Homestyle Vietnamese Cooking. Nongkran Daks

in a mortar or blender, then combine with all the other ingredients and mix until the sugar is dissolved.

      Yields 250 ml (1 cup)

      Preparation time: 10 mins

      Peanut Dipping Sauce (Nuoc Leo)

      185 ml (3/4 cup) water

      60 ml ¼ cup) hoisin sauce

      1 tablespoon tamarind juice (page 4)

      120 g (½ cup) crunchy peanut butter

      Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix until well blended.

      Yields 375 ml (1½ cups)

      Preparation time: 5 mins

      Cooking time: 10 mins

      Roasted Rice Powder

      100 g (½ cup) uncooked rice grains

      Preheat the oven to 120°C (250°F). Bake the rice in the oven, stirring from time to time, until the rice turns light brown. Do not overcook. Alternatively, dry-fry the rice in a skillet over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring continuously, until fragrant and light brown. Grind the roasted rice grains to a powder in a blender. Store in a tightly sealed container for up to several months.

      Yields 100 g (1/3 cup)

      Preparation time: 5 mins

      Cooking time: 10 mins

      Grilled Lemongrass Chicken Satays

      500 g (1 lb) boneless chicken thighs, cubed

      12 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 1 hour before using

      1 portion Fish Sauce Dip (page 6)

      Marinade

      2 stalks lemongrass, thick bottom part only, outer layers discarded, inner part sliced

      3 shallots

      1 finger-length chili, deseeded and sliced

      3 cloves garlic

      1 tablespoon oil

      1 tablespoon soy sauce

      1 tablespoon oyster sauce

      2 teaspoons fish sauce

      1 tablespoon honey

      1 teaspoon sugar

      ¼ teaspoon salt

      1 teaspoon sesame oil

      ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

      1 Make the Marinade first by grinding the lemongrass, shallots, chili, garlic and oil to a smooth paste in a blender. Add all the other ingredients and mix well.

      2 Pour the Marinade over the chicken cubes and mix until well coated. Allow to marinate for at least 1 hour.

      3 Prepare the Fish Sauce Dip by following the recipe on page 6.

      4 Thread the marinated chicken cubes onto the bamboo skewers and grill, a few at a time, on a pan grill or under a preheated broiler using medium heat for about 4 minutes on each side, until cooked.

      5 Transfer to a serving platter and serve hot with the Fish Sauce Dip on the side.

      Serves 4

      Preparation time: 30 mins + 1 hour to marinate

      Cooking time: 10 mins

      Pork and Prawn Crêpes (Bahn Xeo)

      A crêpe is a thin pancake with a savory or sweet filling that is popular in French cuisine. The way to eat this Vietnamese crêpe is to cut it into small portions and wrap each portion in a lettuce leaf with fresh herbs.

      125 g (1 cup) rice flour

      250 ml (1 cup) water

      250 ml (1 cup) thick coconut milk

      ½ teaspoon salt

      ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

      1 to 2 tablespoons oil

      150 g (3 cups) bean sprouts, seed coats and tails removed

      2 spring onions, minced

      6 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps thinly sliced to yield about 1 cup

      1 portion Fish Sauce Dip (page 6)

      Filling

      200 g (7 oz) pork, very thinly sliced

      250 g (8 oz) fresh medium prawns, peeled and deveined

      4 cloves garlic, minced

      1 tablespoon fish sauce

      ½ teaspoon sugar