BM # 44 International ABC Cooking
Cooking with Alphabets : V
Meal Type : Lunch / Dinner
Vietnam
Country
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia.
We are nearly at the end of this Around the World in 30 Days marathon and this is my last post in the Curry Rice series.I had picked six countries , where I cooked Rice Curry and accompaniments. i tried to make complete meals for these countries.I have set my own combinations and we quite enjoyed these.
Vietnamese cuisine traditionally features a combination of five fundamental taste “elements” (Vietnamese: ngũ vị): spicy (metal), sour (wood), bitter (fire), salty (water) and sweet (earth). Common ingredients include fish sauce, shrimp paste, soy sauce, rice, fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables. Vietnamese recipes use lemongrass, ginger, mint, Vietnamese mint, long coriander, Saigon cinnamon, bird’s eye chili, lime and basil leaves. Traditional Vietnamese cooking is known for its fresh ingredients, minimal use of oil, and reliance on herbs and vegetables, and is considered one of the healthiest cuisines worldwide.
In northern Vietnam, local foods are often less spicy than southern dishes, as the colder northern climate limits the production and availability of spices. Black pepper is used in place of chilis to produce spicy flavors. The use of meats such as pork, beef, and chicken were relatively limited in the past, and as a result freshwater fish, crustaceans – particularly crabs – and mollusks became widely used. Fish sauce, soy sauce, prawn sauce, and limes are among the main flavoring ingredients.
The menu for the day
Vietnamese Curry made with Vietnamese curry powder
Rice Noodles
Rice
Pan Fried Tofu
Dipping Sauce
Pan Fried Chillies
Bean Thread Noodle Salad
Pickled vegetables
Lemon Tea
Vietnamese Curry made with Vietnamese curry powder
Rice Noodles
Rice
Pan Fried Tofu
Dipping Sauce
Pan Fried Chillies
Bean Thread Noodle Salad
Pickled vegetables
Lemon Tea
Vietnamese Curry (Cà Ri Chay)
1 packet firm tofu, cut into ½-inch cubes
2 large shallots, chopped (1½ cups)
1 stalk lemongrass, inner core chopped (1½ Tbs.)
1 tbsp serrano chile, chopped)
2 tsp. chopped fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 ½ tsp. curry powder
½ tsp. ground turmeric
2 small carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally into ¼-inch slices
2 tetra packs t coconut milk
2 cups broccoli florets
1 tomato, cut into thin wedges
Heat large non stick skillet over medium heat.
Add tofu, and cook until golden on all sides.
Pulse shallots, lemongrass, chile, ginger, and garlic until smooth paste forms..
Heat oil in pot over medium heat.
Add shallot paste, and cook 5 minutes, or until starting to brown.
Stir in curry powder, turmeric, carrots, coconut milk, and 11/2 cups water.
Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 10 minutes. Add broccoli, tomato, and tofu; cook 5 minutes, or until broccoli is tender.
Recipe Source..Here
Rice Noodles
The rice noodles come in a pack with instructions behind. These have to be simply boiled in hot water, you could add salt and seasoning.
Rice
I served plain boiled rice seasoned with a little salt.
Rice Noodles
The rice noodles come in a pack with instructions behind. These have to be simply boiled in hot water, you could add salt and seasoning.
Rice
I served plain boiled rice seasoned with a little salt.
This meal was made for a Sunday lunch, in fact all the Curry meals which I cooked for this marathon have been made on Sundays. Our normal Sunday lunch is Kadhi Chawar which is a traditional Sindhi lunch, but I have been substituting it with International curry rice.
This curry was quite similar to the Thai Curry, not too spicy, just right and was dominated by lemon grass flavor. I served it with rice and rice noodles.The pan fried chilies were a hit. They added that fiery element which I love.The tofu was crisp but bland, the dipping sauce is a must with it for our Indian taste buds. I did not follow any recipe for this made my own sauce, with red chilies. The bean salad was rather interesting, but I modified it a little and added some coarsely ground peanuts. The pickle was crisp and crunchy and complimented the meal. We completed the meal with the tea.
With this I complete my series of cooking Curry Rice meals in the International theme of Around the World in 30 Days
The previous meals that I served are…
Wonderful meal and the curry looks delicious! I loved all the meals you served this month.
Wat a spread, wat a lovely choice of foods, am speechless here.. Hats off to you for making this much beautiful spread.. Actually am lost here, cant take my eyes from those pan fried tofus and bean thread salad.
What a wonderful meal! So many great dishes and so much effort. I have enjoyed all the meals you have presented so far.
Lovely spread and that curry looks delicious. I still need to check out some of your previous meals but they all look tempting in those images.
wow wonderful spread love those collection of recipes hats off to your efforts 🙂 am eyeing that bean thread salad 🙂 looks fantastic !!
Vaishali, hats off on pulling off such a delicious meal!..your efforts simply show on all the dishes you have prepared. I loved all your elaborate meals..each dish you have selected for this meal is stunning..
Too good a variety there! the curry looks absolutely tempting!
Vietnamese meal looks great. Love that vegetable curry.
I am still wondering how you prepared this feast! Everything looks so good and I am loving that curry..
I love this one too.
Looks so yum. I wish I could eat these now.
what a fabulous display for this country
What a spread of dishes..
Such a wonderful spread of awesome dishes…