Bun Cha
This fresh and zingy noodle dish is inspired by the Vietnamese classic, bun cha and features layers of spice, acidity, fragrance and a touch of sweetness.
From the book
Easy: Simply delicious home cooking
Simple recipes designed to minimise fuss and maximise flavour
From crowd-pleasing dinners to simple fakeaway favourites
The perfect guide to creating delicious food for every occasion
Introduction
This Vietnamese-inspired noodle recipe is super fresh with a kick of chilli. You can remove the seeds from the chilli for a less intense heat. Those little pork patties pack some serious flavour. You can cook this straight away or prep the pork in advance and let it marinate for a couple of hours in the fridge. Either way, it’s delicious.
Ingredients
| 500g | pork mince |
| 1 | small iceberg lettuce, shredded |
| 4 | carrots, grated |
| 4 | spring onions, chopped |
| 2 | red chillies, sliced |
| 1 small bunch of | Thai or regular basil or mint, leaves picked |
| 300g | vermicelli rice noodles |
| 1 tbsp | toasted sesame oil |
| 1 tbsp | vegetable oil |
| For the marinade: | |
|---|---|
| 4 | garlic cloves, chopped |
| 1 tbsp | dark soy sauce |
| 2 tsp | caster sugar |
| 1 tbsp | fish sauce |
| 1 tsp | ground black pepper |
| 1 | small red onion, finely chopped |
| For the dressing: | |
| 350ml | water |
| 75g | caster sugar |
| 100ml | fish sauce |
| juice of 2 limes |
Method
Put the pork mince into a bowl with all the marinade ingredients. Mix together using your hands until well combined. Roll into 12 even-sized balls. Set aside to marinate while you prep the other ingredients.
Put the lettuce, carrots, spring onions, chillies and basil into a bowl and toss together. Set aside.
Put the rice noodles into a bowl. Cover with boiling water and leave to soak for 5 minutes. Drain off the water, then add the sesame oil. Toss to stop them sticking together.
When the noodles are soaking, add the dressing ingredients to a small saucepan over a medium heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Turn off the heat.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat.
Add the marinated pork balls to the pan. Use the back of a spoon to flatten them down slightly to form small patties. Fry for about 3 minutes on each side until cooked all the way though with no pink remaining. When cooked, spoon 1 tsp of dressing over each patty.
Divide the noodles into serving bowls, then pour over some dressing. Top with the salad and patties. Drizzle with more dressing and serve.
Please note: Moderation is enabled and may delay your comment being posted. There is no need to resubmit your comment. By posting a comment you are agreeing to the website Terms of Use.