Broken Rice - Part 2

This article is going to be longer than usual because this recipe has many components. However, each component is simple to make and most of them can be made a day or even 2 -3 days (eg. pickle) before the main dish. Also, you can choose to marinate the meat a day before so the flavours are more intense when you grill it. 

There are a few ingredients that might sound foreign to you. I took a while to understand what some of them were. While most are available, some might not be. So here are a few suggestions that might work. 

1. Wood-ear mushrooms can be replaced by dried Shitake or Oyster mushrooms. 

2. Seasoning Seed is an optional ingredient for me simply because it contains Monosodium Glutamate and I don't prefer using it in my food. Lily mentioned that simply replacing Seasoning Seed with sugar and salt works perfectly as a substitute so I would do that. I have made adequate notes where the ingredient is used. 

3. Water Spinach  (Water Spinach Pickle is a component in the recipe below) isn't common to The Netherlands and though I tried to find it in an Oriental Store, they were not stocked (it's possible that the supply is affected because of the pandemic).  To give you a bit of background, this vegetable grows well in tropical and sub-tropical conditions. It grows best in temperatures above 24 degrees C and does not tolerate frost well which just means, it stands no chance here in North Europe!

I think I might try making the pickle with carrots & oriental radish (the big ones in contrast to the small red ones). After discussing with Lily she assured me these could be used as a worthy replacement.  Proceed with the recipe as explained below the original recipe. Naturally the time taken to pickle is shorter. A day to two days is enough.  

 

4. For the soup, if you are unable to find a certain vegetable like Chayote ( check the recipe as I have also mentioned its UK name), feel free to replace it with a similar squash. The vegetables merely act as taste enhancers so the taste will vary based on what you choose to use. 

5. Now on to the most important component, BROKEN RICE. If you can't source it, you could try using the rice you use as is OR to give it that texture, grind it slightly in a grinder. I think Jasmine or Basmati Rice could give good results. 

Naturally, if you allergic to anything, don't use the ingredient. If you don't eat pork, you could try using an alternative lean meat like Chicken. 

I would like to thank Lily for not just making this delicacy but also for the photos she took to show us what each ingredient looks like and how each component should finally turn out . She also has made copious notes after each component which serve as a guide for taste, look and texture. I am humbled by the amount of work she has done for us. I hope you will enjoy her recipe and let her know your thoughts. Her instagram id is @lilychangvn and @lilychangart

Regards, 

Aajisthaali 

VIETNAMESE BROKEN RICE WITH GRILLED PORK CHOPS, SHREDDED PORK SKIN, STEAMED PORK AND EGG PATTY

 

This recipe serves 4. 

 Components:

1.     Broken Rice

2.     Grilled Pork Chops

3.     Shredded Pork Skin

4.     Steamed Pork and Egg Patty

5.     Onion Oil

6.     Sweet and Sour Fish Sauce

7.     Water Spinach Pickle

8.     Soup               

     Recipe for Broken Rice

 

Ingredients

                                                          Broken Rice - 1 glass

                                                                Water - 2 glasses

 

Method

 To make broken rice, wash it under running water for several minutes.

Then pour regular water in it to cook like normal rice.

 The ratio is generally 1:2 (for one cup rice, two cups water)

 

Note: The rice is cooked evenly. It should not be dry or sticky.

Recipe for Grilled Pork Chops

Ingredients

-         Pork Chops: 4 pieces

-         Honey: 2 tbsp

-         Salt: ½ tsp

-         Fish Sauce: 1 tbsp

-         Oyster Sauce: 1tsp

-         Sesame Oil: ½ tsp

-         Garlic: 2 garlic cloves, crushed well

-         Pepper: ¼ tsp

-         Shallots: 2 small bulbs or 1/2 large bulb

 

Method:

-       The pork chops are washed & drained. You can use a pestle to gently crush the meat to make the meat softer. This will help the meat absorb the spices too.

-         Marinate pork chops with spices, leave about 4 hours, mix well occasionally to ensure the spices coat the meat well.

-         Grill pork chops on a charcoal stove or oven (if you use charcoal stove, you need to turn the surface of the meat regularly, the marinade is sometimes applied to the surface of the meat to avoid drying and to make it more flavourful). Grill the meat evenly when the heat is right. Do not grill the meat too long, or it will be tough and chewy. 

Note: Meat is browned evenly. It should not be dry or hard. The meat is succulent. 

                                                                                   Recipe for Shredded Pork Skin

Ingredients

                    -      Lean Meat of Pork: 100 grams

-       Pig Skin: 100 grams

-       Fried Rice Flour: 1.5 tbsp (Recipe for this given below)

-      Salt: ½ tsp salt for marinating meat and 1/6 tsp (for a mix of skin & fried rice flour)

-        Garlic: 1 crushed clove of garlic and ½ tsp of minced garlic

-        Sugar: 1 tsp and ¼ tsp

-       Monosodium Glutamate: 1/8 tsp (optional)

-       Fish Sauce: 1 tsp

-  Seasoning seed: 1/8 tsp (This is a mix of sugar, salt & Monosodium Glutamate. Feel free to omit MSG.)

-      Pepper: ¼ tsp

-      Cooking Oil

Method:

-         Wash the pork

-         Marinate meat with 1 crushed garlic clove, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp fish sauce, 1tsp of sugar, ¼ tsp pepper. Occasionally turn the surface of the meat so that the two surfaces are evenly spiced.

-         Frying meat: Heat oil in a pan, fry meat evenly till it’s golden.

-    Allow the meat to cool and then tear/shred the meat into small pieces as shown below.

-     Wash the pig skin well.

-      Boil water and add the pig skin. Allow to cook.

-   Once it has cooked, let  the pig skin cool and cut off the fat remaining on the pig skin, cut into small fibers. (To make the fiber easy to cut, the pig skin can be cut into long rectangular pieces, then let the knife tilt about 45 degrees and slice the skin into small pieces before cutting it into small fibers)

Method to make Fried Rice Flour, if you can’t find it in stores: 

- Wash glutinous rice and put it in a basket to drain. 

- Roast the rice on a hot pan for even and fragrant goldish hue. 

- Cool and put in a blender to make a fine powder.

-         Mix the shredded pork skin and meat together with Fried rice flour and spices (1/6 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp minced garlic, ¼ tsp sugar, 1/8 tsp MSG (optional), 1/8 tsp seasoning seed (Replacement mentioned in my introduction)

Note: Shredded pork skin is evenly spiced, not soggy, is light yellow in color and radiates the aroma of fried rice flour.

     Recipe for Steamed Pork and Egg Patty

 Ingredients

-         Chicken Eggs: 2 eggs, if the eggs are small, use 3 eggs

-         Minced Lean Meat: 1/6 cup

-         Dry Noodles: ½ bunch

-         Onions: 1/4 onion

-    Wood-Ear Mushroom:4-5 mushrooms (if unavailable you could use dried Shitake or Oyster mushrooms)

-         Pepper: ¼ tsp

-         Salt: 1/6 tsp

-         Sugar: 1/6 tsp

-         Seasoning Seeds: 1/6 tsp (if unavailable, just mix sugar and salt)

-         Shallot: 1 bulb

-         Fish Sauce: ½ tsp

-         A slice of Chili Pepper

 Method:

-        Soak wood-ear mushroom in water to enlarge and soften. Cut off the stalk of the mushroom. Wash the mushroom. Drain and then chop.

-         Cut dry noodles into small pieces.

-         Chop onions and shallot

-       Put all the prepared ingredients and spices into the bowl. Mix well. Leave out 1 egg yolk. If the eggs are small, an additional egg can be added.

-       Steam for about 15 minutes. When it's nearly cooked, spread the egg yolk on the surface of it to make it yellow on the surface, sprinkle with a little pepper and put a slice of chili pepper on top.

Note: There is a certain amount of cohesiveness between between the components, no loose ingredients inside it. Steamed pork and egg patty is served with rice so it doesn’t need additional salt. 

    Recipe for Spring Onion Oil

InIngredients

-         Spring Onion: 3 cloves of spring onion

-         Cooking Oil: 1/3 cup

-         Salt: 1/8 tsp

-         Sugar: 1/8 tsp

 Method:

-         Wash and cut spring onion.

-         Put the onions in the bowl, add salt and sugar

-         Heat cooking oil, pour it into the bowl of onions

 

 Note: Retaining the green color of spring onion will make the dish more beautiful.

     

Recipe for Sweet and Sour Fish Sauce

Ingredients

 

-         Fish Sauce: 90ml

-         Water: 90ml

-         Vinegar: 30ml

-         Sugar: 6 tbsp

-         Chili Pepper: 1

-         Garlic: 1 minced garlic

Method:

-         Boil a mixture of fish sauce, water, vinegar, and sugar. You can slowly add vinegar and fish sauce depending on your taste. Let it cool down.

-         Add chopped ½ chili pepper in the fish sauce.

 

 Variation:

You can make a variation having more chili and vinegar if you want more punch without having to put too much chili in fish sauce.

Method: Fry garlic minced with a little cooking oil, add ½ chopped chili pepper with a little sugar, a little vinegar, boil, let it cool down. Do not put the chili vinegar in the fish sauce because it will leave an oily film on the fish sauce That's just not beautiful or tasty.

Note: Fish sauce is thick, not too watery, has a sour, salty, sweet taste, has a golden brown color with an unmistakable red chili presence (see above).

 

   Recipe for Water Spinach Pickle

 

Ingredients

-      Water Spinach: 300g (replace with Carrots & Radish. Refer to the recipe following this one)

-         Vinegar: 150ml

-         Water: 300ml

-         Salt: ¼ tsp

-         Sugar: 150g

-         Chilli Pepper: 1

-         Garlic: 2 or 3 cloves of garlic

Method

    -    Cut off the leaves of the Water Spinach. Next cut off the bottom part and the top part of the stem. Cut the stem into small pieces about 3-4cm. Soak in cold water to remove all the sap from the body of water spinach, then rinse and drain to take away all water.

-        Chop chili pepper and garlic into thin slices.

-       Add 150ml of vinegar, 300ml of water, 150g of sugar and salt (1/4 tsp) to the pot and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat, let the mix cool down.

-     In a pot of boiling water, add salt. Add chopped stems of water spinach into boiling water for about 1 minute. Turn off the heat and take out the water spinach.

-       Put it in a bowl of ice-cold water.

-       Allow to soak for 10 minutes to make water spinach crispy and green.

-       Transfer water spinach to a sieve basket and allow to drain.

-      Once all the water has drained and the water spinach is dry, put into a jar with garlic and chili.

-   Pour the cooled vinegar into the water spinach jar. Make sure the vinegar covers the water spinach completely.

-    Keep the water spinach jar in a cool place. After 3 days, Water spinach pickle can be used.

Note: Crispy Water Spinach pickle have a sour & sweet taste and a nice color.

  

Method if using Carrot & Radish instead of Water Spinach:

-         Peel the carrot and radish. Cut into matchstick pieces. Soak them in salted water for 30 minutes. Then wash with warm water and allow to drain. 

-     Chop chili pepper and garlic into thin slices.

-         Add 150ml of vinegar, 300ml of water, 150g of sugar and salt (1/4 tsp) to the pot and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat, let the mix cool down.

-         Once all the water has drained and the carrot and radish pieces are dry, put into a jar with garlic and chili.

-         Pour the cooled vinegar into the radish-carrot jar. Make sure the vinegar covers the radish-carrot completely.

-         Keep the  jar in a cool place. After 1-2 days, this pickle can be used.

Note: The pickle has a sour & sweet taste and a nice color.

 Recipe for Soup 

Ingredients

-         White Radish: ½ radish

-         Carrot: ½ radish

-       Chayote/ Mirliton (in UK): ½ fruit (a type of squash with white flesh within it)

-         Minced Lean Meat: ½ cup

-         Water: 5 cups

-         Spring Onion: 1 clove of spring onion

-         Cilantro: 1 a little

-         Shallot: 1 bulb

-  Seasoning Seeds ( replace with sugar, salt and monosodium glutamate (optional))

-       Salt

-       Pepper

Method:

-     Chop all ingredients including spring onion, shallot, carrot, white radish, chayote.

-       Marinate meat with a little salt, pepper, onions and mix well.

-      Fry shallot in a little oil to make it aromatic. Add marinated minced meat and fry briefly, then add water to boil. Remove the fat film floating on the water for a clear, beautiful broth.

-       In a pot, boil water, add carrots, radish, chayote and allow to cook.

-    Season with the seasoning seeds (as mentioned above this can be replaced with a mix of sugar, salt & Monosodium Glutamate (optional)) to taste and add chopped scallions. Turn off the heat.

-     When you add soup into a bowl, sprinkle some ground pepper and cilantro into the soup.

 Note: Tubers should be medium ripe, not too soft and should retain their colours.  The broth has a sweet aroma and is flavourful because of the meat & vegetables. 

This soup is eaten with Broken Rice to reduce the dryness of broken rice.

It is possible to make this soup with different ingredients like bones, stewed  pork, cassava root, broccoli etc. Feel free to experiment. Broken Rice shops in Vietnam often cook a large pot of soup with lots of bones and vegetables to make the soup sweet and natural (no dependence on seasoning seeds). 

The ingredients and quantities I have mentioned could be a bit too much for 4 people, but the soup will be delicious because of the variety used. You can remove 1 serving of vegetables if you wish. 

My recipe should help you make this delicacy easily. Most of the components like Spring Onion Oil, Sweet and Sour Fish Sauce,  Pickle, marination of meat and even the soup should be done before so you are not rushed on the actual day. 

Wish you success and an enjoyable meal! Thank you for joining me on this culinary adventure.  For questions, do not hesitate to write and ask me. 

Lily

NOTE: All photographs and text have copyrights. If you wish to re-produce part or full article including/excluding the photographs on your website or elsewhere, please ask for written permission.  Thank you!