Goi Ngo Sen (Lotus Root Salad)

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Ready in 2.5 hours

Serves 2-4 people

Ingredients

  • 500g lotus root

  • 100g carrots, shredded

  • 200g pork belly or thigh

  • 100g shrimp

  • 1 onion

  • 50g kieu chua (optional)

  • 1 cabbage (optional)

  • Celery (optional)

  • Rau ram (cilantro, coriander, mint etc..) -herbs that are commonly use in Southeast Asian cuisine

  • lime, chili, fish sauce, salt, sugar, and vinegar

  • 100g roasted peanut

  • Fried onion

 

Preparation

Lotus Root

  1. Cut in half to about 5 cm long, and split in half.

  2. Submerge in water with lime juice to keep the lotus root fresh for about 15 min.

  3. Remove the lotus root, let dry.

Carrots

  1. Slice into thin slices, similar size as the lotus root.

Pork Belly

  1. Boil for at least 10 minutes.

  2. Drain the water, then boil again with new water until pork is fully cooked.

  3. Cut into thin slices.

  4. Add salt for extra flavor.

Shrimp

  1. Microwave for about 1 to 2 minutes

  2. Check if fully cooked. If not, microwave in 30 second intervals until cooked.

  3. Cut in half.

Onions

  1. Cut into thin slices.

  2. Submerge in vinegar and sugar .

Vinegar and Sugar Mix Preparations

  1. Medium heat to cook mixture of vinegar sugar and water. The ratio should be 1:1:2 sugar to vinegar to water.

  2. Stir while cook to fully dissolve sugar.

  3. Let cool completely before submerge lotus roots, carrots, and onions (also cabbage, celery) into the mixture.

  4. Let everything sit in the mixture for about 1 to 2 hours, then let dry before mixing.

Fish Sauce Preparations

  1. Cook in ratio of 1:2 fish sauce to sugar, cook and simmer until the texture similar to honey.

  2. Mix extra fish sauce with water, lime juice, chili and sugar.

Putting it All Together 

  1. Mix everything together, leave ⅓ shrimp, ⅓ pork, to put on top of everything

  2. Mix the fish sauce into the salad and add lime. Add extra salt to taste. 

  3. Accompany the salad with Banh Phong Tom (Shrimp Cracker).