Go Foodie!!

Preparation of Vietnamese Spring Rolls

2009-06-04T06:40:00.001-07:00

In Vietnam rolls and wraps are very common. You can get these in any roll counter. Vietnamese are very fond of rolls and wraps. Among these spring rolls are very famous. These are very tasty and you can also prepare it at home.

The common ingredients can be mentioned as eight oz of peeled shrimp, 1 pound of ground lean pork, four oz of crab meat, one medium carrot that too cut in julienne shreds, five finely chopped shallots, one tablespoons of fish sauce, five wood ear mushrooms soaked in warm water, one teaspoons of sugar, eight oz of water chestnut or hickama or taro, one tablespoons of sesame oil, two oz of cellophane noodles which is soaked in warm water.

One optional ingredient is there and that is one white egg. Some other ingredients are one fourth teaspoon of salt, thirty pieces dried rice paper, Vegetable oil for deep-frying and most important rice vermicelli.

The process of preparing the spring is given. All the best. Just give it a try and enjoy its taste. First you have to mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. There is a secret behind it. It is advisable to pat dry all the ingredients and then mix these together. Don’t mix water with the ingredients.

The next step is dip rice paper into a large bowl of warm water. Then place it on a kitchen towel or on a rack for one minute. Slowly it will become flexible and soft. Put all the stuff on the rice paper. Fold the right and left side of the rice paper into the center. Next roll up from the bottom edge off to the far end. Avoid rolling it too tight. This can cause splitting of the roll. Deep-fry the roll over medium heat until it becomes golden brown.

You can eat it with rice vermicelli, cilantro, Vietnamese basil, red leaves lettuce or Boston lettuce and mint.

Vietnamese food: Grilled Beef or Chicken with Lemon Grass

2009-06-04T06:21:00.001-07:00

In Vietnam lemon grass is widely used. It tastes awesome with beef or chicken. It is also easy to cook. If you can arrange all the ingredients it becomes easier to prepare it. Tell your partner to accompany you as I personally feel very bored when have to stay in kitchen for a longer time.

The ingredients are not that tough to organize as you will get everything in a supermarket. The ingredients can be noted as half pounds sirloin tip, two teaspoons white sugar, two teaspoons of sesame seeds, thinly sliced beef or chicken - cut up.

You can choose it according to your own choice. The other ingredients are two tablespoons soy sauce, two minced cloves garlic, one teaspoon ground black pepper, three tablespoons fresh cilantro used for garnishing, some stalks of lemon grass that too chopped, six leaves fresh basil, twelve leaves romaine lettuce, two thinly sliced green onions and one tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves.

If you really made up your mind to prepare this dish for your loved ones, then don’t be scared. The recipe is not that complicated. It consists of some easy steps. First you have to marinate. The simple process is take a shallow dish or bowl. The bowl should be non porous. Then combine the meat, soy sauce, lemon grass, garlic, sugar, pepper and sesame seeds. You have to mix the whole thing together.

Then cover it with dish and store at a low temperature for 4 hours. At last hour soak some wooden skewers separately in water.

The oven should be preheated. The next step is to remove meat and marinade from refrigerator. Thread meat onto pre-soaked skewers according to your own style. Grill or broil the whole thing about fifteen to twenty minutes. You can serve hot from skewers or can also remove from skewers and place on lettuce leaves. Cilantro, basil, mint leaves and sliced green onions can be used for garnishing.

Recipe of Chicken, Mango and Walnut Salad popular in Vietnam

2009-05-04T06:25:00.000-07:00

This is a very popular salad in Vietnam. The main reason is this is easy to cook. Now a day no one wants to spend much time in the kitchen and this is the perfect recipe to save some time. I am giving some measurements of the ingredients. These are enough to serve 4 persons. The ingredients are four stalks celery, two large firm mangoes, three smoked chicken breast fillets, four torn mignonette lettuce, one tablespoon lime juice, 50 g walnut halves, one teaspoon Dijon mustard, three tablespoon mayonnaise, five thinly sliced spring onions and three tablespoons olive oil.

The method of preparing the salad is simple and you can easily make this for your friend. Frankly speaking I don’t like cooking and hate to enter into the kitchen. But once I tried this and really!! It’s easy to prepare.

First you cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. The celery should be diagonally sliced. Then you should arrange the lettuce on serving plates. You can also place these on top with the chicken and celery. Mangoes should be properly sliced into bite-sized pieces. These should be added to the plates with half the spring onion and the walnuts.

The mayonnaise, mustard, lime juice, and oil should be mixed well and later the mixture should be drizzled over the salad thoroughly. The extra spring onion is usually sprinkled over the salad before serving.

The chicken salad is also easy to prepare. The chicken stock should be poured into a saucepan and then boiled properly. After removing from heat the chicken should be added to the stock. Then it should be allowed to cool in the liquid. After 10 minutes, the chicken should be cooked. You can check it by touching with your finger. The chicken, celery, apple, and walnut should be mixed in a bowl.

Exotic Vietnamese food

2009-05-04T05:52:00.000-07:00

Vietnamese food is very famous for its lively and fresh flavors. These are artfully composed meals. Vietnamese food and cooking is known as the light cuisine of Asia in true sense. The fresh herbs and greens are used abundantly. Delicate soups and stir-fries, well-seasoned grilled foods are usually served with rice an also noodles. These are the pillars of the Vietnamese delicacies. The sweets for snacks or desserts are usually based on fresh fruits. These are served with sweetened rice or tapioca. Very less dishes are there that contain added fats.

Most of the Vietnamese cuisine is based on fresh vegetables, rice and subtle seasonings. Vietnamese cooking sometimes reflects its Chinese and French influences. Several regional differences are there. We can explained as in the south presence of plentiful fresh seafood can be seen whereas in the colder north, you’ll find slightly heartier meals with beef. In central Vietnam i.e. around the ancient royal capital Hue, the food contains influences of the former court cooks as well.

But it can always be said that home-style Vietnamese cooking is the best. Dinners normally call for a soup. The platter of leafy greens is accompanied by dipping sauce and rice papers. A vegetable stir-fry, seafood or grilled meats or poultry, and rice or noodles in some form is really hot favorite. Hot tea is the preferred beverage. These meals may look complex to outsiders but most of them easily come together. Some dishes always call for advance preparation to avoid last-minute conflicts. Proper planning is very important in some cases. Modern cooks always prefer well-equipped kitchens. Handy appliances are required for easy cooking. Asian recipes and foods are really popular and that’s why the ingredients are readily available in the supermarkets. Fresh ginger, lemongrass, spring onions, chilies, coconut milk, etc. all are available in the market and you don’t need to worry about that.

Commonly used foods in Vietnam

2009-05-04T05:12:00.000-07:00

In Vietnam topical monsoon is the usual climate. This is the land where the freshwater and inshore fishing contribute to the staple food of the Vietnamese. These are rice, fish, nuoc mam, pork, fruits and vegetables, and poultry. Rice is regarded as the most important food. You can find rice in almost all main meals.

Nuoc mam is a condiment used in almost all the dishes. This can be prepared by fermentation of salt and fish. Nuom mam is the first liquid produced. This can be said as the best quality. The remaining fish and salt can be pressed for stronger flavor and more pungent smell. This is of lower quality.

Inland fishing is less costly than deep-sea fishing. Every type of seafood and fish is enjoyed in a Vietnamese meal. Wild and cultivated fruits are consumed widely. Vegetables consumption has increased since North Vietnam refugees introduced garden culture to the southern rice bowl. Meat and fats come from hogs. But chicken, small animals, beef, and reptiles are also eaten in Vietnam.

Nuoc cham is another hot condiment. This is also widely used as nuoc mam. Different cooks preparing it in his or her own special way. The common ingredients are garlic and onions, vinegar, chili peppers, and a sprinkle of citrus juice. The last is used to heighten the tang.

The northerners prefer long grain rice whereas the southerners prefer round grain rice. The people of both the areas enjoy hot-pot cookery.

At meals, the diners assemble their own tidbits of fish, meats, fruits and vegetables. They then wrap them in packets of edible rice paper, noodle dough, various green leaves, etc. The southerners enjoy more spiciness. They use more raw vegetables, fresh fruits and a lot of coconut. Northerners consider the southern food as more spicy while the southerners think the northerners’ food is too flat.

The varieties of wraps and rolls in Vietnam

2009-05-04T04:39:00.000-07:00

Some of the varieties of rolls are randomly selected and mentioned below:

Banh cuon: This is rice flour roll usually stuffed with prawns, ground pork, and wood ear mushroom. These are eaten as side dishes that includes one out of many kinds of cha i.e. sausage.

Banh trang can be taken as either of the followings:

Banh trang nuong is popular in the South and or banh da is popular in the North. These are large flat rice crackers that enlarge into round and easily shattered pieces on heating. These can be eaten separately. You can also add these into the vermicelli noodle dishes like cao lau and mi quang. Many types of ‘banh trang’ includes prawn-like cracker with dried spring onions, the clear sesame seed ones, sweet milk, and so on.

Banh trang cuon: This is thin rice flour sheet dried into rice paper. These are usually used in making spring roll and summer rolls. Some water is applied to soften the texture.

Bo bia is a roll where we can have stir fried jicama and carrots, shredded scrambled eggs, Chinese sausage, etc. all these are wrapped with vermicelli noodle in a rice paper roll. You can have it dipped into a spicy peanut sauce. Freshly roasted and ground peanuts are also added with it. The roll can be said of Chinese origin. Must be the immigrants bought this here in this country. In Saigon particularly in Cholon, the scene is very common that an old Teochew man or woman selling bo bia at their roadside stand. It is also important that the name bo bia phonetically resembles its original name popiah in the Teochew language.

Salad rolls is also known as Vietnamese fresh rolls, or summer rolls. They are rice paper rolls that include herbs, shrimp, rice, pork, vermicelli and other ingredients. All these are wrapped up and dipped in peanut sauce. I tell you once you have it, you won’t forget the taste.

Recipe of Vietnamese Asparagus and Crabmeat Soup

2009-05-04T04:08:00.000-07:00

In Vietnamese language Asparagus and Crab meat Soup is known as Mang Tay Nau Cua. The ingredients of this soup are simple and easy to prepare. The important ingredients are four cups chicken broth, half tablespoon salt, 25 ml sugar, six chopped garlic, ¼ tablespoon vegetable oil, two cloves crab meat, one tablespoon shallots, one white asparagus spears, 250 g lightly beaten egg, 15 g shredded coriander leaves, 425 g liquid, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and one thinly sliced green onion. All these are easily available and you should collect all these at the day of preparation so that you can get the fresh one.

Two tablespoon arrowroot or cornstarch and two tablespoon clod water should be mixed together. The method of preparing the soup is very easy. You just have to see about the availability of the ingredients.

If white asparagus is unavailable, you can use frozen asparagus. You can add the fresh asparagus to the broth from the very beginning and cook until it becomes tender. You should do it before adding the remaining ingredients. Combine the broth and also add 1 tablespoon per 15 ml of the fish sauce. The salt and sugar should be added in the 3 quarter per 5 or 1/4 pint soup pot or Dutch oven. Boil the whole thing. Some time later reduce the heat and simmer it.

In the mean time oil should be heated in a frying pan. Garlic and shallots should be added. Stir fry it until aromatic. Crab meat, the remaining 2 teaspoon per 10 ml fish sauce, and black pepper to taste should be added later. Stir-fry these things over high heat for a minute and set aside. The cornstarch mixture should be added and stirred gently until the soup thickens. Egg is added while constantly stirring the boiling soup. After adding the crab meat mixture and asparagus the soup should be transferred to a heated tureen. The coriander leaves, green onion and freshly ground black pepper should be sprinkled.

Prepare Vietnamese Mint Chicken

2009-05-04T03:29:00.000-07:00

Vietnamese mint chicken is easy to prepare and also very tasty. This dish is considered as the authentic Vietnamese dish. The ingredients of the dish are very easy to arrange. So, you can always try it at home. I am noting down the ingredients as well as the procedure to prepare the dish.

The important and indigenous ingredients are Vietnamese fish Sauce, garlic oil which is usually flavored to taste, half can of bamboo shoots, one tablespoon sugar, one large sized green onion stalk which is properly diced, about three leaves fresh mint, one fourth c of Chicken or Shrimp which should be cut into marble sized pieces, white rice, and crushed red chili peppers. The last one is optional. You may or may not use it. Deep saute pan or wok is required to prepare the food. It is expected that every kitchen have this utensil. So, there won’t be any problem arranging this one.

The dish is easy to prepare. Pre cooked rice should be there which you will use later. At first heat some oil and saute onions. This should be done over medium flame until the onion becomes soft. A dash of fish sauce should be added then. Constantly stir the ingredients and let them fry. Constant stirring will stop the onions from burning. Afterwards the sugar should be mixed.

Increase the flame of the heat and then add chicken or shrimp. Cook it until it is almost done. Stir fry it constantly when the process of cooking is on. If you like spicy taste tosses the dish in the bamboos shoots and some chili. Finally add the mint leaves. After adding the mint leaves immediately remove it from heat so that they don’t cook longer than 30 seconds. The dish is served hot over rice.

Vietnam cuisines

2009-05-04T03:04:00.000-07:00

Vietnam can boast of some excellent dishes. Most of these are really tasty and good for health. The typical Vietnamese family meals that are consumed in average families include an individual bowls of rice, fish sauce or soy sauce used for dipping, meat that is grilled, steamed, boiled, stir fried or stewed, fish and also other seafood dish, etc. Stir-fried, steamed or raw vegetable dishes are also there. Canh is a clear broth with vegetables. Usually meat and seafood are used in any Vietnamese styled soup. All the dishes apart from the individual bowls of rice are joint and expected to be shared.

Vietnamese cuisine is very popular in and also outside the country. Vietnamese cuisine is commonly enjoyed in other countries where strong Vietnamese immigrant communities reside such as the United States, Australia, France and Canada. The cuisine is also very much popular in Japan, Czech Republic, Korea, Poland, Germany, and Russia. Vietnamese cuisine is also popular which is dense with Asian populations.

Presently Vietnamese cuisine has also become very popular in other Southeast Asian countries. The examples can be given as Thailand and Laos. Some of the trademark Vietnamese dishes can be mentioned as pho, bun, goi cuon i.e. spring or summer rolls, and banh mi i.e. bread rolls, etc.
Some of the common Vietnamese rice dishes can be named. One of them is Com chien Duong Chau. This is a Chinese fried rice dish named after a region in China. This dish is very popular in Vietnam.

Com ga rau thom is another favorite dish. This is Vietnamese mint chicken rice. Usually rice is cooked in chicken stock topped with shredded fried chicken. The dish is flavored with mint and other useful herbs. Com ga rau thom has a unique taste and the taste enhances when it is served with special herb sauce.

Vietnamese food variety

2009-05-04T01:36:00.001-07:00

Vietnamese foods are tasty as well as healthy and the reason of this is it contains lots of fresh vegetables. Herbs, mint, lemongrass, long coriander, Vietnamese mint, basil leaves, all these and much more are always served as side dishes. Sauce is always served for the purpose of dipping the food.

Authentic Vietnamese cuisine can be divided into three categories. Each category concerns to a specific region. Northern Vietnam is the cradle of Vietnamese civilization whereas many of Vietnam’s most famous dishes such as pho and banh cuon have their birthplace in the South but I should say these are more famous in the North. The North Vietnam’s cuisine is more traditional and also strict in choosing spices and other important ingredients.

South Vietnam’s cuisine has been influenced by the cuisines of southern Chinese immigrants and also French colonists. Southerners prefer the presence of sweet flavors in many dishes. The South’s cuisine uses a wider variety of herbs in the dishes. These are very healthy and also tasty.

The cuisine of Central Vietnam is quite different from the other two cuisines. The other two cuisines are the Northern and Southern regions. Many small side dishes are there that are really awesome in taste. The cuisine of this part of the country is spicier as compared to others.

Some of the exotic meats such as soft-shell turtle, snake, domestic goats and deer are enjoyed while drinking alcoholic beverages. These are not considered typical everyday fare. People eat them occasionally with friends and also family members.

Hot vot lon is a fertilized duck egg. A nearly developed embryo remains inside and this is boiled and eaten in the shell. Fresh herbs are the real and best accompaniments. Some of the examples are rau ram i.e. Vietnamese coriander, pepper and salt. Lime juice can also be added but it mainly depends on the availability of the ingredients.

Some awesome Vietnamese dishes

2009-05-04T00:35:00.000-07:00

The Vietnamese dishes are really awesome. People love the cuisine and relish from the core. Some variety of the seafood, curries and salads are mentioned below. I am sure you can get a brief idea after reading this.

Seafood dishes

The seafood dishes are really awesome. Some of the names are given below:

Chao tom is actually prawn paste or cake. These are dipped on sugarcane.

Ca cuon is a famous seafood variety. This is a roll with fish and spring onions.

Ca kho to dish can be described as caramelized fish in clay pot.

Mam is a favorite Vietnamese dish. This is salted fish in various styles. Snake heads, catfish, and mackerels are mostly used to make mam. The fish flesh remains intact that can be eaten cooked or uncooked. You can also add some vegetables and condiments but these are optional.

Vietnamese curry

Vietnamese curries are really tasty and also easy to cook. Some names are listed as:

Vietnamese curry is very popular in the south. If you take the example of curry chicken, it can be mentioned as similar to the Thai curries with coconut milk. Resemblances are also there with Caribbean curries. The dish is stir fried and without coconut milk. The best accompaniment is rice.

Another well-known variety of Vietnamese curry is beef-tail curry or beef brisket curry. The beef curries are often served with French bread for dipping. Rice is also served sometimes.

Salads

Vietnamese salads are easy to prepare where lots of fresh ingredients are usually added:

Salad is known as Goi. Many varieties are there among which some are really popular and tasty as well.

Goi du du: This is a variety of salad made of papaya. Specifically shredded papaya, herbs are the ingredients accompanied with various meats such as slices of pork, shrimp, meat jerky, liver, herbs, and more vinegar-based rendition of nuoc cham.

Goi ngo sen is the lotus stem salad, accompanied with shrimp, pork or chicken.

Goi Ga is a chicken and Cabbage salad.

Various meat dishes in Vietnam

2009-05-03T23:47:00.000-07:00

Food is always relished in Vietnam. Fish sauce, rice, soy sauce, herbs, vegetable and fruits, all these are widely used in Vietnamese food. Though numbers of vegetarian dishes are there in Vietnamese food variety still the people love seafood and that contains meat as primary ingredient.

Some of the favorite Vietnamese meat dishes are named as below:

Bo la lot is the most wanted meat dish. This is spiced beef rolled in a pepper leaf. The whole food is then grilled properly and relished with sauce.

Bo 7 Mon is Vietnamese seven courses of Beef. This is a popular dish while the less popular version is the Ca 7 Mon or, seven courses of fish.

Bo kho is Vietnamese beef and vegetable stew. These are cooked with spicy herbs that served hot with French baguettes for dipping.

Bo luc lac is beef that are cut into cubes. These are marinated and served over greens and sauteed onions. Tomatoes are also added. This dish is usually eaten with rice.

Ga nuong sa is grilled chicken with lemon grass. This is very tasty while lemon grass with grilled beef and other meats are also well-liked variances.

Nem Nguoi is a Hue dish. This is a variation of the Nem nuong meatballs. Chilled, rectangular and small is the regular feature. Often these are stuffed with vermicelli. Peppers and chili are used to cover the reddish meat. This dish is Very spicy and eaten utterly as a cocktail snack.

Cha lua is the sausage made with potato starch and ground lean pork. These are also available as fried the name of the variety is cha chien. Various kinds of cha i.e. sausages are made of ground beef, ground chicken, tofu, or fish. Tofu is the name of vegetarian sausage.

Nem Nuong is grilled meatballs. These are usually made of seasoned pork. Colored reddish, grilled on skewers like kebabs are the common ingredients. While marinating fish sauce should be added.