Seafood Pattaya

This is probably the only dish that is similar in Sarawak and west Malaysia.

Other food we had at Payathin food court in Cheras…Thai food.

Source: http://leonalim.com

Pad Thai ( Thai Noodle)

Somtum ( Papaya Salad )





Prik Khing Chicken ( Chilli Chicken)




Pad Thai ( Thai Noodle)



Tomkhakai ( Chicken with coconut milk Soup )

Source: http://www.xihalife.com

Chiang Mai for Foodies

If I ever have to make a list of must-do-Asian destinations for the discerning foodie, Chiang Mai will take top honours. Like Penang, this place has a veritable spread of cheap and delicious eats in every corner, 24/7. Hmm, but isn't Bangkok similar, you say? Well, unlike her more frantic cousin in the south, Chiang Mai has a bigger variety of indigenous cuisine due to her proximity to Laos, Burma and the minority tribes. Since there are less tourists here, the food is hardly compromised to suit the Western tongue. The Khao Soi Gai (curry noodles) presents a fiery red coat , the Sai Ua (pork sausage) glistens with Pork Fat and Water Beetles(roach lookalike) and Bamboo Larvae are sold as street snacks. If you think these goodies sound more Fear-factor esque than delicious, you can still find the ubiquitous Banana Pancakes and Starbucks. But really, why limit yourself to the same bland food you can find at home? These days, it is almost de-riguer for travellers here to do a one-day cooking course here due to the overwhelming popularity of Thai Food. So what are you waiting for? Pack your apron and come over to Chiang Mai.

Asia noodles

Of course, any trip to HaVL Sandwiches will help you along on the Vietnamese noodle front. You've had pho and bun, but also check out banh canh noodles, which are thicker, akin to udon. If you go to other places like Pho Oregon, you'll find a few others, most notably clear hu tieu

My favorite Thai dish is a beef soup referred to as "boat noodles", available at Pok Pok at lunch, taking vermicelli noodles in a beefy broth. The broth has tons of Chinese five spice and is incredibly flavorful.

(This dish is also available at Red Onion Thai, referred to as "Thai beef soup". They've got a noodle-less version, meant for those who prefer rice, but even in Thailand they're beginning to be a bit carb-conscious, and are eating this version without either.)

Pok Pok also serve khanom jiin, which takes the same vermicelli noodles in a curry broth, often served with raw vegetables.

There are a lot of great Korean noodle soups, and I pick one based on the temperature. If it's hot out, I'll go for a bowl of mul naeng myeon, which is served with hunks of ice in it. Soba noodles are a great cold/room-temp noodle, and they're used with great effect here.

While BabbleSauce's "secret noodle shop" has hit the mainstream, the best Korean noodles can still be found next door at Nakwon. They've even got my favorite hot noodle dish, jjampong, which is essentially a spicy garlicky beef and seafood noodle soup.

That same dish shows up in Japanese cuisine, too, referring to it as champon. It's available at Hakatamon at Uwajimaya. This is the spot that used to be an udon-ya, and while it became a ramen-ya, they still can rock the udon, in dishes like the nabeyaki special, combining soft-shelled crab, tempura shrimp, salmon and chicken.

I've only started really exploring the Chinese options around town, and while the spots on 82nd get a lot of attention, my favorite for noodles is actually in Old Town, Mandarin House. Even before Du Kuh Bee went mainstream, Mandarin House was always my favorite "secret" hand-pulled noodle spot in Portland.

Northern China has a tradition of cooking with more wheat, and so this is the part of the cuisine where you'll find more dumplings, pancakes and noodles. Mandarin House makes an excellent da lu mian, and this thread is reminding me to head back there for another visit.

Oops, forgot to mention a few from Ping. Yes, the Malaysian laksa is there, but truly if you've had the khanom jiin it's going to be largely the same thing. You should definitely try out the bah kuh teh "pork bone tea", which is actually quite similar to a lot of ramen, right down to the noodle, but without the milky broth.

My favorite dish at Ping, though, is the kwaytiao pet pha lo, literally, "Five Spice Duck Noodles".

Green Papaya Thai Cuisine

One of the true joys in Thailand is Thai food.Because it is delicious, nutritious, unique and flavorful.If you come to Thailand, don't forget to eat Thai food for the real taste of Thai cuisine.
The secrets to the success of Thai cuisine are the combination of the fresh various ingredients, spicy qualities and the fish sauce ( Thais use the fish sauce ("Nam Pla") instead of salt ).
Here is the list of top Thai Dishes

1. Tom Yum Goong (Sour and Spicy Shrimp Soup)
The hot, sour and spicy shrimp soup with lemon grass has become very popular in every Thai restaurant and is ranked as one of the top thai dishes.Tom Yum Goong
is a unique soup.It is sour and spicy but it tastes really good.(Recipe)

2. Pad Thai ( Stir-fried Rice Noodle )
Rice noodles fried with shrimps, ground peanuts, eggs, fresh bean sprouts and a delicious sauce.You can find it everywhere especially on Khao San Road ( the largest traveler district in Bangkok ). (Recipe)

3. Gaeng Khiaw Wan Gai ( Green Chicken Curry )
One of the famous Thai curries is Gaeng Khiaw Wan Kai. It is cooked in coconut milk with vegetables, Thai Green curry and chicken.It is a mild curry with sweet taste.

(Photo by jetalone)

4. Tom Kha Gai ( Galangal Chicken Soup )
Another classic Thai soup is Tom Kha Kai.It is sour and spicy chicken coconut soup with galangal and lemon grass.(Recipe)

(Photo by gelskitchen)

5. Khao Pad ( Fried Rice )
Thai-style fried rice, made with egg, pork or chicken or shrimp and vegetables.This dish is the standard meal of many travelers.It is delicious, fast, cheap and available everywhere.


6. Satay
Slivers of pork, beef or chicken grilled on a stick, served with peanut-coconut curry sauce and cucumber salad.You can find it on roadside from street vendors.

7. Gai Pad Med Mamuang ( Stir-fried chicken with cashew nuts )
Fried chicken with cashew nuts and dried chili peppers.It tastes really good.

(Photo by Thai Jasmine)

8. Som Tum ( Green Papaya Salad )
Som Tum is the popular salad in Thailand.The Green papaya is sliced thin about 2 inches and mixed with tomato, chilies and fresh green beans.It is sour and spicy salad.

9. Mus Sa Mun
Mus Sa Mun is a sweet curry from the Muslim South with beef/chicken, peanuts, coconut milk, potatoes and onion.I highly recommend Mus Sa Mun Tuna in a can.It is delicious and you can find it in Supermarkets.

(Photo by jengkikit)

Source: showyouthailand.com

Corn noodles in Vietnam?

“Banh khuc”, so delicious!

Banh khuc is a traditional cake of Vietnam and so delicious!

The cake is a rice ball made of glutinous rice mixed with cudweed (khuc)-most important ingredient and filled with green bean paste, pork, and spices.

Cudweed grows during lunar January and February, when the drizzling rain lasts all day, and it can be found along the edges of rice fields. There are two kinds: “nep” and “te”. The latter is more flexible and fragrant and is preferred for making the cake.

First, the cudweed is washed, ground and then mixed with husked glutinous rice. Green beans, that are flayed and turned into paste after being cooked, are then added to the mixture. Finally, the cakes are sprinkled with grains of glutinous steamed rice.

As time goes by it is increasingly difficult to find cudweed as fields are eaten up by development. For now, you still can find “banh khuc” in Hanoi. However, some bakers may not be using cudweed and may substitute it with cabbage or water morning glory.

Wishing to have the chance to satisfy your hunger for “banh khuc”, you can visit cake stall at 69 Nguyen Cong Tru Street, that has been churning out “banh khuc” for years. Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan, the seller, has to hire locals in rural areas in Hanoi or in neighbouring provinces to seek out the elusive cudweed. In winter, it grows in abundance so enough has to be collected to last the summer. The surplus will be dried and stored.

If you are in the old quarter of Hanoi, you might hear someone cry “Ai banh khuc nong day?” (who wants hot “banh khuc”?). You can stop them and ask if the “banh khuc” is from Ngoai Hoang village in Ha Noi, a place that is famous for having the most delicious and tasty “banh khuc”. Then, you can buy one for tasting. The cake should be served hot and dipped into a mixture of roasted and crushed sesame seeds and salt...

Source: http://www.vietnam-beauty.com

Rolled rice pancake

Among Vietnam’s delicate specialties, "bánh cuốn” ranks top thanks to its softness, sweet fragance of cinnamon, dried onion and strong taste of minced meat and sources!

Among other members of the extended noodle family, bánh cuốn almost ranks first. It is a paper-thin steamed rice flour pancake, much like delicate sheets of fresh rice noodles. The pancakes are plucked off of the linen steamer base, and immediately rolled with minced pork and mushrooms, then piled on a plate, sprinkled with deep fried shallots, snipped with scissors into bite sized sections, and topped with fresh herbs such as cilantro or Vietnamese basil. A plate of bánh cuốn is a light dish traditionally eaten as breakfast in Hanoi but now can also be found as a late night snack.

To eat, dip a section of rolled noodle goodness into the accompanying warm fish sauce broth, brightened with a squeeze of fresh lime. You can also pick the leaves off the herbs and add them to the dipping sauce, grabbing a leaf or two as you dip, or you can follow each bite with a chaser of herbs. Bánh cuốn are often eaten with different sides of pork sausages, including sheets of an orange hued, roasted cinnamon sausage called chả quế.

Where to find it?
A short walk north of Hàng Da Market and Hàng Điếu street will bring you to Bánh Cuốn Thanh Vân, just look for the bánh cuốn station—two large covered steaming pots—out front along the sidewalk. Just take a look! The practiced hands keep the bánh cuốn rolling out with experiences, alternating seamlessly between spreading the thin batter on the linen base of one steamer, then at right time, turning to the other to peel the delicately steamed pancake off the linen base with a bamboo stick. By the time the batter is spread on its newly emptied linen base, the pancake in the first steamer is ready and waiting. With only 6 tables nestled inside the small open storefront, the pace never slows. Serving 7AM-1PM and 5PM-11PM.

Source: vietnam-beauty.com

Cha ca La Vong (grilled minced fish)

Hanoi now has several stores selling Cha ca La Vong, but none of them can be equal to the Cha Ca Road’s in terms of quality and flavor. As a popular dish, La Vong grilled fish pie is indeed a remarkable culinary invention.

The long history…

In ancient days, there was a street selling paints, called the Paints Street. The Doan family, located at house No, 14 of this street, hit upon a new idea that sold fried fish pie served with soft noodles and seasoning. Encouraged by the appreciation of customers, the family specialized in this trade and the shop was called as "Cha ca La Vong store" as a wooden statue of an old fisherman (La Vong) holding a fishing rod and a string of fish stands at the door. As the specialty grew famous with every passing day, the street was renamed by the people as Cha Ca Street (fried fish pie street).

Imagine that you are one of the guests…

While you sit down at the table, the waiter starts laying there some seasonings includes a bowl of well - stirred shrimp paste sauce mixed up with lemon. After dropping the liquor, he will decorate the bowl with a few slices of red fresh pimento, a plate of grilled ground nuts of gold yellow color, various species of mint vegetables o­nions in small white slices.

To many customers, the sight of such seasoning already greatly stimulates their appetite. A few minutes later, fried fish, yellow in color and flagrant in smell put o­n a plate of anethum vegetable, is brought in. But that is not all. A few seconds more, as soon as a cauldron of boiling fat is brought in, the waiter starts pouring it o­n each bowl of grilled fish, thus producing a white smoke and sputtering noise.

Now, this is the time for picking and choosing what you like from the dishes on the table; sticking them into your bowl. Everything in all dishes should be eaten together. Let’s taste…

Source: vietnam-beauty.com

Cao lau Hoi An (Hoi An vermicelli)

Cao Lau is the foremost traditional Hoi An food. Visitors to Hoi An always remember Cao Lau, which was considered by Quang Nam people as a special symbol for Hoi An.

Cao lau noodles are carefully made from local new sticky rice. Water used to soak rice must be taken from wells in the Ba Le Village; noodles thus will be soft, enduring and flavored with special sweet-smelling.

On the Cao Lau noodles were some meat slices mixed with fat made from fried noodles served with vegetables and bean sprouts. Sharp-witted eaters would find out the specific flavor of the dish.

Dry pancakes used as ingredient must be thick with much sesame on the surface. Greasy coconut quintessence and bitter green cabbage are also indispensable. The so-called genuine Cao lau Hoi An must satisfy all above requirements.

It was said that only some wells in Hoi An were used to make Cao Lau noodles. What is more, only some Hoi An families were able to produce Cao Lau by their own traditional way, but the quality was not as good as it was before. Cao Lau did not have Vietnamese flavor. Despite its Chinese-like appearance, no Chinese accepted it as Chinese food. Until now, the origin of Cao Lau still remains in mystery.

Source: vietnam-beauty.com

“Bun goi da”

“Bun goi da” is a special noodle soup which is one of the most appreciated by visitors to Soc Trang Province.

The strange dish is originated in My Xuyen Town, Soc Trang Province. Leaving the city of Soc Trang some 5 km to My Xuyen Town, you can see a board "bun goi da" suspended before the small stall. While waiting for the dilicious dish moved out, you can view the cool green trees, smelling the fragrance of delicious dishes.

The best “bun goi da” is served at a small and shady stall in a quiet street at old Bai Xau, a site which used to be buoyant port serving the 6 Southern provinces. The shop-owner Trinh Thi Nu, is a retired school teacher in Can Tho City. She takes a very good care to ensure the best quality of the dish which requires a number of ingredients including rice noodles, pork, prawns, soybean paste, sliced red chilli and some herbs. Having put these things into a decoratively presented bowl, a flavoured hot broth, the most important thing to decide the taste of the dish, is added to the mixture.

“Bun goi da” is even more appealing with some fresh vegetables. It has been one of the favourite dishes for both locals and visitors in Soc Trang Province. Each bowl is a mere 12,000 to 15,000 VND. For many years, “bun goi da” have made the journey to Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City, help to improve people’s living standard. Moreover, “bun goi da” is also served in Hoang Cung Restaurant of Saigon - Can Tho Hotel. Although the price is 20,000 to 25,000 VND for a bowl of “bun goi da”, the luxurious seat will help you delight in watching the street and the bowl of “bun goi da” is much more delicious.

Not only the favourite for many visitors, “bun goi da” is one of traditional dishes in Soc Trang Province. Once enjoying and you can feel the typical fragrance of the dish.

Source: vietnam-beauty.com

Alcohol burning coconut shrimp (tom dot ruou trai dua)

Material:

- ½ kg prawns

- 1 fresh coconut

- Rice wine 100ml strong

- 1 / 2 teaspoon seasoning meat particles Knorr soups

- A small branch of ginger

- Decorative salad

- Lemon pepper Salt



Implementation:

Prawn shrimp to select categories, clipped beard, rinse, and drain.

Beheaded coconut, pour into pot of boiling water, seasoning the meat particles from Knorr seasoning, ginger pounded on the boil and then drop just cooked shrimp (if shrimp to see is just ripe red pigment).

Hook into the surrounding coconut shrimp, to a disk, decorative salad around. For the coconut rice wine burning strong. Dot salt and pepper peeled lemon very tasty.

Tips: Coconut water is not close early, delicious coconut will not lose quality. Also, do not leave out the coconut milk will easily foul ê. When cooked, just heat the coconut milk has boiled shrimp to boil rapidly for about 1 minute picked out. Coconut cooking oil infamous long vulnerable, not tasty.

Source: 24h.com.vn

Melon soup (canh muop)

Hot summer, will have a cool melon soup, just add. Use of folk or luffa or melon respects.
According to traditional medicine, light sweet melon fruit, calculated average, a diuretic, expectorant consumption, cooling blood detoxification, through economic circuit, through milk, add air, safe pregnancy. Melon fruit stimulates the secretion of milk in nursing mothers and help increase the circulation of blood.

Because multiple components containing mucus melon fruit should also calculated to relieve the attack of bronchial mucous membrane irritation causing cough. Summer melon soup can cook food for children to prevent the measles.

Fiber of sweet melon fruit, calculated average, anti-inflammatory effects, communication circuits, diuretic, used treat joint pain, muscle pain, chest pain, women are closing business, inflammation of mammary glands, edema (10 per day cooking water from -15 g).

Bitter melon leaves sour, cold calculation, anti-inflammatory effects, long sputum, cough, cough, headache, fever, thirsty summer. Topical hemostatic wound up, the disc, impetigo (10-15 g per day from 50 g of dried leaves or fresh leaves in excellent drinking water replaced daily. Topical regardless of dosage).

Sweet melon seeds, calculated per reduced cough expectorant effects long used treat roundworm and constipation in the elderly (50-10 g per day grain, excellent drink.) Take 15-30 g of melon root water colors every day to treat allergic rhinitis.

Rewind winding melon relieve low back pain, cough, rhinitis and airways inflammation (30-60 g per day use the best drug form). To increase the diuretic can be used 60 g in 600 ml of water colors, share drink 3-4 times a day.

Melon soup, use fresh melon fruit cooked with chopped lean meat or better if cooked with fresh mushrooms sateen replace meat, just add fresh medium, because mushrooms contain many components enhances immune body fluids, clean the cell. Women eating mushrooms will help reduce the risk of breast cancer.

If women are breast-feeding is not the melon soup helps increase the secretion of milk for the children but also help keep a good shape, anti-obesity. So people still see India as a tree melon bitter tonic and body clean.

Everyone can eat melon soup. However, as the melon fruit contains more fiber, mucilage and has diuretic properties means damage to the spleen, stomach cold, crushed to liquid distribution should be limited in use. If you need a few slices of ginger to give more to remedy this situation. During the week, eat 1-2 times as well.

Vietnamese Steamed fish with green onion recipe ( Ca hap hanh )

This is my family 's favourite dish. At weeken, my father usually make this dish when my family seat together. To eat, first take a large mustard leaf ( cai xanh) then place some herbs on, then a piece of fish on, then roll up and dip in ready made fish sauce ( nuoc mam ) ...(kitchentoworld.com)

In Viet Nam, fish lives everywhere, you can find them in lakes, rivers, stream...Ilive in a country, so i ate a lot of food from fish. But this is one of the most dishes from fish. It is good for you !

Vietnamese Pancake (Banh Xeo)

Bánh Xèo are Vietnamese crêpe-type pancakes made out of rice flour and coconut milk(optional), and are pan-fried and stuffed with slivers of fatty pork, shrimp, and bean sprouts. Served wrapped with lettuce leaves and stuffed with mint (optional) and other herbs, and dipped in nuoc mam.

Ingredients:

For batter

1 PackageVietnamese pancake ready mix
31/2 cup water
1cup coconut milk
½ cup chopped green onion

For filling:
500gram raw shrimp peel or leave whole
500gram pork thinly sliced
500gram bean sprouts
7oz peeled split mung beans , soaked in warm water ,steamed or microwaved
For cooking:
Cooking oil or pork fat
1 Pancake pan


Accompaniments:
1 head of butter or grean leaf lettuce
vietnamese herbs : basil, Spearmint, fish mint, Vietnamese Perilla …
vietnamese greens: there are over 24 kinds of greens to be served with banh xeo : mustard leaves, Wild Betal Leaf, mango leaf, fig leaf, …
1 cup of mixed fish sauce
pickled daikon and carrot.

Method

The batter:
To make the pancake batter, in a large mixing bowl whisk together the flour, turmeric, coconut milk, water, 2 tablespoons oil, and chopped green onion until well combined. Allow the batter to rest for 30 minutes.
The filling:
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a wok or skillet over high heat and stir-fry the pork for 3 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until opaque, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the bean sprouts and cook until just translucent but still firm, about 1 minute. Transfer to a platter and set aside.
Greens and herbs:
Arrange the salad ingredients in separate piles on a platter and set aside.
Frying pancake:
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. While tilting the pan add 1/4 cup of the batter, swirling the pan at the same time to evenly distribute the batter.

Once the crepe starts to bubble gently in the center and loosen itself at the edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Scatter a handful of bean sprouts( mushrooms…), 2-3 pieces of pork and 2 shrimps on the lower half of the pancake. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan.

Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until the pancake golden browns and turns crispy. Fold the pancake in half and slide onto a platter. Continue making banh xeo as you serve them. Serve with table salad and herbs, and mixed fish sauce on the sides.

*Bean sprouts: can be alternated with turnip, mushroom….
* Pork and shrimp: can be alternated with duck meat, clams meat,…
* There are may kinds of herbs and greens served with banh xeo ,which only found in the countryside of Vietnam , so if you want to enjoy the real banh xeo come to vietnam .i will treat you then

Source: kitchentoworld.com

“Giò” – Vietnamese dainty morsel in Spring

On the Tet traditional tray of food according to Vietnamese culture, with traditional dishes such as Chung cake, chicken meat, spring rolls and so on, “giò” is one of the dainty morsels. Today, when “giò” almost become daily food and there are more various and attractive dishes on the tray, delicious dish of “giò” cannot be missed...

There are many types of “giò” such as: giò lụa (pork-pie), giò bò (beep dumpling), giò bì (pork and skin paste), giò mỡ (lean and fat pork paste), giò xào (fried pie), etc. Each type has a particular taste but the most important thing to make “giò” dish really attractive is that the fragrance of banana leaves and fish sauce combined in the piece of “giò”.

Giò xào (fried pie)

In all kinds of “giò”, fried pie is the easiest one to prepare, so families often make it themselves when Tet is coming. The main materials are parts of pork such as: ear, nose tongue, pork cheeks and “mộc nhĩ” (cat’s ear). The materials must be subjected to premilitary treatment, boiled through hot water, sliced, mixed with spices, pepper and fried.

After wrapping the fried pie, keep it in the refrigerator so that all the materials link together. The pie that is delicious must be wrapped carefully, raw materials must not be too dry and the dish will stir fragrance of the spices.

Giò bò (beep dumpling)

Also processed as fried pie, beep dumpling is often added for more fat so that it is not too dry. When cutting a piece of beep dumpling, it is slightly pink as the color of the beef. Especially, pungency and fragrance of pepper feature the typical characteristic of beep dumpling.

Giò lụa (pork-pie)

Pork is chosen to make pork-pie must be lean, delicious and fresh meat. It is continuously ground until the meat is fine. These days, the meat is ground by machine, which makes the process more quickly and helps to save the maker’s strength.

However, the pork-pie is make in the traditional way remains the delicious flavor that is
different from the one ground by Pork-piemachine, since the makers must use more strength so they take proper care of their product. Fish sauce for making pork-pie must also be tasty and fragrant. When being cut, the pie must has the color of ivory-white and the surface has some small holes, surely that the pie is so delicious!

Giò bì (pork and skin paste)

Pork and skin paste is a local specialty of Pho Xuoi (Hung Yen Province). It is also made from uncooked pork-pie and pork skin that are sliced, then wrapped into small ones like fingers. Pork and skin paste is delicious, it means that pieces of pork skin must be white, clean, boiled, cut into small ones and mixed with uncooked pork-pie. The piece of pork and skin paste is so crispy and crunchy.

In Vietnam, once try to taste these kinds of “giò”, it is certaintly that you cannot forget the tasty flavor and fragrance of the dainty morsels...

copyright by: http://www.vietnam-beauty.com/

“Cơm Việt” – a different taste!

If you have ever tried “Cơm Việt” (Vietnamese plain boiled rice), you will find the difference from the boiled rice in other countries!

In an ordinary meal of Vietnamese people, together with a variety of different dishes, Com or plain boiled rice is an indespensable one, the most popular food at the main meals of the day (lunch and dinner).

Different cooking method makes “Cơm Việt” different!

In Vietnam, Com is made from different kinds of rice, typically fragrant rice is used, such as Tam Thom and Nang Huong. The main ingredients of Vietnamese plain boiled rice are commonly as follows:

- 1 cup of rice.

- 2 cups of boiling water.

- 1 teaspoonful of salt.

So, how can you make the boiled rice really delicious? If you have chance to see how Vietnamese people make a good pot of boiled rice, you will notice that its process is not so difficult. Firstly, pick the rice over, taking out all the bits of brown husk; fill the outside of the double boiler with hot water, ans put in the rice, salt and water, and cook forty minutes, but do not stir it. Then take off the cover from the boiler, and very gently, without stirring, turn over the rice with a fork; put the disk in the oven without the cover, and let it stand and dry for ten minutes. Then turn it from the boiler into a hot dish, and cover.

Other rice–made foods...

Beside the above-mentioned recipe of “Cơm Việt”, the Vietnamese people created many other rice-made foods, such as: rice ball, fried rice, rice gruel, steamed glutinous rice. Among them, making a rice ball (“Cơm nắm” in Vietnamese) is so interesting! “Cơm nắm” is a Vietnamese rice dish pressed into cylinder or sphere shape, which is sold in small alleys in Hanoi by vendors. This dish is very familiar with Vietnamese people. “Cơm nắm” has become a cheap but delicious rustic gift. When being fed up with nutritious food like vermicelli or “phở”, people often look for a frugal dish like “Cơm nắm” served with roasted sesame and ground nut.

Do you think it is easy to make a rice ball? A lot of people may say “Yes”, and you can obey the following simple process to make perfect a rice ball. To begin with, you boil the rice in a rice cooker. Please bear in mind that you have to make rice balls while the rice is hot or else it will not stick together. Next, you wet your hands and put a pinch of salt on your palms. Then, you put rice on your hand and wad up the rice and shape like cylinder or sphere. “Cơm nắm” is served with not o­nly sesame but also other things, such as stewed fish, simmered pork or salted shredded meat. However, salted roasted sesame (and ground nut) is still the first choice. The dish is so delicious that you surely would like to taste more than once... The rice is white clear, soft and used to be wrapped in a green banana leaf, which is so attractive. However, its cover is replaced with a plastic bag or paper. The salted sesame is roasted light brown and grated, which has an appealing fragrance. “Cơm nắm” is cut into slices and served with this sesame or/and ground nut. The sweetness of rice combining with the buttery taste of sesame is so unique that can not be found anywhere in the world.

Being in Vietnam, you are strongly recommended to give you the chance for enjoying “Cơm Việt” with dishes of pork, fish, shrimp and vegetable cooked in oil, as well as vegetables, pickles, etc. Have good appetite!

copyright author by : http://www.vietnam-beauty.com/

Into Simplicity

I normally crave for simple and healthy food after too much festive food. At the moment, I just want steamed green veggies, a bit of rice and some clear soup to get by. No greasy food, no bake, no cake or tart, I can snack on raw nuts and fresh fruits. Wonder if everyone is the same like me?

It also seems that the holiday mood have also got into my kitchen. I haven’t been too much active there since I spent hours in shopping centers over the last few days. Then, even when I was at home, I was occupied with a few good novels. I guess that is what we call Holidays!

Nevertheless, I did cook something simple to satisfy my craving. I opted for vegetarian dishes – simple, clean and meatless. For me, it normally means more tofu in my diet. I love tofu, but sometimes run out ideas on how to make it interesting. One of my little new discoveries is this Japanese dish – Grilled Tofu with Miso and Spinach. Not sure about the authenticity but it does taste good. Not to mention it is very healthy, too – no deep-fried – and it helps us to eat more soy products, which I think is good.

Grilled Tofu with Sesame and Spinach Miso

Source: Australian Women Weekly

Ingredients

600g firm tofu

½ cup (150g) shiro miso (white miso)

2 tsp sugar

2 tablespoons mirin

80ml dashi (Japanese fish broth – I used the instant one. Can substitute with veggie stock for a complete vegetarian option)

2 tablespoons tahini

8 spinach leaves

1 tablespoon finely shredded lemon rinds

What to do

1. Press tofu with a weight on top – Make sure all the water is drained out
2. Combine miso, sugar, mirin and dashi in small saucepan. Cook, stiring unti sugar is dissolved. Stir in tahini
3. Microwave spinach till wilted. Squeeze out excess liquid. Blend or process with half of the miso mixture.
4. Cut tofu into 2 cm slices, pat dry with absorbent paper. Place on an oiled oven tray, cook under hot grill for about 3 mins or until browned lightly. Spread spinach miso onto half of the tofu piece and the other half with the plain miso mixture. Cook under hot grill for about 2 mins or until browned lightly, Sprinkle with rinds before serving.

Note:

1. Miso can vary in taste so adjust your sugar accordingly.
2. Tahini is the sesame paste, which can be found in the health food section of supermarket

I ate my tofu with this simple lentil soup:


Copyright author by : http://www.anhsfoodblog.com/

Avocado Shake Recipe (Sinh to Bo)

The first time I saw avocado in a savory dish, I suffered culture shock. In Vietnam, like elsewhere in Southeast Asia, avocados are used for sweets. Most often times, the flesh of this rich berry is combine with condensed milk, which amplifies the avocado flavor.

Though I grew up eating avocado out of hand with condensed milk spooned into the emptied bowl where the pit once sat, many Vietnamese and other Southeast Asian people, for that matter, make a delightful shake/smoothie with avocado. That's the most common preparation. In Vietnam, and avocado shake is calle d sinh tố bơ (butter fruit shake). Indonesians, who may add coffee or chocolate syrup, know it as es apokat. Filipinos prepare it as well, though they make avocado ice cream too. Avocado shakes are also popular in Brazil.

These shakes are on the menu of many Vietnamese American delis and cafe -- basically wherever you buy bánh mí sandwiches or go for phở noodle soup. They're extremely rich, so I like to divide them up among small glasses and share them. The thickness is practically pudding-like so use a spoon to enjoy it best.

Hass avocados are what most people know and its flesh is deliciously fatty and supple. But there are hundreds, if not thousands of avocado cultivars grown all over the world. To the right is a Hass still on the tree.

The French introduced avocados to Vietnam, which explains why in Vietnamese, avocados are called trái bơ (pronounced "try buh"; trái means fruit, bơ is Viet pidgin for beurre). In the name of the shake, trái is omitted from the name because we assume that it would be made from avocado and not butter. Below is an avocado display at a Saigon smoothie shop in the Dakao part of town.

Makes about about 2 1/4 cups, enough to serve 2 or 3

1 ripe medium avocado (6–8 ounces)

1 cup ice (8 ice cubes)

1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk

1/4 to 1/2 cup milk

Scoop the avocado flesh into a blender. Add the remaining ingredients, starting out with the least amount of milk and puree until completely smooth. Taste and add additional milk, depending on the avocado type and if a thinner consistency is desired.

Notes:

Some people use a combination of condensed milk (e.g., ¼ cup) and add sugar (1 to 2 tablespoons) to taste. It's really up to you.

The shake tastes better (the buttery, grassy avocado flavor becomes more pronounced) if it sits for a bit, say 10 to 15 minutes in the fridge. I’ve left it to sit in the fridge for 24 hours and it was okay. At 48 hours, there was discoloration at the top and the flavor dwindled a bit. had it sit for as long as 21/2 hours.

For the Indonesian version, Southeast Asian food expert and Saveur magazine Editor-in-Chief James Oseland tells me that Hershey’s syrup is the secret. Before the shake is poured into a glass, the syrup is poured around the wall of the glass so that it drips down. Pretty wild, huh?

Related Information:

For more on avocado history in America, peruse the cover story of the August/September 2007 issue of Saveur magazine.

Robyn Eckhardt's Eating Asia blog posting on avocados in Kuala Lumpur. Incidentally, Robyn told me that she suffered culture shock the first time she had avocado with condensed milk in Southeast Asia!

Source: http://www.vietworldkitchen.com

Beef Pho Noodle Soup Recipe (Pho Bo)

Who doesn't love noodles soup? In the Vietnamese repertoire, beef pho noodle soup is a classic. In fact, it's practically the national dish of Vietnam. Below is my family's recipe for the quintessential Vietnamese food -- pho noodle soup. You may have had bowls of pho in Vietnamese noodle shops, in Vietnam and abroad. but have you made some yourself? Before leaping into this beef pho noodle soup recipe, check out Pho Secrets and Techniques post for a primer on bones, charring the onion, saving some fat, etc. Also, read about the history and evolution of pho in Vietnam and America. Making pho noodle soup takes time but most of it is passive cooking. And remember, you can freeze pho broth for future bowls of steamy hot pho noodle soup!

If beef isn't your thing, then take a look at the chicken pho noodle soup.

Beef Pho Noodle Soup Recipe (Pho bo)

Makes 8 satisfying (American-sized) bowls

For the broth:
2 medium yellow onions (about 1 pound total)
4-inch piece ginger (about 4 ounces)
5-6 pounds beef soup bones (marrow and knuckle bones)
5 star anise (40 star points total)
6 whole cloves
3-inch cinnamon stick
1 pound piece of beef chuck, rump, brisket or cross rib roast, cut into 2-by-4-inch pieces (weight after trimming)
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
4 tablespoons fish sauce
1 ounce (1-inch chunk) yellow rock sugar (duong phen; see Note)

For the bowls:
1 1/2-2 pounds small (1/8-inch wide) dried or fresh banh pho noodles ("rice sticks'' or Thai chantaboon)
1/2 pound raw eye of round, sirloin, London broil or tri-tip steak, thinly sliced across the grain (1/16 inch thick; freeze for 15 minutes to make it easier to slice)
1 medium yellow onion, sliced paper-thin, left to soak for 30 minutes in a bowl of cold water
3 or 4 scallions, green part only, cut into thin rings
1/3 cup chopped cilantro (ngo)
Ground black pepper

Optional garnishes arranged on a plate and placed at the table:
Sprigs of spearmint (hung lui) and Asian/Thai basil (hung que)
Leaves of thorny cilantro (ngo gai)
Bean sprouts (about 1/2 pound)
Red hot chiles (such as Thai bird or dragon), thinly sliced
Lime wedges

Prepare the pho broth:

Char onion and ginger. Use an open flame on grill or gas stove. Place onions and ginger on cooking grate and let skin burn. (If using stove, turn on exhaust fan and open a window.) After about 15 minutes, they will soften and become sweetly fragrant. Use tongs to occasionally rotate them and to grab and discard any flyaway onion skin. You do not have to blacken entire surface, just enough to slightly cook onion and ginger.

Let cool. Under warm water, remove charred onion skin; trim and discard blackened parts of root or stem ends. If ginger skin is puckered and blistered, smash ginger with flat side of knife to loosen flesh from skin. Otherwise, use sharp paring knife to remove skin, running ginger under warm water to wash off blackened bits. Set aside.

Parboil bones. Place bones in stockpot (minimum 12-quart capacity) and cover with cold water. Over high heat, bring to boil. Boil vigorously 2 to 3 minutes to allow impurities to be released. Dump bones and water into sink and rinse bones with warm water. Quickly scrub stockpot to remove any residue. Return bones to pot.

Simmer broth. Add 6 quarts water to pot, bring to boil over high heat, then lower flame to gently simmer. Use ladle to skim any scum that rises to surface. Add remaining broth ingredients and cook, uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours. Boneless meat should be slightly chewy but not tough. When it is cooked to your liking, remove it and place in bowl of cold water for 10 minutes; this prevents the meat from drying up and turning dark as it cools. Drain the meat; cool, then refrigerate. Allow broth to continue cooking; in total, the broth should simmer 3 hours.

Strain the pho broth through fine strainer. If desired, remove any bits of gelatinous tendon from bones to add to your pho bowl. Store tendon with cooked beef. Discard solids.

Use ladle to skim as much fat from top of the pho broth as you like. (Cool it and refrigerate it overnight to make this task easier; reheat befofe continuing.) Taste and adjust flavor with additional salt, fish sauce and yellow rock sugar. The pho broth should taste slightly too strong because the noodles and other ingredients are not salted. (If you've gone too far, add water to dilute.) Makes about 4 quarts.

Assemble pho bowls:

The key is to be organized and have everything ready to go. Thinly slice cooked meat. For best results, make sure it's cold.

Heat the pho broth and ready the noodles. To ensure good timing, reheat broth over medium flame as you're assembling bowls. If you're using dried noodles, cover with hot tap water and soak 15-20 minutes, until softened and opaque white. Drain in colander. For fresh rice noodles, just untangle and briefly rinse in a colander with cold water.

Blanch noodles. Fill 3- or 4-quart saucepan with water and bring to boil. For each bowl, use long-handle strainer to blanch a portion of noodles. As soon as noodles have collapsed and lost their stiffness (10-20 seconds), pull strainer from water, letting water drain back into saucepan. Empty noodles into bowls. Noodles should occupy 1/4 to 1/3 of bowl; the latter is for noodle lovers, while the former is for those who prize broth.

If desired, after blanching noodles, blanch bean sprouts for 30 seconds in same saucepan. They should slightly wilt but retain some crunch. Drain and add to the garnish plate.

Add other ingredients. Place slices of cooked meat, raw meat and tendon (if using) atop noodles. (If your cooked meat is not at room temperature, blanch slices for few seconds in hot water from above.) Garnish with onion, scallion and chopped cilantro. Finish with black pepper.

Ladle in broth and serve. Bring broth to rolling boil. Check seasoning. Ladle broth into each bowl, distributing hot liquid evenly so as to cook raw beef and warm other ingredients. Serve your pho with with the garnish plate.

Note: Yellow rock sugar (a.k.a. lump sugar) is sold in one-pound boxes at Chinese and Southeast Asian markets. Break up large chunks with hammer.

Variations: If you want to replicate the splendorous options available at pho shops, head to the butcher counter at a Vietnamese or Chinese market. There you'll find white cords of gan (beef tendon) and thin pieces of nam (outside flank, not flank steak). While tendon requires no preparation prior to cooking, nam should be rolled and tied with string for easy handling. Simmer it and the beef tendon in the cooking broth for two hours, or until chewy-tender.

Airy book tripe (sach) is already cooked when you buy it. Before using, wash and gently squeeze it dry. Slice it thinly to make fringe-like pieces to be added to the bowl during assembly. For beef meatballs (bo vien), purchase them in Asian markets in the refrigerator case; they are already precooked. Slice each one in half and drop into broth to heat through. When you're ready to serve, ladle them out with the broth to top each bowl.

Source: http://vietworldkitchen.typepad.com