Making Delicious and Authentic Simmered Dishes: A Simple Guide

Simmered dishes are a popular, simple dish that has become a favorite in many Vietnamese households. Let's explore some delicious simmered dish recipes that you can easily prepare at home with Mytour.vn!

Guide to Making Flavorful Simmered Dishes for Dipping Vegetables

Ingredients Preparation

• 500 grams of pork belly.
• 50 grams of dried small shrimp.
• Various spices: fish sauce, seasoning, pepper, salt, sugar, chili sauce, etc.
• Chilies, garlic, shallots, scallions, etc.

Steps to Make Delicious and Flavorful Simmered Dish 

Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients 

• Rinse the pork belly with brine, then wash it thoroughly with 2 – 3 rounds of water and drain. Remove the skin and cut the meat into small pieces about one finger width. 
• Soak the dried small shrimp in hot water for 10 minutes, then rinse with clean water and drain.
• Finely chop shallots, garlic, and cut scallions into small pieces. Remove seeds from the chili, wash, and cut it into small crosswise pieces.

Step 2: Prepare the Quẹt Sauce 

Mix 10 tablespoons of fish sauce, 6 tablespoons of sugar, and 7 tablespoons of water. Add a bit of seasoning, pepper, and chili sauce. Stir well until the sugar is completely dissolved in the water. 

Step 3: Pan-fry the Meat

Heat the pan, then add about a tablespoon of cooking oil to the pan and start frying the meat over medium heat for about 4 – 5 minutes or until the meat releases its fat, turns golden and crispy. Remove the meat and drain excess oil.

Step 4: Prepare the Delicious Quẹt

Step 5: Complete the Dish - Quẹt Dipping Sauce with Fresh Vegetables

Enjoy the fruits of your labor in the kitchen! The savory and sweet kho quẹt paired with fresh vegetables is absolutely fantastic!

How to Make Quẹt Pork Belly to Eat with Rice

Ingredients

• 500 grams of pork belly.
• Seasonings: fish sauce, sugar, broth powder, MSG, salt, chili paste, pepper,...
• Purple onions, scallions, hot peppers.
• White wine.

Steps to Make Quẹt Pork Belly

Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients

• When you get the pork belly, make sure to wash it thoroughly with water. Then, use white wine for a final wash to completely eliminate the meat's odor. Drain the meat and cut it into bite-sized pieces.
• Purple onions, peel and slice thinly. Wash the scallions, crush the root part, and finely chop the leaf part.

Step 2: Prepare the Quẹt Fish Sauce

Mix 10 tablespoons of fish sauce, 4 tablespoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of MSG, and 10 tablespoons of water. Stir the mixture well.

Step 3: Make Quẹt Pork Belly

• Heat the pan on the stove, then add a tablespoon of oil to fry the pork with low heat. When the meat is firm and golden, remove excess oil. Next, add the sliced scallion and thin-sliced shallots to the pan for sautéing.
• Stir until you smell the fragrant scallions, then add the quẹt fish sauce mixture. Continue simmering until the mixture thickens and caramelizes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then turn off the heat. Finally, add scallions, spicy chili, and pepper.

Step 4: Complete the Quẹt Pork Dish for Rice

Quẹt pork belly eaten with hot rice is a top-notch dish on the family dining table. Hurry to the kitchen to showcase your cooking skills to your family and friends!

Simple Steps for Making Vegetarian Quẹt

Ingredients Preparation

• 2 blocks of white tofu.
• Onions, garlic, scallions, chili, pepper.
• Seasonings: salt, sugar, broth powder, soy sauce,...

Steps for Making Vegetarian Quẹt

Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients

• White tofu washed with water, drained, and finely diced.
• Onions and garlic peeled, crushed, and finely chopped.
• Scallions cleaned, trimmed, and chopped.
• Chili peppers washed, deseeded, and finely sliced.

Step 2: Sauté the Tofu

Heat the pan and add a sufficient amount of oil for frying the diced tofu. Once the oil is hot, add the diced tofu and gently flip until the tofu turns golden and crispy. Remove and drain excess oil.

Step 3: Cook the Vegetarian Quẹt

Step 4: Complete the Vegetarian Quẹt Dish 

With this simple method of making vegetarian quẹt, you can now enjoy it with rice, dipping into various fresh vegetables. 

How to Make Fish-Free Quẹt with Fish Sauce

For this meat-free quẹt dish, you can substitute the meat with other ingredients such as: bread, bitter melon, mushrooms,... Or, keep it simple with a fish sauce-based quẹt. Explore aromatic fish sauce products suitable for making quẹt HERE.

In this section, Mytour will guide you through making a straightforward meat-free quẹt using readily available kitchen spices.

Ingredients Preparation

Ingredients for making meat-free Quẹt include: fish sauce, sugar, cooking oil, pepper, scallions, shallots, garlic, fresh chili. 

Steps to Make Meat-Free Quẹt

Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients

• Peel and finely chop shallots and garlic. Clean the scallions, crush the root part, and cut the leaf part into small pieces separately.
• Rinse and finely chop the chili, you can remove the seeds according to your preference.

Step 2: Make Meat-Free Quẹt

Step 3: Complete the Meat-Free Quẹt Dish

• After seasoning to taste, add the remaining scallions, chili, and pepper, then turn off the heat. That's it! You've just prepared a simple but delicious meat-free Quẹt dish that will surely complement your rice!

Keep these recipes handy to cook for your beloved family: how to cook oyster porridge, how to make Italian pasta, how to make fried spring rolls, beef stew noodle soup, Thai seafood hotpot,...

How to Make Simple Dried Shrimp Quẹt

Ingredients Preparation

Ingredients for making dried shrimp Quẹt include: dried shrimp, onions, garlic, green onions, chili, pepper, and various spices (fish sauce, sugar, chili sauce, cooking oil, etc.). You can also add a bit of minced pork if you like.

Steps to Make Dried Shrimp Quẹt

Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients

• Rinse the dried shrimp and soak them in warm water for about 10 minutes, then drain.
• Peel and finely chop the onions and garlic. Clean and cut the green onions into small pieces. Crush or slice the chili into small pieces.

Step 2: Sauté the Dried Shrimp

Heat a pot with a little oil and sauté the onions and garlic until fragrant. Once the onions and garlic are fragrant, add the dried shrimp and sauté until crispy. If you're using minced meat, add it and sauté together with the dried shrimp.

Step 3: Make Dried Shrimp Quẹt

Irresistible Recipe for Pork Fat Quẹt

Ingredients

• Pork fat.
• Shallots, garlic, lime, spring onions.
• Common spices: sugar, salt, seasoning powder, pepper, fish sauce, cooking oil, chili sauce.

Steps to Make Pork Fat Quẹt

Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients

• Clean the pork fat thoroughly with water, then use lime to scrub the surface of the pork fat to reduce the smell. Rinse again. Drain and cut into bite-sized pieces.
• Peel and crush or finely chop the garlic. Clean and chop the spring onions. Remove the stems from the chili and slice into thin rings.

Step 2: Render the Pork Fat

Heat a pan over low heat and add the cut pork fat to render. Stir evenly for about 7-10 minutes until the fat is mostly melted, golden, and crispy. Remove the rendered pork fat and let it drain.

Step 3: Prepare the Pork Fat Dip

• Heat a pot with a bit of oil and a spoonful of sugar to create a caramel color. Add chopped garlic and stir-fry.
• Include fish sauce, water, and the seasoning mix of broth, sugar, and chili sauce. Stir well and simmer until the sauce thickens.
• Add the rendered pork fat, mix well, and adjust the seasoning to taste. Add chili and pepper, then simmer for an additional 1-2 minutes to infuse the flavors into the pork fat. Finally, add spring onions, turn off the heat, and enjoy.

How to Make Fish Fat Dip

Ingredients for Fish Stew

• 40 grams dried anchovy.
• 250 grams snakehead fish fillet.
• 20 grams dried shrimp.
• 100 grams pork fat.
• Onions, garlic, green pepper, Sichuan pepper, chili, spring onions.
• Seasonings: fish sauce, sugar, soy sauce, and broth powder.

Steps to Make Fish Stew

Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients

• After purchasing snakehead fish and pork fat, rinse them with diluted saltwater to eliminate any odor. Rinse again with clean water and let them drain.
• Cut the snakehead fish into pieces with a length of about 2cm. Cut the pork fat into bite-sized cubes.
• Rinse the dried shrimp and dried anchovy, then soak in warm water for about 10 minutes and drain.
• Peel and finely chop onions and garlic. Rinse and chop spring onions. Crush Sichuan pepper.

Step 2: Render Pork Fat and Fry Ingredients

• Heat oil in a pan and fry the dried anchovy first. Fry until it becomes crispy, then remove and drain excess oil.
• Next, lightly fry the snakehead fish fillet. Once the fish is firm, remove from the pan.
• Use another pan to render pork fat. When the fat is almost fully rendered, add chopped garlic to enhance the aroma of the fat.
• Once the pork fat topping is golden and crispy, strain it separately to drain excess oil.

Step 3: Prepare the Fish Stew Sauce

Step 4: Braising the Fish Stew

• In a large pot, sauté chopped onions and garlic in fragrant oil.
• Next, add dried shrimp and sauté until fragrant. Then, add snakehead fish, green peppercorns, dried anchovies, and finally, dried anchovy fish into the pot. Note that the sauce should cover the surface of the ingredients, allowing the flavors to permeate evenly.
• Close the lid and simmer over low heat until the sauce thickens. Finally, add rendered pork fat, spring onions, and a bit more pepper on the surface.

Step 4: Complete the Braised Fish Stew

The delightful braised fish stew is complete, featuring chewy snakehead fish, tender snakehead fish, dried shrimp, and well-infused pork fat. This promises a highly enticing meal for you. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

What are the ingredients for making braised fish stew?

Common ingredients for making braised fish paste typically include easily accessible daily items such as:

• Pork (pork belly, pork fat, or pork loin).
• Dried shrimp.
• Various fish (if making fish paste).
• Onions, garlic, chili, pepper, and green onions for added flavor.
• Fish sauce.
• …

What vegetables are commonly eaten with braised fish paste?

Braised fish paste is a very versatile dish as you can pair it with any type of vegetables. The most commonly used vegetables accompanying braised fish paste are:

• Various tubers: corn, bitter melon, carrots, chayote, etc.
• Various greens: water spinach, cabbage, Chinese mustard greens, kale, etc.

Here is a compilation of simple and delicious ways to make braised fish paste at home that you can showcase to your family and friends in intimate meals. Follow Mytour's website https://Mytour.vn/blog/ for more diverse cooking recipes. Mytour hopes to help you become a great chef in your family.