How to Cook Binh Dinh Specialty Fatty and Fragrant Rạm Noodle Soup That You Must Try Right Away

How to Prepare Rạm Noodles

• 1

  Preparing the Rạm

  After purchasing the rạm, soak it in a bowl of saltwater for 15 – 30 minutes to clean off the dirt. Next, rinse the rạm 2 – 3 more times with clean water until it is completely clean.

  Remove the shell and apron of the rạm, use scissors to cut off the mouth and eyes, then use a stick to extract the roe separately.

  The rạm meat should be placed into a blender with 500 – 700ml of clean water and blended, then strained through a sieve to collect the rạm water mixture.

  

  

  

  
• 2

  Preparing Other Ingredients

  Traditional Bình Định rạm noodles only consist of rạm water and fresh noodles. However, you can also prepare some vegetables and side dishes to make the meal more appealing.

  Wash and cut vegetables such as lettuce, perilla leaves, and basil into small pieces. For side dishes like eggs, shrimp, and pork, prepare and boil them until cooked. Fish cakes should be cut into bite-sized pieces.

  Garlic and shallots should be crushed or minced.

  

  

  
• 3

  Cook the broth

  You place a pot on the stove, add 1 tablespoon of annatto oil, then add onion and garlic to sauté until fragrant. When the onion and garlic are fragrant, add the crab meat, stir well to combine the crab with the oil, then season with fish sauce, sugar, MSG, and ground pepper.

  Tip: Annatto oil and crab meat will help create a beautiful golden color for the dish. However, if you don’t have annatto oil, you can still use regular cooking oil; the broth will just be a little lighter in color.

  Next, add about 1 liter of water to the pot and bring it to a boil. When the water boils, reduce the heat to medium, then add the blended crab mixture without stirring, and cook until the crab foam rises to the surface, then taste and adjust the seasoning as needed, adding a little sliced chili or chili powder to reduce the fishy smell of the crab before turning off the heat.

  

  

  
• 4

  Enjoy

  You place the noodles in a bowl, add side dishes and fresh herbs, then sprinkle some roasted peanuts on top. When eating, you can pour the broth directly over the noodles or serve it in a separate bowl for individuals to add as they wish.

  This shrimp noodle dish can be dipped in shrimp paste or chili sauce.

  And now you have completed the specialty shrimp noodles from Bình Định. The broth is subtly sweet, with a bit of richness from the shrimp roe, the crab meat is soft and delicious, and the roasted peanuts add a crunchy texture. When enjoyed with fresh noodles, herbs, and various toppings, it becomes even more appealing.

  Depending on your preference for spiciness, you can add ground chili to the noodle bowl to make the dish spicier. Grab a full chopstick of noodles and put it in your mouth, slurp some warm broth, and enjoy it with crispy sesame rice paper! This shrimp noodle dish will be a delicious soup that you should definitely try.