, and be slightly charred at the edges.

Instead of broiling, you can also cook the rolls on a stove-top cast iron grill. Traditional open flame grilling often times burns the leaves up too quickly, unless you use moderately-low heat.

To grill the rolls, prepare a medium charcoal fire (you can hold your hand over the rack for only 4 to 5 seconds) or heat a gas grill to medium. Grill the rolls, with the top open most of the time so you may constantly monitor their progress and move them around to avoid burning the leaves. (The heat will go to about medium-low because you'll have the lid open.)

5. Transfer to a plate and serve with the dipping sauce. Leftovers reheat well in a toaster oven preheated to 350F.

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Vietnamese Recipe :Special food in Vietnam

>> Nov 18, 2008

Nem ran (Spring roll)


Nem ran (called cha gio in the south) is a much-appreciated speciality, although it is very easy to prepare. Since long ago, nem ran has been a familiar dish on the menu at all households during the New Year’s festivities, at family parties, and at receptions.

The stuffing of the nem ran is comprised of mince pork, sea crabs, eggs, minced Jew's ears, thin-top mushroom, dried onions, bean-sprouts, pepper, spiced salt, etc. The mixture is then rolled in flat rice cakes and fried in a pan until crispy.

Nem are eaten hot with a sauce that it is, at the same time, somewhat salty, sweet, acidic and scented (with the flavours of onion and pepper). Papaya and a few fresh scented vegetables are added.



Gio lua (Silky lean meat paste)

By itself, the name “silky lean meat paste” evokes thoughts of the silky aspect of this speciality. Gio lua is made with lean pig meat, which is pounded with a pestle until it becomes a sticky paste. Fresh banana leaves are tied very tightly around the paste, and then it is well cooked. Good gio lua has a fine white colour, is firm, and has a perfumed and sweetish taste.

Gio lua may be obtained anywhere in Vietnam, but the best gio lua is from Uoc Le Village (Hanoi), where the know-how for Gio lua is strictly kept so as to allow no secrets of the job to flow out from Uoc Le. Slices of Gio lua are slightly pink, moist, and sweet-smelling meat, fish sauce and banana leaf.

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Special food in the South Vietnam

vietnam speciality



Xoi chien phong (Bloating fried sticky rice)

A round plate of Xoi chien phong, placed next to a plate of buttery roasted chicken, is always attractive to anyone. A lump of sticky rice will become a plate of Xoi chien phong as big as a grape-fruit by talent chefs. In the past, Xoi chien phong was offered only in the Binh Duong Restaurant, Dong Nai Province. At present, you can taste the dish in star classified hotels in Ho Chi Minh City.

Lau mam (Mixed vegetable and meat hot pot)
At present, Lau mam folk dish in the past hundred years - become a luxurious specialty in the South. Chau Doc fish sauce made from fresh-water fish, a kind of sweet- smelling and greasy fish, which must be as required to have a delicious Lau mam dish.
Substances to prepare for Lau mam, including fresh food-stuffs such as snake-head fish, "keo" fish, pork, peeled shrimps, eel, beef, and so on, accompanied with at least 10 kinds of vegetable, sometime amounting to 24 kinds of vegetable. They include water-lily, egg-plant, balsam-apple, straw mushroom, bean sprouts, chilly, etc.
When boiled, the flavors of the sauce, which is mixed with citronella, chilly, vegetables, fish, shrimp and meat, are very sweet-smelling. Lau mam roam is scoop out into bowls and served with soft noodle soup, simply but deliciously.

Goi Buoi (Salad of shaddock)
Goi buoi is available at the majority of famous restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City. The major substances to prepare for the dish include shaddocks mixed with fresh shrimps, pork, and dry cuttle-fish. The dish is originated in Miet Buoi, Bien Hoa City.
Goi buoi dish is especially flavored with slightly sour, sweet, peppery-hot and buttery tastes. It is also added with spice vegetable, white sesames, coconut and dry cuttle-fish. Therefore, the dish will be appeared on dining table as a fresh colorful picture and attractive to customers.

vietnam cooking

Ca tai tuong chien xu ("Tai tuong" bloating fried fish)
"Tai tuong" fish is classified as a kind of luxurious food-stuffs.
The fish is as white as chicken, delicious and sweet smelling but not crushed. There are two ways to prepare for the dish: Boiled down or bloating fried.
In bloating fried way, pour plenty of oil into pan, wait for the oil to boil before placing the fish in. In boiled oil, fish scabs would be raised up as porcupine's feathers. As serving, place the fish on to the plate, arrange boiled quail eggs around with, fried potato, fresh onion and tomato slices at the edge, season with chilly.
Finally, pour soup and sprinkle fried peanuts and crashed onion on to the fish. The dish is served with sour and sweet sauce of fish. Ca tai tuong chien xu is an unique and luxurious specialty in the South.

vietnam foods

Ca nuong trui (Bare fried fish)
The Southern villagers in countryside areas usually have fried fish in the field. They use a bamboo piece to cross through the fish. Pitch the head side to ground, pile up rice straws at the wind-swept place to smoke fish.
As serving, use hand to remove the burned fish scabs. Fish will become as white as chicken. Place the hot fish on a lotus leaf, take up each piece of fish and dip it in peppery salt, squeeze with some lemon drops, roll in fig leaf or sesame young shoot to experience the dish. Bowl and chopsticks are not necessary. At home, the dish can be served with dry pancake, soft noodle soup and vegetables. Ca nuong trui is a dish that accompanies drinking. It is popular and exciting.
vietnam cuisine

Ca kho to (Dry-boiled catfish)
Fish, which used to prepare for the dish, can be catfish, anabas or snake-head fish. Necessary spices include dry garlic, fresh lemon, onion, chilly, sugar, glutamate, fish sauce, grease, and a spoon of pepper and wine.
Although Ca kho to is a popular dish in the South, it is also a cheap specialty. As serving, pick up fish to other bowl, boil the bowl of fish on a low fire and sprinkle some peppers to have sweet-smelling: Keep fire when serving, Ca kho to can be served with such boiled vegetables as shallot, white cabbage, spinach to dip in Ca kho to sauce. It is more convenient to serve it with pickles such as vinegary beet or green pineapple.

vietnam recipes



Cua rang muoi (Fried salted crabs)
The Westerners, especially those in land-locked countries, usually appreciate the dish as soon as they firstly experience it.
At parties, a plate of bright red Cua rang muoi is usually acted as aperitif. Customers suddenly feel sweet-smelling of spices and delicious buttery flavor of crab at the same time. Highly qualified chefs in Vung Tau coastal area usually select brackish water crabs with much meat and liver-pancreas. A delicious crab dish also depends on the soup, added to frying crabs in pans, including star aniseed, cinnamon, cardamom.
The connoisseurs immediately experience the dish as it is still very hot, mixed with some lemon drops.

(vietnamtourism.com)

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Grilled banana in sticky rice.

>> Nov 17, 2008


Ingredients:

-12 ripe bananas

-1/2 tsp salt-200g sugar (adjust to desired sweetness)

-1kg (4 cups sweet-rice aka glutinous rice)

-1 can coconut milk (400ml)

-200g shredded coconut (optional)

-100g mung beans (peeled and split kind, optional)

-pandan leaves (optional)

-banana leaves-tooth picks
Getting Ready:

Rinse and soak rice in coconut milk and enough water to cover the rice by about 4 inches for at least 4 hours. Roast mung beans in a pan, stirring constantly until brown. Peel bananas and gently mix with salt and 100g sugar. Wash and wipe dry the banana and pandan leaves. Cut banana leaves into 12-15” long pieces. Cut pandan leaves to the length of the bananas. After 4 hours drain the rice and mix with 100g sugar, roasted mung beans, and coconut.
Wrapping: Lay 2 pieces of banana leaves on a flat surface, add about 4-5 tbs of the rice. Lay a banana on top and cover with more rice. Top with a pandan leaf before folding the top and bottom sides over the rice to completely cover it. Secure the ends with toothpicks.
Steaming and Grilling:

Steam on high heat for about ½ hour, broil for about 10 mins (or grill) or just until the leaves begin to brown. Serve warm.
Note:Serve with coconut milk and crushed toasted peanuts for more pleasure. Can add 2 tsp pandan extract to rice if pandan leaves are not available. If banana leaves are not available; use foil instead. However, remove the foil before grilling. These can be made ahead of time through the steaming process. Freeze thaw and grill right before serving. If done correctly the banana should have a redish-violet color.

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Restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City

vietnamese restaurants in hcm city


European Cuisine
Amigo Restaurant

Address: 55 - 57 Nguyen Hue St., Dist. 1, HCM City

Tel: 829 0437
Camargue Restaurant

Address: 16 Cao Ba Quat St., Dist. 1, HCM City

Tel: 824 3148
Château Restaurant

Address: 160B Tran Hung Dao St., Dist. 1, HCM City

Tel: 920 0079
Garten Stadt Restaurant

Address: 34 Dong Khoi St., Dist. 1, HCM City

Tel: 822 3623
Good morning Vietnam Restaurant

Address: 197 De Tham St., Dist. 1, HCM City

Tel: 837 1894
La Taverne Restaurant

Address: 76 Suong Nguyet Anh St., Dist. 1, HCM City

Tel: 925 2616
Le Bordeaux Restaurant

Address: F7-F8, D2 Van Thanh St., Dist. Binh Thanh, HCM City

Tel: 899 9831
Sama Restaurant

Address: 35 Dong Du St., Dist. 1, HCM City

Tel: 822 4814
Asian Cuisine
Dam Sen Floating Restaurant

Address: 3 Hoa Binh St., Dist. 11, HCM City

Tel: 9612082/ 9612144

Fax: 9631871


Website: http://www.thuytadamsen.com.vn/
Phong Lan Restaurant

Address: 215C Ly Thuong Kiet St., Dist. 11, HCM City

Tel: 8649895/ 8659896


Website: http://www.nhahangphonglan.com.vn/
Arirang KaTun Restaurant

Address: 17 Hoang Viet St., Tan Binh Dist., HCM City

Tel: 844 6023
Ashoka Restaurant

Address: 17/10 Le Thanh Ton St., Dist. 1, HCM City

Tel: 823 1372
HiSago Restaurant

Address: 77-89 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia St., Dist. 1, HCM City

Tel: 821 7902
Jollibee Restaurant

Address: A43 Truong Son St., Tan Binh Dist., HCM City

Tel: 848 6585
Malee Thai Restaurant

Address: 37 Dong Du St., Dist. 1, HCM City

Tel: 829 3029
Ngan Dinh Restaurant

Address: 22-36 Nguyen Hue St., Dist. 1, HCM City

Tel: 829 9137
Sarangbang Restaurant

Address: 111 Hai Ba Trung St., Dist. 1, HCM City

Tel: 825 0188
Yeebo Restaurant

Address: 5 Cong Truong Me Linh St., Dist. 1, HCM City

Tel: 823 0368
Vietnam Specialities
Com Ngon Restaurant

Address: 88 Nguyen Du St., Dist. 1, HCM City

Tel: 827 7896
Cung Dinh Rex Restaurant

Address: 146 Pasteur St., Dist. 1, HCM City

Tel: 829 2185
Kinh Bac Restaurant

Address: 30 Dong Khoi St., Dist. 1, HCM City

Tel: 829 1364
Liberty Restaurant

Address: 80 Dong Khoi St., Dist. 1, HCM City

Tel: 829 1623
Nam Phan Restaurant

Address: 64 Le Thanh Ton St., Dist. 1, HCM City

Tel: 829 2757
Ngoc Suong Restaurant

Address: 19C Le Quy Don St., Dist. 3, HCM City

Tel: 9305234
Quan An Ngon Restaurant

Address: 138 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia St., Dist. 1, HCM City

Tel: 825 7179
Song Ngu Restaurant

Address: 70 Suong Nguyet Anh St., Dist. 1, HCM City

Tel: 832 5017
Thanh Nien Restaurant

Address: 11 Nguyen Van Chiem St., Dist. 1, HCM City

Tel: 822 5909
The Sushi Bar

Address: 2 Le Thanh Ton St., Dist. 1, HCM City

Tel: 823 8042
Vietnam House Restaurant

Address: 93-95 Dong Khoi St., Dist. 1, HCM City

Tel: 8291623

Vegetarian Cuisine
Thai Nhan Restaurant

Address: 491/10 Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Dist. 3, HCM City

Tel: 835 8621
Cung Dinh Rex Restaurant

Address: 146 Pasteur St., Dist. 1, HCM City

Tel: 829 2185
Kinh Bac Restaurant

Address: 30 Dong Khoi St., Dist. 1, HCM City

Tel: 829 1364
Liberty Restaurant

Address: 80 Dong Khoi St., Dist. 1, HCM City

Tel: 829 1623
Bohi Tree Restaurant

Address: 175/4 Pham Ngu Lao St., Dist.1, HCM City

Tel: 837 1910
Giac Duc Restaurant

Address: 492 Nguyen Dinh Chieu St., Dist.3, HCM City

Tel: 835 6161

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Vietnamese Asparagus Crab Soup - Sup mang Tay Cua

 vietnamese crab soup

Yield: 6 servings
2 1/2 qt Water
2 lb Pork bones
2 ts Salt
1 tb Fish sauce (nuoc mam)
1 ts Vegetable oil
1 Clove garlic, chopped
2 Shallots or
2 Scallions, chopped white -part
1/2 lb Crab meat, fresh, frozen, -or canned
1/4 ts Freshly ground black pepper
2 ts Cornstarch dissolved in
2 tb Water
1 Egg 1 cn (15 ounces) white -asparagus, undrained
1/4 c Chopped fresh coriander -(Chinese parsley)
1/4 c Chopped scallion greens
The French introduced asparagus to the Vietnamese, who promptly incorporated this classic vegetable into their cuisine. The Vietnamese word for asparagus is “Western bamboo,” due to its resemblance to bamboo shoots. asparagus is universally popular throughout Vietnam, this light, tasty dish will delight your family as well. Bring water to a boil and put the pork bones in. Remove the scum, then cover and continue to boil the bones for 1 hour. Remove the bones from the stock and discard. Add the salt and the fish sauce to the stock. Heat the oil and add the chopped garlic and shallots; add the crab meat and fry for 5 minutes over high heat. Sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper, stirring constantly, then add the crab meat mixture to the soup and bring to a boil. Add the cornstarch-and-water mixture and stir for a few minutes. Break the egg open and drop it into the actively boiling soup while stirring. Cook, still stirring, for about 2 minutes, then drop in the asparagus, along with the liquid from the can and the rest of the black pepper. Continue to cook until the asparagus is heated through. Sprinkle the coriander and scallion green over the soup before serving.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
From “The Classic Cuisine of Vietnam”, Bach Ngo and Gloria Zimmerman, Barron's, 1979.

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Grilled Dried Beef (Thit Bo Kho)



Ingredient -- Preparation Method

1 pound Lean bottom round or -- sirloin, in one piece 6 inches Diameter
2 Stalks fresh lemon grass -- or 2 tablespoons dried grass
2 small Red chile peppers -- seeded
2 1/2 tablespoons Sugar or honey
1 tablespoon Nuoc mam (Vietnamese fish -- sauce)
3 tablespoons Light soy sauce
Here's a Vietnamese version of beef “jerky” made with red chilies and honey orsugar that sounds like it's off in the direction of your Chinese Dried Fried Beef recipe. This Vietnamese-style “beef Jerky” is delicious served with drinks. The Vietnamese enjoy eating it as a snack with glutinous rice. It is also aningredient in Green Papaya Salad. Cut the beef across the grain onto very thin 3 by 3 inch slices. If you are using fresh lemon grass, discard the outer leaves and upper half of the stalk. Cut into thin slices and finely chop. If you are using dried lemon grass, soak in warm water for 1 hour. Drain and finely chop. Combine the chiles and sugar in a mortar and pestle and pound to a fine paste. Add the chopped lemon grass, fish sauce and soy sauce and stir to blend. (If using a blender, combine all of these and blend to a very fine paste.) Spread the paste over the beef pieces to coat both sides. Let marinate for 30 minutes. Spread out each slice of marinated beef on a large, flat wire rack or baking sheet. Let stand in the sun until both sides are completely dried, about 12 hours. (You can also place a rack on a jelly roll pan and let the beef dry in the refrigerator for 2 days.) Grill the beef over a medium charcoal fire or transfer the rack from the refrigerator to the middle of a preheated 400F oven and bake until brown and crisp, about 10 minutes. Serve with glutinous rice.
NOTE: After cooking, the meat may be kept for up to 1 week in a covered jar at room temperature. Makes 4 servings.
From “The Foods of Vietnam” by Nicole Rauthier. Stewart, Tabori & Chang. 1989.

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Vietnamese Spring Rolls - cha gio recipe

Ingredients -- cooking Method

2 Oz Cellophane Noodles
1 Lb Ground Lean Pork
1 Lg Onion
2 Tbsp Tree Ears Dried Mushroon (Nam Meo)
3 Cloves Garlic -- f. chopped
8 Oz Crab Meat
4 Oz Shrimp -- shelled and chopped
1/2 Tsp Pepper
20 Sheets Dried Rice Paper (Banh Trang)
4 Eggs -- beaten
2 C Peanut Oil
start cooking
Soak noodles in warm water for 20 minutes and cut into 1-inch lengths. Soak Tree Ear in warm water for 30 minutes, drain and finely chop. Combine the filling ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Cut a round rice paper sheet into quarters. Place the cut rice paper on a flat surface. With a pastry brush, paint beaten egg over the entire surface of the rice paper piece. Before filling, wait for the egg mixture to take effect, softening the wrappers; this take about 2 minutes. When you become adept at this, you can work on several wrappers at a time. When the wrapper looks soft and transparent, place about one teaspoon of filling near the curved side, in the shape of a rectangle. Fold the side over to enclose the filling and continue to roll. After filling all the wrappers, pour the oil into a large frying pan, put the spring rolls into the cold oil, turn the heat to moderate, and fry for 20 to 30 minutes until a lovely golden brown. (This is a special method of keeping spring rolls crisp.)


For dipping:


2 cloves garlic, -- finely chopped
1 fresh hot chili pepper finely chopped
1 TB plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 lime
1/4 c fish sauce
5 TB water
In a small bowl place garlic and chili. Squeeze in the lime and using a small knife, remove some of the pulp. Add the fish sauce, and water. Mix well, place in a nice bowl, and set aside. Yield: about 3/4 cup

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