Vietnamese Pork Pho / Pork & Rice Noodle Soup #Soupswappers

Phở  is pronounced variously as "foo" is a Vietnamese soup consisting of broth, rice noodles called bánh (bún) phở, herbs and meat.

Today we in Soup Swappers will be post Vietnamese Soup recipes. Our Host for the month Sue Lau gave us this theme.

I have never tried to make Vietnamese dishes, this is the first time made a soup and enjoyed having it too. Thank you Sue for hosting this event and choosing this theme.   

Serves 2

Ingredients 

100 Grams Rice Noodles
1 Tablespoon Oil
150 Grams Pork tenderloin (skinless ,fat-less &boneless)
1 Scallion  -  chopped 

1 Small Onion - finely chopped
1 Tablespoon Fresh Ginger - finely chopped

1 Green chilly - finely chopped - optional
1 Large  Tomato - chopped
1 Teaspoon Fish sauce  - can add more according to taste
Salt to taste
3  to 4 Cups Water

1 Chicken Stock cube

A Handful of Bean Sprouts
1 Tablespoon Fresh Lime juice 

1/4 Teaspoon Paprika

1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper powder

Lime wedges for serving
A few Leaves of Mint and Basil

Method

Cut the pork  into thick strips, keep aside.

Chop the scallion and keep  the white and greens  separately.

In  large pot, heat oil add the chopped onions, green chilly, ginger and saute for a minute then add the  pork, saute stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, fish sauce, salt, water, and stock cube. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the pork is just done ( transferred it to a pressure cooker and cooked it for 8  minutes after  the first whistle on low flame ).  When the pork is done,   taste for salt, add paprika, black pepper powder and give it a quick stir.  

This is homemade sprouted  beautiful Beans.

Add the bean sprouts, and  greens of the scallion, let it simmer for a minute.  Take off flame.  Add lime juice  and rice noodles into the soup and let it rest covered for 10 minutes. 

Ladle into bowls, top each serving with some mint, basil and bean sprouts.  Serve with the lime wedges. 

 Enjoy this filling and delicious soup.

Labels : Soup, Vietnamese Pork Pho, Rice Noodles, Paprika, Pork, Vietnam, Soup Swappers, Healthy

An InLinkz Link-up

Clams / Shimpies in Coconut Gravy With Mini Steamed Rice Dumplings #FishFriday

The Mangaloreans call this mini steamed rice dumplings "Mutli".

The  Clams / Shimpies are called by various names like cockles, mussels, tisrya etc.

This was on my to do list for a long time. When this theme for Fish Friday Foodies was given by our Host Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla "Out of the Shell and Into the Pan", was so happy that at last this recipe will be done.
This is a lengthy and lightly spicy coconut gravy dish, but, worth the effort. It makes a delicious meal.

Clams / Shimpies  requires a lot of washing and cleaning, since they are  often filled with sand and dirt.  Therefore  it’s really important to clean them thoroughly & then place them in the freezer overnight or  for at least an or two  hour, so that they open their shells,  then you can clean them properly before steaming/cooking them.   

What I did, brought them from the market,  soak them in a big bowl filled with water for 10 to 15 minutes and  then rinse  them  4 to 5 times in fresh water. Then store them in a container and kept it in the freezer overnight.  

Then next day they had opened a little.  Take each clam and remove the meat from one side into the other one.  Discard the empty shell.  If in case any of them are not open take a knife and carefully press on to one end of the clam and it will easily open.

 See the beauties ..gems of the sea
Ingredients

70  to 80 Clams / Shimpies - washed,  rinsed, sand and grit removed. 

Retain only one shell (kerl) of each clam while discarding the other / empty one.

For the Gravy
To roast in a teaspoon of Oil

4 Bedki  Red chillies 

4 Kashmiri  Red chillies 
1 Tablespoon Coriander seeds
4  Black peppercorns
1 Teaspoon  Cumin seeds

1/4  Teaspoon  Mustard seeds

1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric powder

5 Grains Fenugreek seeds4 Cloves Garlic
1 Cup Freshly Grated coconut 
1 Small Onion roughly chopped
1 Small Ball of tamarind or as per taste

1 Teaspoon Oil

Other Ingredients

3  Shallots - sliced

4 Cloves Garlic - smashed lightly

A Sprig Curry Leaves

1 Small Curry Spoon Oil

For the Mutli /  Mini Steamed Rice Dumplings

1 Cup Idli Rawa - soaked
Salt to taste

Method
To make the  Mini Steamed Rice Dumplings / Mutlis

Wash the idli rawa and soak it  in water  - till the level of rawa only for two  to three hours. 

 Drain.

Grind it  to a fine paste with salt to taste, using no water as far as possible. 

The batter should be thick ( see pic) 

Transfer the ground batter  in a soft  thin muslin cloth. 

Steam it without lid. 

Every 3 to 4 minutes, remove the cloth filled with batter and knead it, by folding the cloth. Then again place it to steam, remove and knead,  till it forms a soft dough.  It took total 7 - 8 minutes to be done.  If your batter is watery then it may take more time.

Once slightly cooled take the warm dough out of the cloth,  just lightly moisten your hands with water and knead it to a soft dough.

Make marble size balls and flatten them lightly into small circle and 

press to make a little depression with you thumb. 

Place them in steamer 

with lid and steam for 15 mins after the first steam is released.  

Allow them to sit for a while the gravy is getting ready.

To make the Gravy
Heat a pan  with a teaspoon of oil and roast the following one by one – dry red chillies, sliced onion, coriander seeds, peppercorns, garlic, cumin,fenugreek , mustard seeds  & grated coconut. 

Remove & allow to cool, 

then add tamarind and turmeric powder,  

grind   all these ingredients to a fine paste. Keep aside

My prized possession - my Mud  pan or mud vessel (which we East Indians call it a treezal). 

Heat a  oil in a big pan (large enough to accommodate the gravy+mutlis+clams). 

When the oil is hot, fry the sliced onion till golden brown.  

Add the ground paste and fry well. Add the masala water (after washing the mixie) and bring it to a boil.

  
Cover and cook for few minutes  or till oil surfaces.  

Now add the clams / shimpies and add  water  enough to make a thick gravy consistency,  

cover let them cook. 

Taste for salt then add the add in the mutlis.  

Cover and cook for 7 to 10 minutes on low flame. 

Or untill oil surfaces.
Turn off flame and allow  mutlis / mini steamed rice dumplings to soak in the gravy for  5 minutes.  

Enjoy these hot!

Real comfort food.. yum.. delicious.

Labels : Seafood/Fish, Clams, Shimpies, Mangalore, Coconut, Spicy, Fish Friday, Dumplings, Karnataka

An InLinkz Link-up

Coconut Milk Cake With Chocolate Coconut Milk Frosting #BundtBakers

Some days things do not happen the way you have planned; they go just the other way around. That's what happened when I planned to make this Christmas Cake for the disabled children.  Went early to school, fully prepared with all ingredients, since the cake had a Chocolate Coconut Milk Frosting to be done too.  Reached school and got the ingredients out to make the cake batter and went to preheat the oven the three pin plug was burnt. The school teacher called the office boy, by time I, explained to him what exactly is a three pin plug and he went to purchase one 50 minutes just flew away. 

The school winds off at 4 pm, 15 minutes before the  bell rings to recite  the closing prayer.  Now in hand just an hour.  It was such a rush day.  Any way got started.  The cake was a big one so it too 45 to 50 minutes to bake.  As soon as it was out of the oven just managed to pour the frosting.  

The children were so excited to eat the cake, just managed to take a pic or two.  Served them hot cake with Milk Masala Chai and it got over in few minutes.  

The frosting was so delicious, you must try this variation instead of cream ganache.  This frosting is awesome.  

Ingredients
175 Grams Caster Sugar
175 Grams  Unsalted butter
3 Eggs
175 Grams All Purpose Flour
1  Teaspoon Baking powder
100 Grams  Desiccated Coconut
150 ML  Coconut milk

For the frosting
200 Grams  Dark & Milk chocolate  - half and half
50 Ml Coconut milk
1 Tablespoon Butter
2  Tablespoons Fresh Coconut - lightly toasted

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Grease a ring pan.

In a large bowl beat together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs one at a time. Gently fold in the flour, add the coconut milk and fresh coconut and mix well. Spoon the mixture into the tin and even out the surface a little. 

Bake for about 45 to 50 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave the cake to cool slightly, then turn out on to a rack to cool a little.

For the frosting

Melt the chocolate  and butter in a pan over a pan of water , when chocolate melts add the coconut milk and whisk till smooth then spread evenly over  the surface of the warm cake. Sprinkle the cake with toasted coconut. 

 Slice and enjoy. This cake was soft, moist and yummy.

Labels : Bundts, Coconut Milk Cake,  Chocolate Coconut Milk Frosting, Bundt Bakers, Toasted Coconut

 

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme or ingredient. Host: Felice; Host blog: All That’s Left Are The Crumbs (http://allthatsleftarethecrumbs.blogspot.com/) You can see all our of lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about #BundtBakers, can be found on our home page. And don’t forget to take a peek at what other talented bakers have baked this month:
Black Forest Bundt from A Day in the Life on the Farm
Bundt Cake de Crema Patelera from Merce's cake
Chocolate Malted Bundtlettes from I Love Bundt Cakes
Chocolate Pumpkin Bundt Cake from Patty's Cake
Chocolate Rosemary Bundt from Kidsandchic
Coconut Milk Cake With Chocolate Coconut Milk Frosting from Sneha's Recipe
Ginger & Peach Jam Cake from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
Glazed Cinnamon-Raisin Roll Bundt from All That's Left Are The Crumbs
Heath Bits O`Brickel Bundt Cake from The Queen of Scones
Kahlua Bundt Cake from Love and Confections
Lemon Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting from Palatable Pastime
Pineapple Bundt Cake from Nunca es demasiado dulce
Poppy and Lemon Seed Bundt Cake from Patyco.candybar
Strawberry Mocha Bundt Cake from I camp in my Kitchen