The spicy, sour, and sweet flavor in every strand of Trùng Khánh vermicelli or spicy fried vermicelli will surely make you sigh with delight every time you enjoy it. Let’s go to the kitchen with TasteVN to make this delicious dish!
1. Spicy Sour Trùng Khánh Vermicelli
Preparation
50 minutes
Difficulty
Medium
Ingredients for Spicy Sour Trùng Khánh Vermicelli For 2 people
Flat Trùng Khánh vermicelli 400 gr Beef brisket 300 gr White tofu 50 gr Beef bone broth 500 ml Dried cloves 10 pieces Cardamom 10 gr Star anise 3 gr Bay leaf 5 leaves Cinnamon 10 gr Sichuan pepper 20 seeds Lotus root 50 gr Garlic 5 gr Shallots 5 gr Ginger 5 gr (sliced thin) Dried chili 10 pieces Satay chili 200 gr
How to choose ingredients
How to choose fresh and delicious lotus root
- It is best to choose lotus roots that are both thick and short as they will be riper and tastier.
- The outside of the lotus root should be plump, with no unusual bumps or dents.
- The skin of the lotus root should have a yellow color; avoid choosing white-skinned lotus roots as they may have been chemically treated.
- There should be no strange smell.
- The larger the air holes inside the lotus root, the more water it contains, indicating a better flavor.
How to choose other ingredients
- Flat vermicelli from Trung Khanh and Sichuan peppercorns are currently available on e-commerce sites like Shopee, Tiki,… you can look for them to cook this vermicelli dish more authentically. If you just want a quick meal, you can also use regular types of vermicelli and common peppercorns as substitutes!
- The dried ingredients mentioned above, such as cloves, cardamom, cinnamon,… can be found at specialty herbal shops or grocery stores.
How to prepare Sour Spicy Trung Khanh Vermicelli
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Blanch the vermicelli
Place the flat vermicelli into a bowl, pour boiling water over it until fully submerged, and soak for about 3 – 5 minutes.
When you see the vermicelli shrink and become soft yet chewy, drain off all the water and let it dry.
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Stir-fry dry spices
Place a deep pot on the stove, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, wait until the oil is hot, then add ginger, stirring until the ginger turns a caramel brown color.
Next, add all the dry ingredients prepared, including: cloves, cardamom, star anise, bay leaves, cinnamon, onion, and garlic, and stir-fry for about 5 minutes.
Then, add the Sichuan peppercorns and dried chili, and stir-fry for another 2 minutes.
Now add 200g of chili paste, stir-fry evenly for about 2 more minutes to complete this step of stir-frying the dry ingredients.
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Cooking the broth
Lotus root bought should have its outer layer peeled, then soak in water, adding a bit of vinegar or lemon juice to prevent the lotus root from browning during preparation.
After that, use a knife to cut the lotus root into slices about 0.5 cm thick.
To cook the broth for the noodle dish, add 500ml of beef bone broth and fresh sliced lotus root into the pot with other dry ingredients, and cook for about 10 minutes.
Add 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of seasoning, and 2 teaspoons of vinegar to the pot, then stir well to dissolve all the seasonings.
Finally, add the white tofu and beef belly into the pot, stir well and wait for the ingredients to cook until soft, and it’s done.
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Completion
Place the cooked flat noodles into a bowl, add a few slices of beef belly, tofu, and lotus root on top, then ladle the broth over it, sprinkle a bit of toasted sesame (if desired), and it’s ready to enjoy!
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Final Product
Each strand of noodles is chewy, the tender pieces of beef belly combined with a spicy, flavorful broth that carries the aroma of various herbs. Just looking at it makes it irresistible! This is sure to be a dish that captures the hearts of many!
2. Spicy Chinese Noodles
Preparation
15 minutes
Cooking
30 minutes
Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Spicy Chinese Noodles Serves 2
Fish cake 250 gr Chinese noodles 1 pack Rice cake noodles 1 pack Bunmoja noodles 1 pack Quail eggs 8 pieces Anchovy broth 1 liter Spring onion 20 gr Korean chili sauce 5 tablespoons Cooking sugar water 2 tablespoons Oyster sauce 3 tablespoons Vinegar 8 ml Chili powder 2 tablespoons Sugar 3 tablespoons
How to choose ingredients
How to choose good quail eggs
- Choose quail eggs with a beautiful, sturdy shell, no gray color, and no patterns.
- When shining a light or holding it up to sunlight, hold the egg in your hand, exposing only the two ends of the egg, look into the egg from one side while shining light from the other side.
- If it’s a fresh egg, it will have a clear pink color with a pink dot in the middle.
How to choose other ingredients
Types of vermicelli, fish cakes, and chili sauce can be easily found at stores that sell imported goods or on e-commerce sites like Shopee, Tiki,…
How to make Chinese Spicy Stir-Fried Vermicelli
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Prepare ingredients
Wash the fish cakes, slice them thinly and long enough to eat.
Boil the quail eggs in boiling water mixed with a little salt for about 5 minutes, then take them out, put them in a bowl of cold water, and peel the shells.
Tips for boiling quail eggs well and peeling them quickly
- Add a little salt when boiling to make peeling easier.
- While boiling, use chopsticks to stir in a clockwise direction, which helps the yolk to concentrate in the middle, making it look better when cut.
- You can use chopsticks to test if the eggs are cooked; if you can easily pick up the egg, it is done.
- Besides peeling the eggs by hand, you can also put the eggs in cold ice water or under running water to cool them down, then place the eggs in a container with a little water, seal it tightly, and shake well. This helps the shell to come off evenly without taking too much time.
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Blanch the noodles
Soak the Chinese noodles in cold water for about 6 hours before cooking the dish.
For rice noodles and punmoja noodles, blanch these two types of noodles in boiling water with 8ml of vinegar for about 2 – 3 minutes until the noodles are soft and cooked through, then remove and rinse under cold running water.
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Stir-fry the noodles
Heat a deep pan on the stove, add the following ingredients in order: Korean chili sauce, sugar, chili powder, syrup, oyster sauce, and anchovy broth. Mix well for the ingredients to blend together.
When the mixture in the pan starts to boil, add all the noodles and fish cakes that you have prepared, stir well to absorb the seasonings for about 5 – 7 minutes, then add quail eggs and chopped green onions. Stir well for another 2 minutes, and it’s done.
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Completion
Transfer the stir-fried vermicelli to a plate, arrange quail eggs around, and sprinkle a handful of finely chopped sesame leaves on top, and it’s ready to serve.
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Final Product
This spicy Chinese stir-fried vermicelli dish is no ordinary meal! Three types of soft and chewy vermicelli combined together, stir-fried with a rich spicy sauce, accompanied by fish cakes and quail eggs. It’s truly a simple dish that can captivate any spice lover!
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So 2 sour and spicy Chinese noodles dishes are completed! If you have free time on the weekend, try going to the kitchen to showcase your skills by making new dishes for the whole family to enjoy! Wishing you success.
*Source of recipe and images from the YouTube channel Cooky TV and Cookat Vietnam
