Chuoi Chien - Vietnamese Fried Banana

This is another great Vietnamese dessert,

though it is not one of my favorite, but I do

occasionally have serious craving for them.

Especially when they are freshly made.

I normally dipped them in sweetened

coconut milk for extra yumm or sometime

I would use it to make a delicious

Fried banana split sundae with extra whipped

cream and chocolate syrup.

Ingredients

2 LBS riped banana - chuoi xiem (flattened)

1 Package tempura batter mix - bot chuoi chien

1 Can coconut milk

3 Tbsp sugar

Salt

Frying oil

Dipping Sauce

3 Tbsp toasted sesame seed

Sugar

Salt

Coconut milk

Method

1 - Peeled and flatten banana with a roller, leaving about 1/4 inch thick.

2 - Prepare batter as instructed on package.

                   - In a large bowl combine flour, water, then mix ingredients until batter is smooth.

                     add a pinch of salt, 3 tbsp sugar, and 4 tbsp coconut milk.
3 - Bring oil to temperature in a wok or cast iron pan. To test oil readiness by dropping a small droplet of
     batter into the oil, when the fried batter rises to the top, the oil is ready for us.
4 - Dredge flattened banana in batter one at a time, slowly dip in oil and fry until golden brown.
5 - Place fried banana on paper towel to absorb excess oil, serve immediately.
6 - Add remaining coconut milk into a sauce pan, sugar to taste and a small pinch of salt.
7 - On slow heat bring coconut milk to a simmer, stir occasionally. Sprinkle in sesame seed before serving.

Banh Khoai Mi - Vietnamese Cassava Cake

This is my fave. I remember my grandma used to make this for me when I was a little kid. I would sit next to her and watch her hand grated the yuca and the coconut, squeeze out the excess moisture from the yuca, and extracted the coconut milk. It was delightful to watch her make everything using fresh ingredients and making it from scratch.

I am ashame to say that I cannot do what she does.

I do not have the patience to hand grate and extract fresh coconut milk. I'd like to take shortcuts when I can and only if the end results aren't that bad.

Ingredients

2 LBs frozen khoai Mi (grated)
1 Can coconut milk
1 Can sweetened condensed milk
2 Egg yolks
Pinch of salt

Method

1 - Preheat oven to 350 F.
2 - Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, stir to combine.
3 - Grease round baking pan butter (or line pan with banana leaves)
4 - Pour mixture into pan and bake at 350 F for 1 hour until toothpick comes out clean
5 - Place cake under broiler for a few minutes to toast the top layer slightly.

Roasted Spare Ribs

So I got some really nice looking pork spare ribs at the market the other day. I was going to make soup with the ribs, but decided to marinade them and oven roast them instead. I marinaded the ribs for 24 hours and roasted for 3 hours. It did take a while before I could get my hands on them, but it was so worth it. The ribs were delicious. The meat was so soft that it just falls of the bone, and the sauce that coated the ribs were finger licking good. This marinade can be used for either spare ribs or beef spare ribs.

Ingredients

2 lbs spare ribs

2 Tbsp grated garlic

2 Tbsp grated ginger

1/4 Cup hoisen sauce
2 Tbsp soy sauce

3 Tbsp brown sugar

2 Tbsp rice vinegar

Method

In a bowl combine all ingredents. Mix it well with a spoon then add mixture into a ziplock bag.

Add spare ribs into the ziplock bag, secure the bag and shake the ribs around so that every piece is coated with the sauce.

Place bag in a container and refrigerate for atleast 5 hours to 24 hours.

Ribs should be at room temperature before cooking.

Remove ribs from refrigerator, let sit for 30 minutes. In the mean time preheat oven to 325 degree.

After 30 minutes place ribs on an oven safe baking dish or pan. Cover with aluminum foil and roast for 2 1/2 hours, then remove foil and roast for an extra 30 minutes uncovered.

Serve while hot.

Honey Glazed Pork - Thit Heo Nuong

My husband and I, we used to go to this little Malaysian restaurant in Chinatown. It's in a little walk through tunnel that's kind of hard to spot. I think it's a place more for the locals. Anyways the food there is great. They got the best tasting Honey glazed pork chop I've ever eaten. You can literally smell the honey glazed the moment the server steps out of the kitchen, and not only does it smell wonderful, it taste so good. The meat is moist and tender and covered with sweet tasting honey glaze goodness. I miss eating at this restaurant. We use to eat at this place a few times a week, but ever since we moved, we hardly get the chance to go there anymore. So, what I did is try to come up with a recipe of my own. Instead of using pork chop I'm using pork tenderloin.

So far my recipe isn't the same as the restaurant’s, but it’s pretty close.

Ingredients

1 lb pork tenderloin

1/2 Tsp paprika

3 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp packed light brown sugar

2 Tbsp honey

Method

Cut meat into thin strips then pat dry, try to remove all excess moisture from meat.

In a microwave safe bowl add sugar, honey, and soy sauce. Stir mixture and place in a microwave for 2 minutes or until sugar melts. Add paprika and stir to combine mixture.

 Allow mixture to cool to room temperature, and then add pork strips.

Marinade meat for 3-5 hours or overnight before cooking.

Using a skillet, on low heat add 2 tablespoons of oil then add meat and cook until meat is thoroughly cooked.

Soy Bean and Sparerib Soup

My grandmother would always tell me to eat right, and not to consume too much fried food, chocolate, and definitely no caffeine. She’s always worrying that my body temperature will rise which is not good for the body. Chinese people believe that if the body temperature rises you can get all different kind of nasty problems like break outs, dried or crack lips, premature wrinkles, nose bleed, etch. I do not doubt what I’ve been told by my grandmother, so every once in a while I would make a pot of soup that has healing properties to help cool my body temperature.

I was going to make lotus root with spare ribs soup, but I ran out of red dates so I’m going to make soy bean soup with spare ribs instead.

Ingredients

2 Cups dried soy beans (soaked for 4-5 hours or overnight)
2 LB spareribs (par boiled)
3 Slices of ginger

Method

Tips

The dried soy bean needs to get soaked for a few hours before it can be use, that’ll help speed up the cooking process a bit. It’s also best to parboil meat before making any kind of soup. This is to prevent gunk floating on the surface of the soup, and also allowing the soup to be clear instead of cloudy.

In a soup pot add spareribs, soaked beans, and ginger. Then add enough cold water to fill the pot, but do not fill all the way to the top.

On high heat bring soup to a boiled then reduce heat to medium low and cook for 30 minutes, then cover lid and reduce heat to low, cook for another 30 minutes.

Remove from heat and server hot.

Canh Bi Do - Japanese Pumpkin Soup (Kabocha)



Pumpkins have always been my less favorite, and it's a shame because I know how delicious it can be. For years I've always stayed away from anything that involves pumpkin. I was not at all fond of the smell of raw pumpkin. Until maybe a year ago. I went to a good friend's home for dinner and she offered me soup. I drank the broth and I couldn't believe how great it tasted. The soup was out of this world delicious. It tasted a bit nutty, yet sweet and the fragant was unique. I asked her what was in the soup and she said pumpkin. I just couldnt believe my taste buds, of all those time I've stayed away from this delicious vegetable, well not anymore.

Today I will post a pumpkin soup recipe that's gaurantee to be fantastic.

Ingredient

1 Medium Japanese pumpkin - peeled and cubed
2 Small carrot - peeled and quartered
1 Small ginger knob - peeled and quartered
1 Lb sparerib - parboiled
salt to taste

Method

In a stock pot add 2 quarts of water or desired amount. Then add carrot, ginger, and sparerib. Cook soup on high heat until boil. Then add pumpkin and cook for another 15 minutes. Cover pot with a lid and reduce heat to medium low, cook for another 20 minutes before serving.

Garnish with spring onion if desire.

Spicy Kani Salad

Serving: 4

Ingredients

6 Sticks imitation crab leg meat
2 Cucumbers (skinned, seeded, and julienne)
1/4 Cup tobiko roe
2 Splash rice vinegar
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 Tsp sriracha sauce
3 Tsp sesame

Method

In a salad bowl shred crabmeat into thin strands, then add a few splash of rice vinegar and toss to combine. Drain any excess liquid then set aside.
Remove cucumber skin, julienne cucumber flesh and discard any seeds.
Add julienne cucumber strands and tobiko roe to crabmeat, then mix well to evenly distribute ingredients. Continue to add in the rest of the ingredients, and mix everything together.
Garnish with fish roe and sesame seeds.

Xoi La Dua - Vietnamese Coconut Pandan Sticky Rice

Ingredients

2 Cups Glutinous Rice (soaked for 5 hrs or overnight)
1 1/2 Cups Coconut cream powder
2 Tbsp Pandan extract
2 Tsp salt
3 Pandan leaves (fresh or frozen)
1 Cup shredded coconut
1 Cup coconut milk
Pinch of salt
1/2 Cup sugar (more or less depending on taste)
Green food coloring - optional
Roasted sesame seeds or roasted peanuts - optional

Things you'll need:

Steamer
Cheesecloth

Method

1 - Soak rice with 2 tsp of salt for 5 hours or overnight, to lessen cooking time.
2 - In a small pot bring coconut milk, sugar, and pinch of salt to a simmer. Remove from heat, set aside.
3 - Line steamer pan with two layer of cheesecloth. This is to prevent rice from slipping through the steam pan. Preheat the steamer by bringing the water to a boiled.
4 - Drain rice then mix in 1 1/2 cup of coconut cream powder, and 2 tbsp of pandan extract, mix well to incorporate ingredients.
6 - Add 1 to 2 drops of green food coloring to give rice extra color if desire. - optional.
7 - Cut pandan leaves into third, place leaves in steamer then add rice.
Use a spoon to spread the rice evenly on the pan, leaving a small empty space in the middle of the pan allowing steam to rise.
8 - Steam until rice is soft and sticky.
9 - Drizzle sticky rice with coconut milk. Remove from heat.
10 - Remove and discard pandan leaves.
Serve sticky rice with shredded coconut and crushed roasted peanut or sesame seeds.

Chuc Mung Nam Moi

Chuc Mung Nam Moi and Kung Hei Fat Choy!

Tea Eggs

Ingredients

5 Eggs
3 Pcs Star Anise
1 Small cinnamon stick
2 Dried orange peels
1 Black tea bag or 1 tbsp loose tea leaves
1 Tsp salt
3 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp Dark soy sauce

Method

1 - Place eggs in a pot, then pour enough cold water to cover eggs by 1" to 2" inches.
2 - On high heat bring eggs to a boil, then reduce to medium heat and simmer for 2 minutes.
3 - Carefully remove eggs from pot and replace in a bowl. DO NOT discard water from pot.
4 - Tap each egg to form cracks on the eggshell, then return eggs to the water pot.
5 - To the pot add, star anis, cinnamon, orange peel, tea, salt, light and dark soy sauce.
6 - Bring pot to a boil, then reduce to low heat. Cover and simmer on low heat for 2 hours.
Add water occasionally if needed.
7 - Serve cold or hot.

Liquid can be frozen and reuse.

Banh Chuoi Nep Nuong - Grilled Banana Sticky Rice Cake Wrapped in Leaf

Ingredients

6 Whole ripe bananas
2 Cups glutinous rice (rice need to soak in coconut, and water mixture for 5 hours)
1 Can coconut milk
2 Cups water
1 1/2 Tsp pandan leaf extract
1 Cup shredded coconut
1/2 Cup peeled mung beans (soaked overnight, drained)
1 Cup sugar (divided into 2 portions)
Banana leaves or (aluminum foil if banana leaf isn't available)
Culinary twine
Crushed roasted peanuts - optional
Sweetened coconut milk - optional

Method

Preparation
1 - Combine rice, coconut milk, and water in a bowl. Allow ingredients to soak for 5 hours.
strain rice, discard coconut milk mixture.
2- Add 1/2 cup sugar, mung beans, pandan extract, and shredded coconut to rice. Mix well to combine, set aside.
3 - Cut 12 banana leaves, each leaf about 6" inches (lengthwise), use left over leaves to make thin strips to tie ends or use culinary twine. (use aluminum foil if banana leaves are not available.)
If using fresh leaves make sure to precook (steamed or pre-boiled)leaves before use. This is to soften leaves, allowing easy wrapping. Clean and dry leaf with towel, set aside.
4 - Peel bananas and rub with sugar.

Wrapping

1 - Place 2 banana leaves on a flat surface, one overlapping the other by 2" inches.
2 - Add 5 tbsp of rice onto the middle section of the leaf, spread the rice across, leaving atleast 1" to 2" inches on both ends
3 - Place banana on top of rice, make sure that the rice layer exceed the length of the banana.
4 - Add more rice to cover the banana
5 - Fold the leaves tightly (top and bottom), then fold both ends and use banana strips or twine to secure. While folding make sure rice completely covers the banana.

Cooking
1 - Place cake in a steamer and steam for 40 minutes on high heat.
2 - Remove from heat, allow cake to cool then place in the refridgerator or freezer until ready to serve.

Serving
1 - Place cake on a rack under the broiler for 10 to 15 minutes, make sure to broil with leaf on.
2 - Remove outer leaf before serving.
3 - Drizzle cake with sweetened coconut milk and top with crushed roasted peanuts.