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Thai & Lao Food

A Thai / Laos girl, Manivan Larprom shows you how to cook Thai & Lao food through her videos. Her authentic cuisine roots from Sakon Nakhon, Thailand and Paksan, Laos. Enjoy!

Monday, January 01, 2007

Lao Pho - Beef Noodle Soup

Happy New Year!

Thai pho is called 'Guoi Tiao' so when in Laos, ask for 'Pho' and when in Thailand, ask for 'Guoi Tiao'. This beef noodle soup is the most popular soup in Laos and Thailand. I like to make this soup on new years and weekends because it requires low preparation time, the broth simmers all day, and guests help themselves.

People from the northern region of Laos prefer khao soy which is with minced pork and salted soy beans noodle soup. Khao soy uses wide pho noodles.

For 12 years, everytime I craved pho, would order it at restaurants and was never quite satisfied of the taste. I find the pho soups at restaurants have too much fat and not enough meat, vegetables, herbs and sauce options. Since my parents taught me, I make my own at home and for the price of one pho soup bowl, I could feed a family of 6.

You can stir fry pho noodles to make Pad Thai Pho Noodles. Do not substitute vermicelli noodles for pho noodles. The star anis can also be added to dome kim which is pork and egg in soy sauce.

Pho Soup Broth:
1 pound beef bones
1 tablespoon salt
3 liters water
4 star anis
1/2 of whole onion
24 beef balls

In a large pot, over high heat, add all ingredients except beef balls. Boil 30 minutes. Scoop out dark foam that floats in broth. Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate overnight or until fat hardens. Remove fat and place broth over high heat. Add beef balls and boil.

Side Options of Meat, Vegetables, Herbs, and Sauces:thinly slice raw beef
Thai basil
fish sauce
chopped cooked tripe
chopped cilantro
shrimp paste
tomato slices
chopped green onions
chili tomato sauce
bean sprouts
lime slices
oyster sauce

Soak pho noodles 30 minutes in cold water and drain. In a large soup bowl, add a handful of noodles. Pour hot water into bowl to cover noodles. After 3 seconds, drain water out. Add desired amounts of meat, vegetables, herbs, and squeezed lime into bowl. Add pho broth and beef balls. Add 1 tablespoon each fish sauce, oyster sauce, chili tomato sauce, and 1/2 teaspoon shrimp paste. Mix soup and enjoy!


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16 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

thank you for this blog.
i'm a filipino-canadian who just came back from a thailand and laos backpacking excursion.

i must say, almost as much as i miss the hospitable and genuine people of both thailand and laos, i miss the foooooood!

i'll surely be checking here every now and then so i can make these dishes myself. great tool this blog is. greatly appreciated.
happy new year and gluck with the publishing!!

9:57 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wow, this recipe and your video is very helpful in teaching me how to prepare Pho. This is my favorite noodle dish! Thank you so much for your work.

2:17 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

hello manivan, your recipes and your videos are amazing! I grew up eating laos food through my uncle who is lao. My favorites are papaya salad, laap, and his pho. I must say your pho looks quite delicious though^^ I want to thank you because after watching your videos I had to take myself to an asian grocery store, so i could make the three dishes above. They came out great and it was my first time! thanks again and I wish you the best of luck with your book.

10:02 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thank you for posting this recipe!
I'm making the broth right now. (Right now I'm letting it cool down to room temp.)

I'm half Thai so I reeeaaally miss my Mom's food! I haven't found any restaurants that could come close unless I go to Thailand to visit my family or I'm with my parents.

Thank you for all these recipes and the videos they are wonderful!

2:33 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i really like pho. i always put hoison sauce and fried garlic in mine and still taste real good.

6:16 AM  
Blogger Justin Culp said...

I just spent the last 2 months in Laos, and many times when my friends and I wanted to eat, Pho was the only option. When we went somewhere and asked for it, it took them about 10 minutes to make. Is this because they already have the broth going at the Pho places? I was looking for a good way to make it at home, but it doesn't seem to go as quickly..

5:59 PM  
Blogger lectio writer said...

I'm so happy to find Lao recipes I can understand and that use ingredients I can probably find. My teacher is from N.E. Thailand, speaks Lao and Lao influenced Thai (I speak neither of these) and likes Lao food. Now maybe I can make something he really likes. Thank you.

7:45 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I absolutely fell in love with Pho the first time I ate it. It is so delicious i could eat it almost every day. The tiny restaurant that i would go to for pho closed and the proprietor/ cook/ waitress moved back to be with family. I was desperate to get my pho fix. I am so glad to find an easy to follow recipe. Every step is so worth it. Thank you so much.

3:17 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The Lao Pho recipe calls for 24 "beef balls," but I can't find out exactly what they are. I only have the printed recipe. Are these something you can buy, or if not, how do I make them? Any help would be most welcome. Thanks.

4:47 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

beef balls are like asian meatballs you can find them in the freezer at the asian markets.

7:43 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thank you for identifying beef balls in the soup recipe.

10:24 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I love pho. It is such a shame that most thinks pho is a Vietnamese soup while in fact it is Laotian.

9:47 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"I love pho. It is such a shame that most thinks pho is a Vietnamese soup while in fact it is Laotian."
I don't think so. I asked my mom and she said that Feu is adopted from the Vietnamese

4:07 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I love beef balls in my pho although I prefer my homemade beef balls over the store bought. A little labor intensive but cheap and easy to make.

6:44 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

btw, thank you soo much mrs manivan :) im soo glad you made a youtube. one day i might so my kids can see it in the future lolzzz i love ur cook blogs.. keep it up pls.

namfon :)

10:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

My roommate, who is Vietnamese, LOVED this recipe. Thank you!

7:53 AM  

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