Luke Nguyen

Beef and Kohlrabi Salad

Gỏi Bò su Hào

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Preparation info

  • Difficulty

    Easy

  • Serves

    4-6

    as part of a Shared Meal

Appears in

top 1000The Songs of Sapa

The Songs of Sapa

By Luke Nguyen

Published 2009

  • About

SUZE AND I WERE SITTING AT A STALL IN THE BARBECUE MARKET IN SAPA. WE WERE INVITED BY THE TABLE NEXT TO US TO JOIN THEM; THEY WERE LOCALS FROM HANOI, FEASTING ON TRADITIONAL SAPA DISHES. ONE OF THE DISHES WAS WOK-TOSSED BEEF WITH A STRANGE PALE GREEN VEGETABLE CALLED KOHLRABI. I ASKED ONE OF THE LADIES WHAT THIS SWEET CRUNCHY VEGETABLE WAS. SHE TOOK MY HAND AND WE WENT TO THE MARKETS, WHERE SHE INTRODUCED IT TO ME.

KOHLRABI, MEANING ‘CABBAGE TURNIP, IS IN THE SAME FAMILY AS CABBAGE AND BROCCOLI. WHEN I RETURNED TO SYDNEY, I WENT TO THE MARKETS AND FOUND A LOVELY PURPLE VARIETY. I MADE A FEW DISHES WITH IT AND SERVED IT TO MY PARENTS. THEY TOO HAD NEVER EATEN IT, BUT LOVED IT.

Ingredients

  • 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) kohlrabi, peeled and julienned
  • 1 carrot, peeled and julienned
  • 100 ml (3½ fl oz) white vinegar
  • 100 g (3½ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 350 g (12 oz) beef eye fillet, trimmed and sliced into strips
  • 1 handful Vietnamese mint leaves
  • 1 handful Asian basil leaves
  • 1 handful perilla leaves
  • 1 tablespoon fried garlic
  • 4 tablespoons Aunty Nine’s salad dressing
  • 2 tablespoons roasted peanuts, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fried red Asian shallots

Method

In a large bowl, combine the kohlrabi, carrot, vinegar and sugar. Mix well, then cover and place in the fridge to marinate for 1 hour. Remove from the fridge and drain.

Place a frying pan over high heat, add the oil and fry the garlic until fragrant. Add the beef, season with ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and stir-fry for no longer than 3 minutes. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside.

In a serving bowl, combine the kohlrabi, carrot, Vietnamese mint, Asian basil, perilla, fried garlic and beef. Dress with Aunty Nine’s salad dressing and garnish with the peanuts and fried shallots.

© 2009 All rights reserved. Published by Murdoch Books.