¼ package of tofu
½ cup oil
2 teaspoons crushed and minced garlic
¼
cup finely chopped green onion
¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
½ cup mung beans
6
ounce ground meat marinated (page 119 in A Vietnamese Kitchen Cookbook)
¼ cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 pound (2 to 3) purple eggplant, cut 1 inch diagonally
1
medium tomato, cut into wedges
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup chopped tía tô mint (optional)
Clean and drain the vegetables thoroughly.
Marinate the meat using the recipe on page 119. Soak the tofu in a bowl of hot water for 15 to 20 minutes.
This will help firm the tofu. Meanwhile, start to organize and slice the ingredients.
Slice the soaked tofu into rectangular
shapes (1x2x¼ inch thick). Allow the tofu pieces to drain dry on a piece of paper towel for at least 5 minutes. Preheat
½ cup of oil in a frying pan at medium high heat. Fry the tofu in the oil until slightly golden. Transfer to a plate.
Use paper towels to soak the oil from the tofu. Pour all of the excess oil from the pan into a container for future use. Slice
the tofu into 1/8 to ¼ inch thin strips and put it a side in a bowl.
Combine the garlic, green onion, cilantro, and optional tía tô
mint in a bowl. Mix well and put aside. Rinse the mung beans in a strainer. Pour 2 cups of water into a medium to large saucepan.
Bring to a boil at medium high heat. Add mung beans. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Drain, rinse and
place the mung beans aside in a small bowl.
Using the same saucepan, stir in the marinated meat over medium high heat.
Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink. Pour 5 cups of water over the fried meat. Mix well. Add
the cooked mung beans, chopped onion, salt and fish sauce. Cook for 5 minutes. Skim the top layer of foam, if any. Reduce
the heat to medium. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the eggplant, tomato, and tofu. Stir to blend all the ingredients together evenly.
Cover the saucepan with a lid. Keep the lid slightly open to prevent the broth from overflowing when boiling. Cook for 15
more minutes.
Remove the saucepan from the
heat. Add cilantro, green onion and garlic mix. Sprinkle black pepper over the chowder. Taste the broth and adjust with additional
salt or water if necessary. Serve as an appetizer or with steamed rice.
