cooking

The Vietnamese name for Bitter Melon is “Khổ Qua”. Khổ means “hardship” and Qua means “over”. Together Khổ Qua means “hardship is over” thus, Khổ Qua is always served during new years so that all of the hardship can be swallowed allowing one to expect an easy going year to come.

Ingredients:
-Approximately 2 lbs bitter melon
-1lb ground pork
-100g dried woodear mushrooms
-1 small bundle cellophane noodles (approx. 30g)
-3/4 tsp fish sauce (more to taste)
-1/2 tsp sugar
-1 tsp pepper
-cilantro
-green onions

What to Do:
Wash bitter melon and cut in half or thirds, remove seeds. Soak woodear mushrooms in water until soft cut into thin strips. Cut cellophane noodles into short strands. Mix together mushrooms, noodles, pork, fish sauce, sugar and pepper. Stuff filling into bitter melons pieces. Bring a pot to water to a boil, add bitter melon and 2 tbs fish sauce. Simmer until bitter melon is tender, add fish sauce to taste. Garnish with chopped green onions and cilantro.

Note:
Fish sauce helps make the bitter melon not bitter, if you prefer a slightly bitter taste use salt instead of fish sauce.

Ingredients:
-1/4lb ground pork
-1/2 tsp each: pepper, fish sauce
-1 green onion
-pinch of sugar
-salt to taste
-1 piece soft tofu (approx. 1lb)
-1 bunch Chinese chives (approx. ½-1lb)
-6 cups water

What to Do:
Mix pork with pepper, fish sauce, sliced onion, and sugar. Wash chives and cut into short pieces. Cut tofu into bite size pieces. Boil water and add pork ½ tsp at a time (to make meatballs), add tofu and bring soup back to a boil. Skim surface, add chives and salt to taste.

Ingredients:
-1/2 lb mộc/giò sống (Vietnamese pork meat paste) or ground pork
-1 package enoki mushrooms (about ¼ lb)
-1 carrot
-a few leaves of napa napa cabbage
-water
-salt, sugar

What to Do:
Cut carrots and napa napa into bite size pieces. Break enoki mushrooms. Add water to a pot and add carrots and meat paste a tsp at a time. Bring to a boil add enoki mushrooms and napa napa and wait for the soup to boil again add salt and sugar to taste.

Literally translated Canh Chua means sour soup. However the flavors carried by this soup are far more than just sour. There are many versions of Canh Chua the recipe below is the basic recipe. Adjust the ingredients to create what ever version you’re in the mood for.

Ingredients:
-1lb “meat” (see below)
-1 stalk Bạc Hà (taro stem)
-1/2lb bean sprouts
-1 stalk celery
-1/2 pineapple
-1 medium tomato
-1/3 lb okra
-tamarind soup base or sour tamarind
-fish sauce
-sugar
-salt
-jalapeño peppers (optional)
-cilantro
-basil
-ngò gai (saw tooth herb)
-ngò om (rice patty herb)
-fried shallots
-3 cloves garlic

What to Do:
If using fresh sour tamarind; soak tamarind in hot water (about 100g tamarind in 1 cup of water) for 1 hour and strain, use the “tamarind juice” to flavor the soup. Peel taro stem and slice into thin pieces. Slice tomato and pineapple into bite size pieces. Cut okra into half or into slices. Slice celery into thin pieces. Peel and mince garlic. Chop cilantro, basil, saw tooth herb, and rice patty herb.

Heat1 tbs oil in a pot and fry garlic until fragrant, add stir “meat”, and fish sauce stir fry for a few more minutes. Add water sugar, salt, and tamarind juice or tamarind soup base. Bring the soup to a boil and give it a taste test, all flavors (sweet, sour, and salty) should be the same. Add in veggies and bring the soup back to a boil before serving. Garnish with chopped herbs, jalapeno slices and fried shallots.

Meat Choices/Versions:
Canh Chua Cá Bông Lau (Cat Fish):
>>Use Catfish Slices

Canh Chua Tôm (Prawns):
>>Use prawns, with head if possible.

Canh Chua Gà (Chicken):
>>Use chicken breast or thighs.

Canh Chua Chay (Vegan):
>>Omit garlic, use tofu (fresh and fried), and straw mushrooms.