Noodles made from rice, both fresh and dried, are widely used in Vietnamese cooking. White rice stick noodles (bank pho), which are similar to kway teow (sometimes called hofun or rice noodles), are used in Vietnam's classic breakfast dish, pho. If unavailable, the dried one can be used. Bun noodles (fresh or dried) are thick, round rice noodles that double their size and turn very white when cooked. Fine rice vermicelli (banh hoi) are similar to bun noodles, but thinner. Glass or cellophane noodles (mien in the north and bun tao in the south) are dried, translucent noodles made from mung bean starch, which are reconstituted by pouring hot water over them.
Polygonum or Vietnamese mint (rau ram) is an important Vietnamese herb—known as laksa leaf in Singapore, Malaysia and Australia. It is served with nearly every meal in Vietnam. Highly aromatic, it has a pink stem and pointed, purplish leaves that are commonly used as a garnish. A combination of mint and coriander leaves (cilantro) makes an acceptable substitute.
Rice vinegar is mild and faintly fragrant, and is the preferred vinegar throughout Southeast Asia. Inexpensive brands from China are readily available. If buying a Japanese rice vinegar, make sure you do not buy "sushi vinegar" or mirin, as this has sweet rice wine, sugar and salt added. If you cannot obtain rice vinegar, use distilled white vinegar and reduce the quantity by about a third.
Rice wine is fermented from freshly steamed rice and has a relatively low alcoholic content. Widely used in Asian cooking, it is readily available in bottles. Japanese sake or dry sherry can be used as a substitute.
Tamarind is a large, brown tree pod with a soft, sour pulp and hard, black seeds inside. Tamarind pulp is rich in vitamin C and has a tangy, acidic taste. It is used as a souring agent throughout the world. It can be bought fresh, dried, or in pulp form, and the pulp is commonly sold in compressed blocks, with the seeds removed. To make tamarind juice, mix 1 tablespoon of the dried tamarind pulp with 2 tablespoons of warm water, then mash well and strain to remove the seeds and fibers.
Crisp Carrot and Diakon Pickles (Goi Dua Chuot)
1 small carrot, peeled and cut into match-sticks to yield 1 cup
175 g (6 oz) daikon radish, cut into match-sticks to yield 1 cup
Dressing
185 g (¼ cup) caster sugar
1 teaspoon salt
250 ml (1 cup) rice vinegar
1 Make the Dressing by combining all the ingredients in a bowl and mixing until the sugar is dissolved.
2 Combine the vegetables in a bowl. Add the Dressing and toss to mix well. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes, tossing once or twice.
3 Drain the pickles and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve with a fish, meat or poultry dish and steamed rice.
You may use cucumber instead of carrot and daikon for this recipe. Peel and deseed 7 medium cucumber, then cut it into matchsticks. Toss the cucumber with the Dressing in the same manner. Leftover pickles can be refrigerated in a covered container for up to 24 hours.
Serves 6
Preparation time: 5 mins + 30 mins to marinate
Rice Paper Rolls with Marinated Fish and Fresh Herbs (Goi Ca)
Really fresh fish is first "cooked" in vinegar, then combined with onion, herbs, peanuts and fried shallots, and wrapped in rice paper for a light and refreshing starter.
250 ml (1 cup) rice vinegar
500 g (1 lb) fresh white fish fillets, cut into thin slices
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 onion, very thinly sliced
1 tablespoon minced mint leaves
1 tablespoon minced polygonum leaves (rau ram or laksa leaves)
1 finger-length red chili, deseeded and minced
2 tablespoons chopped roasted unsalted peanuts
1 tablespoon Crispy Fried Shallots (see note)
12 dried rice paper wrappers (each 20 cm/8 in in diameter)
1 ripe starfruit or green apple, thinly sliced, to garnish
1 Pour the vinegar over the fish slices and mix well. Allow to marinate at room temperature for 1 hour.
2 After about 30 minutes, rub the sugar and salt into the sliced onion in a bowl, and allow to marinate for 30 minutes.
3 Drain the marinated fish slices and briefly rinse with cold water, then pat dry with paper towels.
4 Squeeze the marinated onion to remove all the moisture, then combine with the fish slices, mint, polygonum, chili, peanuts and Crispy Fried Shallots, and mix well. Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions.
5 To make each roll, briefly dip a rice paper wrapper in a bowl of water until soft. Remove and place on a dry surface, smoothing it with your fingers. Place 1 portion of the mixture along one side of the wrapper. Fold the closest edge of the wrapper over the mixture, then fold in the sides and roll up tightly, pressing to seal. Repeat with all the other portions to make a total of 12 rolls.
6 Arrange the rolls on a serving platter, garnish with starfruit or apple slices and serve immediately.
To make the Crispy Fried Shallots, thinly slice several shallots as desired and stir-fry in hot oil over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until golden brown and crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels.
Makes 12 rolls or serves 4 to 6
Preparation time: 20 mins + 1 hour to marinate
Vietnamese Seared Beef Salad
The name for this light and refreshing dish translates as "shaking beef". Tender fillet steak, marinated with garlic, rice wine, fish sauce, sugar and black pepper, is quickly stir-fried and served on watercress tossed with vinegared onion and olive oil (watercress and olive oil were introduced by the French).
500 g (1 lb) tenderloin beef steak, cubed
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
1½ tablespoons rice vinegar
1 bunch watercress or other salad greens, coarse stems removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon oil
Marinade
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons rice wine, sherry or sake
2 teaspoons fish sauce
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