Banh canh ghe nuoc cot dua gives a broth far richer than the usual bowl. The pleasure is in the coconut scented soup, firm crab meat and clear noodles. The tricky part is that a hard boil splits the coconut milk and leaves it looking curdled.
The crab is stir fried with lemongrass, shallot, garlic and annatto oil for about 2 minutes before the coconut milk goes in. From there it cooks for 15 to 20 minutes with steady skimming.
This batch weighs about 6.2kg, at roughly 108 calories per 100g.
Method
Soak the 1.5kg of crab in lightly salted water for 10 to 15 minutes, remove the aprons, rinse and drain.
Grate the meat from half a dried coconut, add about 100ml water, press out the milk, strain it through a sieve, then thin it to 1.5 liters.
Soak 500g straw mushrooms in lightly salted water for 5 minutes, rinse, drain and quarter them. Peel the quail eggs. Cut the lemongrass into lengths and bruise them. Peel and mince the shallots and garlic. Rinse and drain the bean sprouts and shredded water spinach.
Heat 3 tablespoons cooking oil in a pot, add the lemongrass, minced shallot and garlic with 2 tablespoons annatto oil and fry until fragrant. Add the crab, toss for about 2 minutes, then add 3 tablespoons water.
Add the mushrooms, season with 1.5 tablespoons kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 1 tablespoon seasoning powder, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 tablespoon fish sauce, then cook for 7 to 10 minutes until the crab is done and has taken on the seasoning.
Pour in the 1.5 liters of thinned coconut milk and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, skimming so the broth stays clear, then add the 20 quail eggs, cook for another 2 minutes, taste, adjust and turn off the heat.
Bring 1 liter of water to a boil, cook 1kg banh canh noodles for 3 to 5 minutes, lift them out and soak them in cold water for 2 to 3 minutes so they turn clear and stay separate, then drain.
Put the noodles, shredded water spinach and bean sprouts in bowls, ladle over the broth, then arrange the quail eggs, mushrooms and crab on top.
Tips
Skimming the pot as it cooks gives a noticeably clearer broth.
Medium sized crabs with the apron sitting tight against the shell have firm, sweet meat.
Give the crab only 2 minutes with the lemongrass and shallot before the liquid goes in, since longer shrinks the meat and dries it out.
Coconut milk needs medium heat only, as a rolling boil splits it and costs the smooth texture.
A dip in cold water after boiling leaves the noodles clear and stops them sticking together.
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The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.