I wanted eggs with the flavours of banh xeo (a vietnamese rice flour crepe) so I came up with this vietnamese style omelette. it’s a great addition to your weekday lineup, whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner!
an incredibly quick and simple meal to make, this kung pao shrimp is sweet, salty, sour and spicy, with a distinctive ma-la / 麻辣 (numbing hot) sensation from the sichuan peppercorns. I’ve toned down the quantity of it in this version as I don’t like it to overpower.
the next time you go to a pho restaurant, look for this hidden gem on the menu. it’s probably past #20 of all the potential meat combos you can get in your pho. compared to pho, bo kho has a deeper umami taste, due to the tomatoes and fish sauce in the broth. it’s almost like the vietnamese version of beef bourguignon, but this time served on rice noodles! you can either cook this low and slow, sans agression (thanks ludo lefebvre for the best way to describe gentle cooking), or the process can be expedited with a pressure cooker or instant pot.
your mind will be blown the first time you make fresh curry paste. pounding each ingredient in the mortar and pestle and smelling the wafting perfumes that are released is absolutely intoxicating. even if you don’t have a mortar and pestle, the satisfaction of making fresh curry paste from your food processor, blender, whatever it may be, is well worth the effort. your curry will turn out more fragrant, flavourful, and luscious, plus, you can freeze portions of it for a quick weeknight meal! this does require some ingredient hunting, but most of it can be found at your local asian market. if you’re okay with store bought paste, skip to part 2 of the recipe for instructions. serve with steamed white rice, or try our coconut rice for some extra richness.
