Lao Pho: Lao-Style Beef Noodle Soup

Lao Pho (Lao-Style Beef Noodle Soup)

Prep Time: 15-30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes – 1 hour

You can spot a Lao pho enthusiast in a pho restaurant if they request sugar. Pho may have originated in the neighboring country Vietnam but the homemade beef broth and condiment staples on any Lao table are what sets Lao pho apart from the mainstream recipe of chain-restaurant pho. With this recipe, you can enjoy homemade pho in as little as 30 minutes. For an authentic Lao cuisine experience, offer crisp romaine lettuce and stalks of celery as accompanying sides to dip into shrimp paste.

Vegetarian idea: Have a great vegetable broth! Omit beef and bones and all animal products (oyster sauce has oysters) and follow recipe accordingly. They even have vegetable bouillon cubes available on the market.

Lao Pho Recipe (10-12 servings)

Ingredients for beef broth:

• half an onion, peeled and charred
• 1 head of garlic, charred
• 2 stalks of celery, halved
• 2 pounds of beef bones
• 2 beef bouillon cubes
• 3 tablespoons salt
• water, filled 3/4 of pot

Directions for Lao beef broth:

1. Add ingredients in large pot and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce to simmer for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour (recommended) and occasionally remove and discard brown foam from top of broth.
3. Prepare ingredients for serving.

Ingredients/condiments for serving:

• 3 packages of dry pho noodles (often seen as “rice stick noodles”)
• cilantro, chopped
• green onions, chopped
• limes, cut into wedges
• 3 pounds of beef, thinly sliced for fast cooking
• bean sprouts
• Thai basil leaves
• seasoning sauce
• hot chili sauce
• oyster flavored sauce
• beef flavored paste
• fried garlic
• sugar
• black pepper

Directions for ingredients for serving:

1. Soak 1 package of dry pho noodles in lukewarm water up to 30 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and set aside. I open a new package in anticipation for the next serving because a big batch will dry out on top or get soggy on bottom.
2. Chop cilantro, green onions, and limes. Set aside on serving platter or reusable containers.
3. Slice beef and set aside in reusable container and refrigerate until use.
4. Set out condiments on serving table.

Directions for serving Lao pho:

1. Place single serving of noodles and sliced beef into a bowl.
2. Ladle the simmering broth into bowl covering noodles and beef or put noodles and beef into a metal strainer and dip into broth for fast cooking and softer noodles. Be careful when handling hot broth.
3. Add condiments (about 1-2 teaspoons of each) and vegetables, according to taste.
4. Refrigerate broth, vegetables, beef, and noodles until ready to use.
5. Broth is good to use as long as it’s ‘clear’ and not cloudy, which is usually 2 days.

{Pin this “pho” later!}

If you need SE Asian inspiration, see other recipes here for Lao Food

What do you love about pho?

Follow @laotiancomotion

Khua Seen: Lao Beef Stir Fry

Khua Seen (Lao Beef Stir Fry)

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes

Laotian stir fry is different than traditional stir fry where it’s a bit more ‘watery?’ Okay, watery isn’t the best way to describe stir fry but it definitely has more juice. Instead of soy sauce, this stir fry version features oyster-flavored sauce, a  major player in many Lao dishes. The other key ingredient in Lao stir fry is fried garlic, which can easily be found in Asian markets or made at home. This easy quick-time meal is best with a variety of color: green (broccoli, snow peas, bok choy), yellow (zucchini, bell peppers), orange (carrots, bell peppers) and so on. When I don’t have pre-cooked rice, I have the rice simmering before prepping this recipe so by the time it’s ready to serve, the rice will be done. Since our meals include a growing toddler, I am careful to watch the chili peppers while cooking and will not “break it” in the skillet but only in my own serving.

Lao Beef Stir Fry Recipe (5-6 servings)

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 pound stir fry meat
• 1/2 medium onion, cut into medium chunks
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into diagonal, thin slices
• 1 bell pepper, cut into medium chunks
• 1 cup snow or sugar snap peas
• 2 teaspoons fried garlic or 2 fresh, minced cloves
• Thai chili peppers (optional)
•  2 tablespoons oyster-flavored sauce
• 1 cup of water
• cooked Jasmine rice

Directions {Adapted from Roz’s Scrumptious Recipe’s Laotian Stir Fry}:

1. Add oil in heavy skillet or wok over medium-high heat.
2. When heated, add onions and meat. Stir fry for about 1 minute or until meat is lightly browned.
3. Add vegetables, fried garlic, and chili peppers, if including. Stir fry for 30 seconds.
4. Add oyster-flavored sauce and water. Adding more sauce to taste.
5. Bring to boil then reduce heat. Simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
6. Turn off skillet and remove from heat. Let sit for 10 minutes.
7. Serve warm over cooked jasmine rice.

{pin this}

If you need SE Asian inspiration, see other recipes here for Lao Food

Kao Pboon: Lao Curry Noodle Soup With Chicken

Kao Pboon (Lao Curry Noodle Soup With Chicken)

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes

Kao pboon has been my #1 pregnancy Lao food craving and I unashamedly had it for my last four meals. I adapted recipe ideas from Malisa’s Food Blog due to some motherhood constraints (i.e., omission of ingredients due to toddler tantrum in the Asian store, cheated with a bag of coleslaw mix, etc). For the full experience, include a stalk of lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and chicken feet when cooking the broth and include shredded banana blossom for the garnish. Kao pboon can be made with fish, pork, and chicken as in the following recipe, or without any meat for my vegetarian readers (just omit first step and make broth with rest of ingredients). Please note that these noodles are not pho noodles and not the clear, vermicelli noodles. They look like this.

How To Make Kao Pboon (serves family for couple days)

Ingredients for broth/soup:

• 1-2 pounds of chicken thighs, removed of excess fat and skin
• 1 inch of galangal, chopped into thirds
• 1 inch of ginger, chopped into thirds
• 1 tablespoon of salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon of cooking oil
• 1 scallion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons of red curry paste
• 1 can of coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons of fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons of sugar

Ingredients for serving:

• Rice vermicelli noodles
• Shredded coleslaw mix (or shred your own carrots and cabbage)
• Bean sprouts
• Lime wedges
• Fish sauce to taste

For the broth/soup:

1. Fill large stockpot with water along with the first five ingredients (chicken, galangal, ginger, salt, pepper).
2. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked.
3. Remove chicken pieces and allow to cool.
4. Continue simmer.
5. Cook vermicelli noodles and make noodle bundles. (See instructions below)
6. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones.
7. Pound chicken meat with mortar and pestle until shredded (or just shred it by hand or with a fork) and set aside.
8. Add oil in saucepan over medium-high heat, saute shallots, garlic, and curry paste until fragrant.
9. Stir in coconut milk, reduce heat, and simmer until fragrant.
10. Add curry coconut mixture to broth along with chicken, fish sauce, and sugar (adjusting to your tastes).

For vermicelli noodle bundles (adapted from Thai & Lao Food):

1. Cook noodles according to package directions.
2. With noodles in pot, drain hot water and replace with cold running water.
3. Continue Step 2 until the noodles are cool enough to handle.
4. Grab 3/4 – 1 cup of noodles with your thumb, index, and middle finger.
5. Wrap the hanging noodles around your index and middle finger making a bundle.
6. Place bundle in colander to drain and hold bundle shape.

For serving:

1. Serve garnishes on a plate along with fish sauce for personal preferences.
2. Layer noodles in large bowl, ladle broth over noodles, then top with garnishes and freshly squeezed lime.
3. Cover stockpot and refrigerate or leave on stove top.
4. Cover rice bundles and vegetables with plastic wrap and refrigerate until use.

{pin this}

Love cooking with curry? Check out my other curry posts here!

If you need SE Asian inspiration, see other recipes here for Lao Food

Jeow: Lao Dipping Sauce for Sour Fruit

Jeow (Sour Fruit Dipping Sauce)

Prep Time: 40 minutes (30 minutes refrigeration time)
Cook Time: 0 minutes

Jeow is a general term for ‘dipping sauce’ but there are dozens of varieties still with the same name. This particular recipe is best accompanied with a green (unripe) mango or a sour green apple although I have unconventionally tried it with sour strawberries, nectarines, and even a pickle. It tastes best after refrigeration.

Ingredients (serves two)

• 1 small scallion, thinly sliced rounds
• 3 tablespoons of fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 2 tablespoons of kao khoua (grounded toasted sticky rice)
• 1 tablespoon of dry chili flakes
• padek (fermented fish sauce) to taste (optional)

1. Peel the green mango/leave green apple peel on; slice into bite-size pieces or spears.
2. Mix all the ingredients together until dissolved.
3. Taste and adjust the seasonings based on your personal preference.
4. Refrigerate (for best taste) for 30 minutes, time varies based on your fridge.

{pin it}

If you need SE Asian inspiration, see other recipes here for Lao Food

Thum Maak Thang: Lao Cucumber Salad

Thum Maak Thang (Lao Cucumber Salad)

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: o minutes

Thum loosely means “mash or pound together.” The great thing about this recipe is that you can use a papaya (original), cucumber, carrots, or even cooked rice noodles as the main ingredient to make thum-anything. I “splurged” and went ahead and bought the $3 blue shredding tool (trust me, it’s awesome!) at the Asian store to make my life a bit more easier as authentic Lao cooks would use a knife to shred. If you can’t get your hands on padek (fermented fish sauce), you can use fish sauce if that’s what you have on hand but be sure to add sparingly and taste as you go!

Ingredients (serves two hungry adults)

• 1 garlic clove
• 1 Thai chili pepper (may adjust according to spice preference)
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of shrimp paste
• 2 large cucumbers, peeled and shredded
• 6 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 of a lime
• 1/2 tablespoon of sugar
• 1 tablespoon of padek
• Cooked sticky or Jasmine rice or cooked rice noodles

1. Pound the garlic, chili pepper, shrimp paste, and salt in a mortar with a pestle into a chunky paste or until you can smell the garlic.
2. Add a small handful of shredded cucumber along with the tomatoes and lightly mash with the paste.
3. Add the rest of the cucumber and continue to lightly mash with the help of a spoon to get the bottom juices to the top.
4. Juice the lime, add the sugar and continue to lightly mash to get the bottom juices mixed completely with the cucumber.
5. Add padek to the cucumber mixture and taste.
6. Serve with your favorite meat and rice or noodles.

{pin this}

If you need SE Asian inspiration, see other recipes here for Lao Food

Lao Curry

I’m two for two on this Lao food challenge. Not so shabby for slowly building my Lao woman cred! The decision for my second week was easy because I’ve made it before with the help of my hand-written notes from over the phone with my mom. I have since thrown that paper away and thank goodness (in this case) Mommy texts because she “wrote” her instructions for Lao curry all down for me! I, more or less, followed the instructions that were on the back of the Mae Ploy red curry paste container along with my Mom’s version and it was a great balance for what I had on hand and amateur Lao chef ability.

– Cooked jasmine rice – Mae Ploy red curry paste – 1 can of Chaokoh coconut milk – two cloves of garlic, minced – galanga, *finely chopped – ginger, *finely chopped – lemon grass, *finely chopped – one medium onion, coarsely chopped – two medium carrots, chopped – two medium Russet potatoes, cut into cubes – string beans, trimmed – sugar for taste – Lee Kum Kee shrimp sauce – precooked chicken (from previous day’s cooking)

*This is what I recommend- I didn’t chop them small enough/leave them big enough to avoid because the flavors are really strong if you get a bite of it. Some paste or pulverized versions would’ve been perfect.

My mom doesn’t provide or use measurements, she goes by taste. Lao cooking doesn’t use measuring cups or spoons, that’s the beauty of it all! Here is how I utilize my mom’s text alongside the curry container’s directions:

Step 1 I stir-fry 1 heaping tablespoon of curry paste into 1 tablespoon of canola oil then add 1 cup of coconut milk.

Step 2 Stir in the garlic, lemon grass, galanga and ginger for a couple minutes. If you have fresh meat, add it and cook for a few minutes.

Step 3 I add 1/2 cup of coconut milk and 1/2 cup of water and let it boil.

Step 4 Once boiling, I stir in the rest of my vegetables and occasionally stir until the potatoes are softened. Step 5 Once potatoes are softened, I add the precooked chicken, a small teaspoon of shrimp sauce and 3/4 tablespoon of sugar. *I add the rest of the coconut milk with equal part water.

Step 6 I let it boil once more then turned off the heat. It’s ready to eat!

My husband liked, I liked it, Humnoy kinda liked it. His Lao spice tolerance still needs to build immunity. What’s your favorite curry? Yellow, green, red? Can you handle lots of spice like me? 😀

Be sure to check out other Lao recipes at Weekly Lao Food Challenge.

Ghetto Lao Pho

Don’t have time to make real pho? Don’t want to go to a pho restaurant? Have time to run in an Asian market and have $10 to spend? Well then you’re eligible to make ghetto pho for two adult for two days! Enter my first dish for the Weekly Lao Food Challenge.

It was just like any other time I venture into an Asian goods store: Pick up some shrimp baked chips, jelly cups and their cheaply-priced cilantro. I usually walk the perimeter of the store 2-3 times to drench in the “Asian store smell” to see if I can come up with dinner. I left with four packs of instant pho, Thai basil, frozen meatballs, bean sprouts, cilantro and an Asian bakery snack for all of $9.40. How can you beat cheap Asian store goods?
Once home, I set up my ghetto “broth.” To be less ghetto, I use my packaged chicken stock in place of plain water. I slightly thaw the frozen meatballs under running cold water then put them in the boiling stock to reheat as they are precooked. You may wonder what exactly are in meatballs. To this I have no answer but it’s just a conglomerate of meat with tendon. Mystery Meat perhaps?

I set up my bowls. To be fair, I had some pho bowls in my possession because I’m a Lao poser and have them for times such as this. The instant pho comes with seasoning packets, which contain garlic powder, chili powder (if desired) and, of course, monosodium glutamate (MSG). Don’t give me that look! MSG has not been proven to have any long-term harmful effects and is used in plenty of Asian dishes! Why? Because it’s delicious.

I have Lee Kum Lee oyster-flavored sauce, Sriracha, Green Mountain seasoning sauce, Tiparos Thai fish sauce, sugar and Por Kwan instant beef flavor paste. All these can be found in any Asian food store and are critical to delicious Lao pho. I’m missing a few items but these are a must! For those who are used to Vietnamese restaurant servings, I hope you don’t belong to this group. Laotians put sugar in their pho. Why? Because it’s delicious.

Add the remaining fresh herbs, bean sprouts and lime juice — voila! You’ve got yourself ghetto pho! You, too, can feed two lazy and ghetto adults on $10! That’s the price of a small bowl at a restaurant.

One thing I would change for next ghetto pho is buying lower sodium beef broth because this chicken stock really overpowered the seasonings. Hopefully the next time, I just make real pho.

Have you tried instant pho? Would/did you like it?

Be sure to check out other Lao recipes at Weekly Lao Food Challenge.

Let the Weekly Lao Food Begin!

To better connect with Lao culture, I am starting out at home. At home with my husband and Humnoy, I would like to be more of a Lao woman. I’m already a Lao mom by practicing baby wearing, cloth diapering, breastfeeding and co-sleeping like my grandmother did in Laos with her four children. I am striving to be more like her by cooking Lao food. I don’t have the time nor the patience to do it every day like my grandmother and mother but I think I can do it at least once a week! Yes, once every seven days is do-able and I’d like to post new recipes I’ve done on here to hold myself accountable.

Using my mother’s recipes and sharing with the blogosphere, I, Laotian Commotion, will prepare a fresh Lao recipe at least once a week.

Can you guess what I made during my first week?

One Egg Roll Down, 224 More to Go

Preparing for a poukhan is like planning a Lao wedding: make lots of food! When you have lots of food, cards and alcohol, you know you’re at a Lao party. Humnoy’s poukhan is this weekend and we’re busy making food to share with our friends and family and any Lao party isn’t complete without egg rolls!

So here I am slaving away on the Lao sit stool slumped over a kao-thoke, a Laotian dinner table of sorts, making a ton of these crispy little morsels of rolled eats!

One down. Calling in my sister-in-law for reinforcements. Laotian Commotion: Out.

What’s your favorite Lao party food? What other cultures have you attended in their parties?

Fish Sauce for Breakfast, Anyone?

Every weekend with my folks always results in 5 pounds gained and food to take home to The Husband. This weekend was no different where I had at least three different types of Lao food as take-home tokens. Humnoy had his share of kao neow (sticky rice) as Grandma wore him around in her own version of a baby sling.

Supervising Grandma’s kao neow

Why is it that mainstream baby companies make their big bucks from simple ideas that come from foreign mothers with minimal resources? Seriously, my mom found a large scarf and used her Lao talent to tie Humnoy onto her hip while he happily grubbed on a wedge of sticky rice. In my Moby Wrap, a stretchy wrap that retails for at least $45, he’d be fussing and trying to do back flips to get out of it.

Lao Grandma- 1; Mom- 0

Lao breakfast isn’t confined to a simple eggs and ketchup task. Laotians will have lunch or dinner items for the first meal of the day before you see an omelet on the menu. Our last morning of our weekend stay was no exception. Friends, I had one of my Husband’s most-requested foods.

It’s spicy, coconutty and so beyond flavorful. I had “ga boun” kao poun for breakfast. Kao poun can be best described as curry noodle soup (Lao friends, please jump in to correct me if I’m wrong)! It reminds me of Mexican menudo because you have the stock with chicken meat then you add some sort of carb (in kao poun’s case, it’s noodles) then top off with fresh cabbage, cilantro and fresh squeezed lime. Don’t forget the bean sprouts and extra fish sauce, if desired!

Now that I’m back home, tomorrow morning will be unlike regular breakfasts in our household. Forget the eggs and gluten-free blueberry waffle, Mama’s going to have some kao poun.

What is your usual breakfast look like? Have you ever switched it up and had lunch/dinner for breakfast? Any unusual items you’ve had or made yourself for breakfast?