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Bún bò Nam Bộ
Lemongrass beef noodle bowl
Bún bò Nam Bộ: Hanoi dry rice-noodle bowl with lemongrass beef, herbs, peanuts and fried shallots
Despite the name, which means 'southern beef noodles', this dish belongs to Hanoi, where a stall on Hàng Điếu made it famous: a deep bowl of cool rice vermicelli, herbs and bean sprouts, topped with beef stir-fried hot with lemongrass, then peanuts, fried shallots and a few spoonfuls of sweet fish-sauce dressing, all tossed together at the table. It is a lunch dish, eaten fast and in summer. Chef's tip: cook the beef in small batches in a very hot pan; crowd it and the slices stew grey in their juices instead of searing.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the beef
- 16 oz beef sirloin or rumpsliced thinly across the grain
- 2 stalks lemongrasstender part, very finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlicminced
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 onionsliced
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
For the bowls
- 10 ½ oz rice vermicelli
- 1 small head lettuceshredded
- 5 ½ oz bean sprouts
- 1 large handful mixed herbsmint, Thai basil, perilla
- 3 ½ oz pickled carrot and green papayađồ chua
- 1 ¾ oz roasted peanutscrushed
- 4 tbsp crispy fried shallots
For the dressing
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- ½ cup warm water
- 1 red chillichopped
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What you'll need
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 16 oz beef sirloin or rump with 2 stalks lemongrass, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tsp sugar and ½ tsp black pepper. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 15 minutes.
15 minStep 2: Cook 10 ½ oz rice vermicelli in boiling water according to the packet, until soft with no white core, then rinse under cold water and drain well.
6 minStep 3: Stir 3 tbsp fish sauce, 3 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp lime juice, 1 tbsp rice vinegar and ½ cup warm water until dissolved, then add 1 red chilli.
2 minStep 4: Divide 1 small head lettuce, 5 ½ oz bean sprouts, 1 large handful mixed herbs and the noodles between four deep bowls.
3 minStep 5: Heat half of 1 tbsp neutral oil in a wok over a high heat until smoking. Stir-fry 1 onion for 1 minute, then add half the beef and toss until browned with no red left, about 2 minutes. Repeat with the rest of 1 tbsp neutral oil and beef.
6 minStep 6: Pile the hot beef and its juices over the noodles, add 3 ½ oz pickled carrot and green papaya, 1 ¾ oz roasted peanuts and 4 tbsp crispy fried shallots and spoon 4–5 tbsp of dressing into each bowl. Toss everything together at the table.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 590 kcal
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 76 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bún bò Nam Bộ take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of fish sauce?
- Soy sauce with a squeeze of lime (vegetarian).
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