Recipe
15 Sep 2008

Phở Chay – Vegetarian Phở

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My mom prepares this vegetarian version of pho on auspicious days according to the Lunar Calendar when all Buddhists refrain from eating meat. The broth is fragrant with star anise and five spice, while the “meat” is comprised of mushrooms and wheat gluten.

For noodles

  • 1 package of fresh or dried banh pho (flat rice noodles). Prepare according to directions on package. Make sure to rinse noodles well under cold running water after boiling.

For broth

  • 1 leek (leaves only)
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 1 ginger
  • 5 star anise
  • 14 oz. vegetable broth
  • Water
  • ¾ tablespoon Chinese five spice
  • Soy sauce (Golden Mountain Seasoning Sauce)
  • Sugar

For “meat”

  • Vegetable oil
  • 1 leek (stem only)
  • 1 ten oz. can of mock meat/fried wheat gluten (mock duck, chicken, abalone, etc.)
  • 8 oz. sliced mushrooms (any variety)
  • Soy sauce (Golden Mountain Seasoning Sauce)
  • Mushroom seasoning
  • Black pepper

Make soup

For the soup, heat vegetable broth and 10-12 cups of water in a medium-sized soup pot, leaving enough room for the ginger, onion and leek leaves.

Remove the outer layer of the onion and add it whole to the broth. Leaving the skin of the ginger intact, chop off the nubs and bruise using a mortar and pestle. Add to broth. Separate the leek leaves from the stems and add them to the broth along with five star anise “fruits.” Let the soup boil on high heat for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the onion and ginger have softened.

Once the onion and ginger have softened, discard the leek leaves. Add ¾ tablespoon of Chinese five spice to the broth and season with soy sauce and sugar to taste. Continue to cook on medium heat for an additional 15 minutes.

Make “meat” mixture

While the soup is boiling, thinly slice the leek stems and chop the mushrooms and mock meat into bite-sized pieces. Deep-fried tofu can be used in place of mock meat if desired.

Saute the leeks with vegetable oil in a medium-sized pan until golden. Add the mushrooms and “meat” to the leek and oil mixture along with half of the canned mock meat “juice.” Season to taste with soy sauce, mushroom seasoning and black pepper. Tip: My mom says to make the “meat” mixture slightly salty because the broth will balance out the excess saltiness.

Assemble and garnish

Grab a bowl and fill it with noodles and the “meat” mixture. Pour some hot broth on top. To garnish, add fresh or steamed bean sprouts, onions, cilantro, lime juice, herbs (basil, saw tooth herb, etc.), hoisin sauce and chili sauce.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

 

Street Food
12 Sep 2008

Bún Thịt Nướng & Mít Luộc

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Between The Astronomer and I, we probably ate close to fifty bowls of bun thit nuong—rice vermicelli noodles topped with grilled pork, pickled vegetables and nuoc mam—during our year in Vietnam. While I’ve always loved this dish, I learned to appreciate it even more in Saigon thanks to the hot and sticky weather. When the temperature is soaring and my knees are sweating, a noodle dish without a scalding hot broth does wonders for the psyche.

Our final bowls of bun thit nuong in the city were carefully crafted by the one, the only—Lunch Lady. Although we’ve eaten lots of her noodle offerings, we never tried her bun thit nuong  because she only makes this dish on Sundays—a day I steer clear of the AsiaLIFE office. But since our days in town were winding down, and we thought it would be a pity to leave Saigon without trying each and every one of the Lunch Lady’s offerings, we made our way to the shady spot under the tree one Sunday afternoon.  

I ordered one bowl with the “the works,” while The Astronomer went for two of the same. Each bowl of cool noodles came smothered in scallion oil and adorned with freshly fried cha gio (cut into small pieces using scissors, of course), pickled carrots and daikon, crushed peanuts, crispy scallions and generous hunks of grilled pork. Nouc mam was served in a small bowl on the side.

What’s unique about the Lunch Lady’s version of bun thit nuong is the addition of mit luoc—boiled green jackfruit. The jackfruit tasted a bit sour, and a lot bland. Even mixed in with some nuoc mam and noodles, I didn’t think the jackfruit added anything to the already solid bowl of bun thit nuong. I prefer my boiled jackfruit in goi (salad) form. Goi mit is bomb. Tia Nguyen has a sweet looking recipe for a jackfruit salad here.

Street Food
11 Sep 2008

Coconut Waffles

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Pop quiz, hot shot. What’s the most popular street food sold in Saigon’s city center (i.e. the area around the Opera House, Central Post Office and Reunification Palace)? No, it’s not pho or nuoc mia (sugarcane juice). It’s coconut waffles! Heart-shaped coconut waffles to be exact.

While banh mi vendors dominate the street food scene outside the central part of town, ladies making coconut waffles are all the rage along the city’s touristy thoroughfares of Le Loi, Dong Khoi and Nguyen Thi Minh Khai. I’m not sure how this trend came about, but I’d venture to guess that coconut waffles are highly profitable foodstuffs because they’re so tourist-friendly. I mean, they look just like Western waffles and have an easy-going sweetness that appeals to everyone.

The waffle batter, which is comprised of rice flour, water, coconut milk, sugar, oil and eggs, is usually made by the vendor prior to setting up shop. Vendors use cast iron molds that cook over a charcoal brazier to make each and every waffle. Can you hear the sizzle of the batter hitting the hot iron? Waffles are sold hot-off-the-mold or in pre-assembled packages of ten. Since waffles are most readily available in the touristy part of town, make sure to bargain! 6,000 VND for a bag of ten is a good deal.

Unlike the slightly cakey waffles we’re used to in the West, these Vietnamese waffles are paper-thin and wafer-like. There’s no maple syrup or pat of butter required because the batter already contains a good amount of sugar. It’s best to eat them with your bare hands because the texture is very delicate. In fact, they easily dissolve on one’s tongue. Andrea Nguyen of Viet World Kitchen has a recipe for coconut waffles if you’re interested in recreating the magic of Saigon street food in your very own home.