I played a tournament in Ho Chin Minh City, Vietnam in 2001. I remember this tournament because this is the tournament where I won the doubles title partnering Manisha Malhotra and in singles, had a match point against Li Na( who later became no.2 in the world) Oh well...
Enough tennis talk... but I was finding it quite tough to find vegetarian food in Vietnam. Most of the times, they didnt understand me. I think if I went now, it would be completely different as there is a huge Vietnamese population that have turned vegetarian.
Looking back, I think it would have been a lot simpler and probably better for me if I had chosen to eat chicken or some meat when I was on tour. Vietnam was one of the places where I would have surely been better off had I turned non-veg. When I landed there and ordered a simple Veggie chowmein, there were certain things in there that I was pretty sure werent vegetarian. The worst part is you dont even know what seafood is in your food, whether its an eel or sea urchins or squids. Not that they are bad, but for a vegetarian like me, it wasnt something I wanted to find in my food!
So, the next day I decided to order something with chicken in it,and then remove it before eating. This way, I at least knew what was in my food.
Now in the comfort of my kitchen, I am recreating a Sour Vietnamese Soup which is a bit like its neighbor, the Thai Tom Yum. Usually Vietnamese soups are quite clear and has no color. Since I used Vegetable broth, the soup is a bit reddish in color, but the broth adds so much flavor that I wouldnt skip it.
I have added some of my favorite ingredients which are Baby Bok Choy and the Chicken-Less strips. They pack so much protein and are so good for you. Generally, in most Asian food, you need to get that one paste that will make that particular dish EPIC. My paste for this dish is the Instant Vietnamese Sour paste which is basically a mixture of Garlic,onions,chilli,tomoatoes, paprika and lemongrass.If you dont get this paste, you can combine most fo the above ingredients and get a similar outcome.
The most common Vietnamese soup- PHO is usually cooked for hours and hours. My soup here takes 20 minutes !! One key thing in Asian soups is to make sure we dont overcook the vegetables. The vegetables should be crunchy and the soup should be served as soon as its made.
Ingredients :
1 bunch Baby Bok Choy or Bok Choy
2 tablespoons Vietnamese Sour paste
1/2-1 cup of chicken less strips (firm sliced tofu can be used too)or real cooked chicken
1/2 cup broccoli florets,green peppers,mushrooms and carrots
1 cup vegetable broth
1 cup cooked rice noodles
3 cups water
Salt and pepper to taste
For garnish :1/4 cup bean sprouts, mint leaves,cilantro leaves, jalapaeno slices, lime wedges
Method: Combine broth and water and bring to a boil. Add bok choy and sour paste and boil for a minute. Then add the noodles, make sure to spread them apart, so they dont cling together. Adjust seasonings as needed. Then add the chicken strips, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Now add all the veggies and cook for 2 minutes on high heat. Remove pot from stove. Place soup with veggies, noodles and chicken strips ina bowl. Add bean sprots,jalapeno slices and mint and cilantro leaves. Squeeze lime on the soup and Enjoy!! Let me know what you think!
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