Bo La Lot ( Vietnamese Grilled Lemongrass Beef wrapped in Wild Betel Leaf)

Sometime i feel my kitchen is like International café, I cook Chinese, Japanese, Malay, India, Thai, Vietnam, Italian & etc..I am especially like to cook those dishes that I have tasted in a restaurant or foods that I tasted while travelling. I have been cooking few Thai dishes and Vietnamese dishes, hopefully I can post it up soonest since my memory still fresh. I first tasted Bo La Lot was at the Ben Tahn market . The other day when I tried to clean up some of the wild betel leaves wildly spread at the backyard, perfect timing to try this Bo La Lot (Vietnamese Grilled Lemongrass Beef wrapped in Betel Leaf)).

This is how Vietnam peoples like to enjoy Bo La Lot, with a lot of fresh herbs, rice vermicelli, and with Vietnamese style of chili dipping sauce

 

I learnt this Nuoc cham sauce (Vietnamese chili dipping sauce) from a shop owner in Ben Than market while I buying fish sauce from her.

 



 

Ingredients for Bo La Lot

 

I just roll it the most simple ways, actually there are few difference way of wrapping it.

 

I simply grill them in a oven, if grill on charcoal fire, it will be perfect!

 

When my daughter first tasted this Bo La Lot,  " Mom, this is so juicy and yummy ".
My tips is add some water into the mixture to make it moist..


 

since my little son can't accept betel leaf, I also grill some chicken, using same seasonings but with additional of fresh turmeric

I always love Vietnamese foods, with a lot of fresh herbs and salad.

Bo La Lot ( Vietnamese Grilled Lemongrass Beef wrapped in Wild Betel Leaf)

(recipe source: ref to here and here, recipe by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover)

330g beef mince

2 lemongrass stems, white part only, sliced
2 shallots, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped

3/4tsp salt

1/2tbsp fish sauce
1tsp sugar
White pepper
1tsp cooking oil
1tbsp water
1/2tbsp corn flour

Fresh wild betel leaves (daun kaduk) , washed and pat dry
Wooden skewers, soak in water

Method

1. Pound lemongrass white stems, shallots and garlic with a mortar and pestle.
2. Combine lemongrass mixture, beef and all seasonings in a mixing bowl, mix till evenly combined.
3. To form the rolls, lay one betel leaf shiny side down with the stem of the leaf pointing towards you. Spoon approximately 1 tablespoon of the beef mixture onto the bottom half of the leaf and roll the leaf from bottom to top, like a sausage roll
4. Use a wooden skewer to pierce a hole through the leaf, through which the stem may be inserted to fasten the roll. Repeat this process with the remaining betel leaves and beef mixture.
5. Use a wooden skewers to skewer few rolls together, which will make turning for even cooking easier
6. Brush cooking oil on all rolls, grill at a pre-heated oven at 190C for 5-10mins.

Nuoc cham sauce (Vietnamese chili dipping sauce)

200ml hot water

1 and 1/2tbsp sugar
1tbsp fish sauce
1/4tsp salt
1 and ½ lime juices
2 fresh red chili, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped

Method

1. Melt sugar with hot water.
2. Mix all seasonings, chili and garlic together, adjust the taste accordingly.

To serve Bo La Lot - scatter crushed roasted peanuts over the top of cold rice vermicelli noodles. Serve with nuoc cham sauce in individual bowls for dipping together with fresh salad and herbs ( carrot, bean sprouts, cucumber, basil leaves, coriander leaves and mint leaves)