FEATURES

Something to Viet your appetite

Step by step guidance on how to make fresh prawn roll (from top, left).

SU AZIZ has the recipes of two Vietnamese dishes that are simple to prepare.

Step by step guidance on how to make beef noodle soup (from top, left).

UNLIKE their Thai neighbours, whose spicy food brings tears to your eyes, Vietnamese fare has mild flavours.

Its cuisine is becoming increasingly popular here, especially among weight-watchers, with food reflecting its French colonial legacy.

There are three kinds of Vietnamese cuisine, depending on which region it comes from: northern Vietnam uses less meat and more black pepper than chillies; its central region boasts of foods that are colourful and spicy that are normally served in small portions; and finally, the southern region has Cambodian and Thai influences with its use of coconut milk and more sweet and spicy flavours.

Local Vietnamese restaurants offer all three versions.

Viet Passion in Kuala Lumpur’s Chulan Square offers a good selection of Vietnamese tapas, prawn rolls in rice paper, French bread with creamy pate, topped with lean chicken pieces, and steamed rice cakes.

Other dishes on its menu are beef noodle soup, dry vermicelli noodle with spring rolls and lotus seed rice. The restaurant is open daily except on Saturday afternoons.

But the best way to sample Vietnamese food is to go for a buffet. And that’s exactly what Di-Atas Brasserie in Legend Hotel Kuala Lumpur, in collaboration with Viet Passion’s Vietnamese chefs, will be offering.

Their Enchanting Vietnamese Fare is from Monday until the end of the month.

You just need to fork out RM53++ (lunch) or RM68++ (dinner) to enjoy the fusion of traditional Vietnamese food with French cuisine.

Or, you can prepare two of their simple dishes at home with the following recipes.

FRESH PRAWN ROLL

This one requires hardly any cooking or much preparation. All you need is:

6 tiger prawns, blanched and halved
6 rolls of rice paper
A handful of mint leaves
A handful of basil leaves
6 lettuce leaves
A handful of raw bean sprouts
A handful of Chinese chives
A large handful of vermicelli noodles, boiled and drained
Crushed peanuts

1. Place prawns on rice paper that have been dipped in warm water to soften them.

2. Arrange lettuce leaves, bean sprouts, mint and basil leaves on top of the prawns.

3. Then place vermicelli noodles on top of everything.

4. Fold the sides and roll, making sure the chives are held within.

5. Roll it tight to keep it all in place.

6. With a sharp knife, cut the rolls into 3 or 4 bite-sized portions. Serve immediately with sweet chilly sauce — the rice paper gets rubbery after a while. Should this happen, steam the rolls for a few seconds. This, however, will result in wilted vegetables. This recipe serves six.

BEEF NOODLE SOUP

This is a delightful oil-free dish! All you need is:

4-5 slices of raw beef tenderloin
4-5 slices of breast beef brisket, boiled and sliced
4-5 boiled beef balls
A handful of raw bean sprouts
3-4 basil leaves
half a lime
a few rings of thinly-sliced onions
a few sliced spring onions and coriander leaves
half a bowl of thin koay teow noodles

1. For the broth in which to boil the brisket and the beef balls, you need some beef or pork bones. After it comes to a boil, simmer for 10 hours on low fire along with onions, ginger, star anise and cinnamon. Use enough water to cover the bones. This broth keeps fresh in the fridge for two days and much longer when frozen.

2. Boil the noodles and place them in a good-sized bowl.

3. Place the boiled brisket and then the raw tenderloin over the noodles.

4. Garnish the dish.

5. Pour in the hot soup with the beef balls.

6. Finally, add as much vegetables as you like.

Seafood lovers can use chicken bones to make the broth, replacing the meat with seafood.

For vegetarians, carrots and white radishes can be used to make the broth, and use beancurd skins instead of meat.

Send to a Friend Print Article