Vietnamese Cuisine - Cooking Techniques

Cooking Techniques

Common Vietnamese methods usually observed in preparing all ingredients include:

• Rán,Chiên: fried dishes.
  • Chiên nước mắm: Fried with fish sauce.
  • Chiên bột: Battered then deep fried.
• Rang: fried dishes without oil.
• Áp chảo: Pan-fried then sautéed.
• Xào: stir fry, sautéing.
  • Xào tỏi: Stir fry with garlic. Very common way of treating vegetables.
  • Xào sả ớt: Sautéed with lemongrass and chilli.
  • Xào lăn: Pan searing or stir frying quickly to cook rare meat.
  • Xáo măng: Cooked/sautéed with bamboo shoots.
• Nhồi thịt: Squid or vegetable stuffed with minced meat then cooked.
• Sốt chua ngọt: Fried with sweet and sour sauce.
• Kho: stew, braised dishes.
  • Kho khô: literally dried stew (until the sauce thickens).
  • Kho tiêu/kho gừng/kho riềng: Stewed with peppercorns/ginger/galangal.
• Nấu: Simply means cooking, usually in a pot.
  • Nấu nước dừa: Cooked with coconut juice.
• Hầm/Ninh: slow-cook with spices or other ingredients over a long period of time.
• Rim: simmering.
• Luộc: boiling with water, usually applied to fresh vegetables and meat.
• Hấp: steamed dishes.
  • Hấp sả: Hấp or steamed with lemongrass.
  • Hấp Hồng Kông or Hấp xì dầu: "Hong Kong" style steamed dish (i.e.: with scallion, ginger and soy sauce).
• Om: clay pot cooking of Northern style.
  • Om sữa: Cooked in clay pot with milk.
  • Om chuối đậu: Cooked with young banana and tofu.
• Gỏi: salad dishes.
• Nướng: grilled dishes.
  • Nướng xiên: skewered dishes.
  • Nướng ống tre: Cooked in bamboo tubes over fire.
  • Nướng mọi/nướng trui/thui: Char-grilled over open fire.
  • Nướng đất sét/lá chuối: Cooked in a clay mould or banana leaves wrap. Recently clay moulds and banana leaves are being replaced by kitchen foil, hence the method has evolved into nướng giấy bạc.
  • Nướng muối ớt: Marinated with salt and chilli then grilled.
  • Nướng tỏi: Marinated with garlic then grilled.
  • Nướng mỡ hành: Grilled then topped with melted lard, peanuts and chopped green onions.
• Bằm: sauteed mixed of chopped ingredients.
• Cháo: congee dishes.
• Súp: soup dishes (not canh or clear broth soup)
• Rô ti: roasting meat then bring to a simmer.
• Cà ri: curry dishes.
• Quay: roasted dishes.
• Lẩu: hot pot dishes.
• Nhúng dấm: Cooked in a vinegar-based hotpot.
• Cuốn: Refers to any dish featuring rice paper wraps with bún and fresh herbs.
• Bóp thấu/tái chanh: Raw meat/seafood preparing with lime or vinegar.