ABOUT RACHELChef-proprietor of the award-winning Demuths restaurant in Bath for 25 years, Rachel is now dedicated to running the Demuths Vegetarian Cookery School, which offers a range of themed workshops, guest chef events, cookery holidays in France and Italy, and the Demuths Vegetarian and Vegan Diplomas for professional chefs and keen cooks. As a well-travelled foodie, Rachel loves to combine her passion for global cuisine with the best of locally grown produce.www.demuths.co.uk

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Vietnamese food really gets your taste-buds tingling. Dishes are packed with crunchy vegetables, fresh herbs and sour fruits. There are fried snacks with dipping sauces, noodle soups, rich coconut curries, and big bowls of steaming rice at the centre of every meal. The distinctive citrusy flavours come from coriander, lime juice and zest, lemongrass and galangal. Pungent garlic and shallots are also used. Everything is balanced with salty fish sauce – or, for vegetarians, shoyu – sour tamarind, sweet palm sugar, and fiery hot chillies.

The cuisine has been influenced by China, particularly in the north, and by Thailand in the south. There are still relics from the days of French colonisation too – baguettes, crêpes and crème caramels. But Vietnamese food is lighter and more refreshing than Chinese or Thai food. For a start, the Vietnamese use very little oil. They like sharp flavours, typically simple, grilled food and clear soups. They always serve a plate of green leaves, herbs and sour fruit to complement the dishes and freshen the palate. Fried food is often eaten wrapped in lettuce or herb leaves, and vegetables are cooked lightly so they retain lots of crunch and colour.

The north of Vietnam is cold in the winter, so they tend to use less spice, more noodles, and have more warming dishes. Pho is the famous noodle soup, which is sold on every street corner. In the centre of Vietnam, the old imperial capital of Hue has a unique cuisine with lots more chillies and vegetarian dishes due to the long line of Buddhist monks from the Mahayana tradition. In the south of Vietnam, they specialise in spicy coconut curries.

What sets Vietnamese cuisine apart from its neighbours – Thailand, Cambodia, China and Laos – is the use of fresh leaves and herbs. Some are familiar to us here, like coriander, others are exclusively grown in Vietnam. Rau ram is the most important Vietnamese herb. It’s very aromatic with pink stems and pointed purplish leaves and is known as Vietnamese mint, even though it isn’t related to our mint. They also use Thai basil, with its distinctive aniseed taste;

perilla, a wide purple leaf from the mint family, which is similar to Japanese shiso with a lemony mint flavour; and saw-leaf herb which has long, serrated, green leaves, is very pungent and smells like coriander.

Vietnam’s narrow, curving ‘S’ shape hugs the coast of Indochina for almost 2,000 kilometres and large rivers pour into the sea, providing rich silt for growing rice in the deltas. Most of the rice is grown in the Red River delta in the north and the Mekong delta in the south, with more than half of fertile land devoted to rice production. Not surprisingly, Vietnam is now the third largest rice producer in the world.

Inevitably, rice is also the staple food. Steamed rice is served with everything – and jasmine and glutinous rice are the most widely eaten. Jasmine rice is an aromatic long-grain variety with a subtler flavour than basmati; it is also known as Thai fragrant rice. White glutinous rice is favoured in the north. It has short grains and has to be soaked before cooking, which produces a sticky mass that can be sweetened and eaten with mango or rolled into balls to scoop up curries. Black glutinous rice is eaten sweet, often for breakfast with coconut crème. Rice is also used to make noodles, flour, spring roll wrappers (banh trang , which are paper-thin and made with rice and water,) vinegar and wine.

Many different types of noodles are also eaten and are added to soups, salads and broths, as well as being used for noodle-based dishes. Rice noodles or mung bean noodles (also called cellophane or glass noodles) are the most popular; both

Packed with zingy flavours, fresh herbs and crisp veg, aromatic Vietnamese cuisine is perfect for enjoying in the summer months, says Rachel Demuth.

Flavours of Vietnam

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are wheat-free and vegan. There are three different types of rice noodles: wide rice noodles for pho, medium stick noodles for stir-fries, and thin vermicelli noodles for soups. Noodles are best bought dried and then rehydrated in boiling water for a few minutes until they are soft.

This month’s recipes feature three different styles of cuisine for you to try: a classic south Vietnamese curry dish with coconut and turmeric served with jasmine rice, rice paper wraps filled with raw veg and crispy tempeh, and a mung bean noodle salad with fried jackfruit.

VIETNAMESE INGREDIENTSCHILLIES Heat is crucial in Vietnamese cooking. Small red and green bird’s-eye chillies are commonly used, as well as dried red chillies and hot chilli powder.

TURMERIC ROOT Turmeric gives a bright yellow colour to food and has a distinctive carroty, citrusy flavour. Fresh turmeric root does stain, so be careful when preparing.

LEMONGRASS A perennial grass and an essential flavour for Vietnamese cooking. Buy it fresh, then freeze either whole or chopped. Use the wider base of the stem finely chopped in recipes and keep the narrow end for adding flavour to stock.

LIME Both the zest and juice are essential for adding a sour flavour.

BANANA LEAF These are used as a wrapping to make parcels which are steamed. Banana leaf is also used traditionally as a plate to serve dishes on, particularly at special celebrations.

PALM SUGAR An unrefined sugar made from boiling the sap of the palmrya palm, which is sold in blocks and can be light or dark. Each type of palm sugar has a distinctive taste. Palm sugar keeps well; just grate as much as you need.

JACKFRUIT A huge green fruit with tough knobbly skin, when ripe it has sweet yellow flesh surrounding the large pips. It’s used green and unripe as a savoury fruit and is available ready-prepared in tins.

Coconut turmeric curry with lemongrass fried tofu This curry has a beautiful rich yellow colour from the fresh turmeric and is easy to make. It doesn’t take long to cook, so make sure you prepare all the veg before you start.

Serves 4 | Prep 15 mins | Cook 30 mins

1 tbsp sunflower oil2 banana shallots, halved and finely sliced4 fresh lemongrass stalks, outer leaves removed and base gently bruised (see cook’s tip)5 small red chillies, pierced with the tip of a knife4 cloves garlic, sliced and crushed5cm fresh turmeric root, peeled and finely chopped2 tsp ground cumin2 tsp ground coriander2 x 400ml cans coconut milk400ml water

2 tsp tamari4 carrots, cut into 2cm-thick slices2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm-thick slices150g oyster mushrooms, torn into large pieces200g baby corn100g baby spinach6 spring onions, sliced in halflarge handful of herbs: Vietnamese mint, Thai basil, perilla, corianderlemongrass fried tofu (see recipe, on page 38) jasmine rice, to serve

1 Prepare the vegetables and spices before you start making the curry.2 In a large pan, heat the oil and fry the shallots, lemongrass and chillies for 5 minutes until the shallots are soft and translucent.3 Add the garlic and turmeric and gently fry for 2 minutes, then add the ground cumin and coriander and fry for another minute until fragrant.

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COCONUT TURMERIC CURRY WITH LEMONGRASS FRIED TOFU

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4 Add the coconut milk, water and tamari and bring to the boil. Add the carrot and sweet potato and simmer gently for 15 minutes or until tender.5 Stir in the oyster mushrooms and baby corn and simmer gently for a couple of minutes. Add the spinach, spring onions and herbs, stir through and turn off the heat.6 Serve the curry with the lemongrass fried tofu and jasmine rice.COOK’S TIP To prepare the lemongrass, cut the top half off and peel off any dry outer leaves. Gently bruise the bulbous end with the handle of a knife or a rolling pin. You just need to open it up a little bit to help release the flavour, but don’t bash too hard as it should stay in one piece.

PER SERVING (INCLUDING TOFU) 680 cals, fat 49g, sat fat 31g, carbs 39g, sugars 21g, protein 18g, salt 1.55g, fibre 10g

Rice paper rolls with tempeh, fresh vegetables and herbs Rice paper rolls or summer rolls make a lovely dinner party starter and it’s fun for your guests to make their own. They are best eaten straight away.

Serves 4 | Prep 30 mins | Cook 10 mins

50g mung bean noodles60g bean sprouts, washed1 carrot, cut into matchsticks

10cm piece of daikon (mooli), cut into matchsticks½ red pepper, deseeded and cut into matchsticks¼ cucumber, cut into matchsticks¼ mango, cut into sliceshandful of lettuce leaveshandful of herbs: Vietnamese mint, Thai basil, coriander, mint/basil leaves3 tbsp plain flour¼ tsp salt¼ tsp black pepper

Chef’slarder

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LEMONGRASS FRIED TOFU Serve this fried tofu with the coconut curry, or as a snack with the shoyu dipping sauce (see recipe, opposite).

350g plain firm tofu400ml sunflower oil, plus 1 tbsp2 fresh lemongrass stalks, finely sliced2 small red chillies, deseeded2 cloves garlic, peeled2cm fresh turmeric root, peeled2 tsp tamari2 tsp water2 tsp rice vinegar2 tsp palm sugar

Cut the tofu into 12 cubes and gently pat dry on paper towel. Heat the 400ml of oil in a wok or deep saucepan to 170C and carefully drop in the tofu cubes. Fry for about 5 minutes until they are crisp and golden. Remove and drain well on paper towel.

Finely chop the lemongrass, chillies, garlic and turmeric together, using a knife or small food processor.

Heat a wok or frying pan with the 1 tablespoon of oil and fry the lemongrass paste for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the tofu and mix well for 20 seconds to evenly coat.

Mix the tamari, water, vinegar and palm sugar together. Drizzle over the tofu, quickly mixing it through and stir-fry for another 20 seconds.

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¼ tsp chilli flakes350g pack of tempeh, cut into 12 thin slices4 tbsp sunflower oil12 large round dried rice paper wrappersshoyu dipping sauce (see recipe, right)

1 Soak the mung bean noodles in hot water for 10 minutes until they are soft. Drain and chop into 5cm lengths.2 Prepare the vegetables, placing each variety in a separate bowl. Leave the lettuce leaves whole and don’t chop the herbs.

3 Put the flour in a bowl and stir in the salt, black pepper and chilli flakes. Dip the tempeh in the flour to evenly coat. Heat the oil in a wide frying pan and fry both sides of the tempeh, until crisp and golden. Drain on paper towel to remove any excess oil.4 To rehydrate the dried rice paper wrappers, fill a large bowl with cold water, about 10cm deep. Dunk one rice paper at a time into the water for a few seconds, then carefully take it out and place on a plate or chopping board.

5 Create a square of the leaves, herbs, matchstick vegetables, fruit and noodles in the middle of the rice paper, and top with a piece of crispy tempeh. Fold the sides in to meet in the middle and roll up tightly over the filling.6 Cut in two and serve with the cut-side uppermost. Serve at once with shoyu dipping sauce.

PER SERVING (WITH SAUCE) 477 cals, fat 17g, sat fat 1g, carbs 54g, sugars 10g, protein 22g, salt 2.14g, fibre 8g

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SHOYU DIPPING SAUCE Fish sauce is in all Vietnamese food, so for vegetarians this has to be replaced. This is our vegetarian version to use instead.

4 tbsp water or fresh coconut juice1 tsp rice vinegar1 tsp palm sugar1 tbsp lime juice2 cloves garlic, finely chopped1 red chilli, finely chopped2 tbsp shoyu or 1 tbsp tamari

Mix the water or fresh coconut juice with the vinegar and sugar, until the sugar has dissolved. Add the lime juice, garlic and chilli and stir in the shoyu or tamari. Leave to sit for the flavours to infuse.

RICE PAPER ROLLS WITH TEMPEH, FRESH

VEGETABLES AND HERBS

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Chef’slarder

Mung bean noodle salad with crispy fried jackfruit Green jackfruit has become a very trendy meat substitute, as when it’s cooked it has the consistency of pulled pork. Buy tins of green jackfruit, which is unripe and not sweet, from Asian stores.

Serves 4 | Prep 30 mins | Cook 20 mins

150g mung bean noodles10cm piece of daikon (mooli), peeled2 carrots, peeled½ courgettehandful of bean sprouts1 tbsp untoasted sesame oil1 can green jackfruit, drained, rinsed and sliced3 cloves garlic, chopped150ml shoyu dipping sauce (see recipe, on page 39)

1 tbsp palm sugar2 onions, sliced finelylarge handful per person of Vietnamese mint/basil, finely shredded2 tbsp crispy fried shallots50g peanuts, roasted and chopped

For the dressing:2 tbsp shoyu dipping sauce (see recipe, on page 39)1 tbsp palm sugar1 small red chilli, slicedjuice of 1 lime

1 Soak the mung bean noodles in hot water for 10 minutes until tender, then drain.2 Julienne the daikon, carrots and courgette into long thin strips. Place the vegetables in a large bowl with the noodles and bean sprouts. Mix the dressing ingredients together and set aside.

3 Heat the sesame oil in a wide frying pan, then add the jackfruit and garlic. Fry for a minute, then add the shoyu dipping sauce and palm sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer on medium heat and cook until all the liquid has absorbed and evaporated. 4 Scatter in the onion slices and keep cooking and frying, until the jackfruit is crispy and caramelised.5 To serve, pour the dressing over the vegetables, bean sprouts and noodles, mix well and place in a serving bowl. Scatter the herbs generously over the top, and add the crispy jackfruit, fried shallots and peanuts.COOK’S TIP You could use rice noodles instead of mung bean noodles. Crispy fried shallots can be found at Asian stores.

PER SERVING 440 cals, fat 11g, sat fat 2g, carbs 72g, sugars 37g, protein 8g, salt 1.98g, fibre 11g

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MUNG BEAN NOODLE SALAD WITH CRISPY

FRIED JACKFRUIT

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