Sour fish soup is the national dish of south Vietnam and a dish that echoes right across Southeast Asia. It is family food as familiar to a southern Vietnamese as fish and chips are to a someone from Britain or lamb chops to an Australian. In Vietnam taro stalk (dot bac ha) is always used [...]
This is one of those dishes indicative of Southeast Asia. Introduced everywhere by overseas Chinese, it seems very much at home in the northern town of Nan, where this recipe comes from. 3 tablespoons oil 12 oz (350 g) fresh flat rice noodles (buy the folded slabs available in Asian food stores and slice into [...]
4 medium-sized garlic cloves 6 small fresh chilies or 1 ½ teaspoons ground chili flakes 3 cups (750 g) finely shredded green papaya ¼ cup (65 g) ground dried shrimp 8 firm cherry tomatoes, halved, or 2 medium tomatoes cut into wedges Dressing 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1-3 tablespoons fish sauce 1-2 tablespoons palm [...]
Long green eggplant (makhua yao) are the best kind to use for this recipe as they are drier than the purple ones. 12 whole shallots 3 long green eggplant or 6 cigar-shaped purple eggplant 3-4 large mild green or banana chilies 12 small cloves garlic, peeled and chopped Pinch of salt 2 eggs 3-4 tablespoons [...]
Roasting over charcoal is an ancient method of cooking. For a long time it was largely replaced but frying in much of modern Thailand. Today it is making a comeback, especially in the fashionable coastal resorts of the south. Select large saltwater shrimp, small lobsters or freshwater shrimp. Remove the feelers and legs but leave [...]
In the far north where there is no access to the sea, the country is mountainous and the climate rather dry, a much more no-nonsense approach is taken to stir-frying than in Bangkok. Soy sauce is used instead of fish sauce; pork is often the focus. 2 tablespoons oil 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1 lb [...]
This recipe comes from Nan, near the Lao border. The Chinese influence is evident in the use of duck, soy sauce and dried lily flower. The lily flower combined with the pickled limes give the dish a very distinct flavor. 1 duck ½ teaspoon salt 6 cups (1½ liters) water 2 coriander roots 2 cloves [...]
