Noodles may conjure up a specific image in your mind, but for us Vietnamese, they come in a range of shapes and sizes, depending on the type of flour used to make them and the accompanying ingredients
I had a post about Pho- a beef noodles soup not long ago, and today I am going to introduce to you Hu Tiu Nam Vang (again, it is another noodle soup) which I just made for my family this evening. In fact, it was very difficult for me to manage to have enough ingredients during the Covid-19 pandemic. I had to go to a number of supermarkets and queued in a long line for my turn to get inside. Luckily, I got just enough stuff for a typical bowl of Hu Tiu Nam Vang.
Please don’t be confused when I say that “hu tiu” can be regarded as either a type of noodle or the name of a dish that has a number of variations. The dish was originally made by Chinese people living in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Later, it was introduced to the South of Vietnam and has become so popular. Compared to other Hu Tiu dishes, Hu Tiu Nam Vang comes out with its distinctive features and its quality is something you will find hard to resist.
The broth, as always, is extremely important because it decides the quality of a bowl of noodle soup. In my case, the mixture of water with dried shrimp and pork bones, onion, and turnip was simmered in around 45 minutes, resulting in a pleasant sweetness.
Preparing the topping for the dish took me quite a lot of time. The shrimp, quail eggs, pork heart, and lean pork were boiled with the last two being cut into slices after that. The ground pork was fried until it drained. Garlic was ground and fried in oil until it was crispy, and this element makes me always enjoy Hu Tiu Nam Vang so much.
Spring onion was cut into small pieces. The noodle used in Hu Tiu Nam Vang is a bit different from others as it is tougher, and without the right type of noodle for this, it is likely that you can never have an original bowl of Hu Tiu Nam Vang. The noodle needs to be boiled quickly in nearly boiling water before being used
When everything is prepared, the final stage is very enjoyable. A bowl is filled with beansprouts and chives as the first layer, then comes the boiled hu tiu. The bowl was topped with the remaining ingredients arranged in a way that the entire thing could be seen. The broth is then poured over the bowl, and with some pepper comes, at last, the dish is ready to be served.
My bowl
A little version for my baby
As a meat lover, my husband had the biggest one :)))
The dish takes more steps than other types of hu tiu dishes, but the distinctive flavor is something you will never complain about. I am not sure if the one I made for my family was good enough, but when my husband said he could have it for 2 days in a row, I knew that he really enjoyed the meal.