Vietnamese cuisine does not include many fried dishes, but when it does, they’re never deep-fried, just lightly fried in a thin layer of oil (never lard) in a skillet or frying pan. Occasionally the food is in a light batter. The foods are generally fried for just a short amount of time and are drained immediately on paper towels. Our frying doesn’t make greasy foods, but simply gives certain dishes a nice crunch.