The Culinary Institute of America

Vietnamese Clay Pot with Shrimp and Tofu

While very rare in western recipes, in Vietnamese cooking, mixing tofu with an animal protein is very common, and makes a great combination of flavors and textures. Chef Mai Pham from Lemon Grass Restaurant in Sacramento, CA shows us how to make this traditional Vietnamese clay pot with shrimp and tofu.
Chef Mai explains that a chảo đất or clay pot dish, is an important part of a Vietnamese family meal, and also a convenient cooking vessel—because it’s used to cook the dish from start to finish and is also how the dish is served. A sauté pan can also be used to make the dish, if you don’t have a clay pot, however!

Gỏi Gá: Vietnamese Chicken Salad with Tofu and Peanuts

Chef Mai Pham from Lemon Grass Restaurant in Sacramento, CA, makes a classic Vietnamese dish: Gỏi Gá or Vietnamese chicken salad with tofu and peanuts. With crispy cabbage, herbs, and a tangy dressing, this salad is refreshing and delicious.
Watch the full series at: https://www.plantforwardkitchen.org/southeast-asia

Vegetarian Temple Restaurant at Vĩnh Nghiêm Pagoda

Chef Yen Nguyen serves only vegetarian food at her Temple Restaurant at Buddhist Vĩnh Nghiêm Pagoda in Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam. She shares some of her most popular dishes with Chef Mai Pham from Lemon Grass Restaurant. Her peanut stir-fry, seaweed fried rice, fried mushrooms, lemongrass tofu, and spring rolls are the biggest hits on her menu.
Watch the full series at: https://www.plantforwardkitchen.org/southeast-asia

Vegetarian Pho with Tofu and Mushrooms

Chef Cam Van and Mai Pham show us how to make a vegan version of Vietnamese pho. This deeply flavorful and carefully balanced vegetable broth is made with charred onions and garlic, salted radish, cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, coriander, fennel, and cloves. The broth is ladled over fried tofu, oyster mushrooms, vegetarian tofu “sausage,” and rice noodles.
Nguyen Dzoan Cam Van is a household name in Vietnam, and considered Vietnam's "national chef" for her role on her popular cooking show “Kheo Tay Hay Lam.” The famous cooking teacher was ordained as a Buddhist monk in 2019, and she has since focused on teaching vegetarian cooking. The Spice Garden is a cooking school in Củ Chi, a rural district of Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam where Cam Van now teaches her cooking classes. 
Watch the full series at: https://www.plantforwardkitchen.org/southeast-asia

Vietnamese Clay Pot with Tofu and Peanuts

Chef Cam Van shows us how to make a classic Vietnamese dish -- Vietnamese clay pot with tofu and peanuts -- which she prepares with Chef Mai Pham from Lemon Grass Restaurant.
Ordained as a Buddhist monk in 2019, Nguyen Dzoan Cam Van has since focused on teaching vegetarian cooking. The Spice Garden is a cooking school in Củ Chi, a rural district of Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam where Cam Van now teaches her cooking classes. 
Watch the full series at: https://www.plantforwardkitchen.org/southeast-asia

Jicama and Tofu Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce

These vegan Vietnamese spring rolls are filled with sautéed jicama, fried tofu, mint, perilla, and sautéed radishes, and served with a peanut dipping sauce. Chef Cam Van shows us how to make this popular Vietnamese street food, which she prepares with Chef Mai Pham from Lemon Grass Restaurant.
Ordained as a Buddhist monk in 2019, Nguyen Dzoan Cam Van has since focused on teaching vegetarian cooking. The Spice Garden is a cooking school in Củ Chi, a rural district of Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam where Cam Van now teaches her cooking classes. 
Watch the full series at: https://www.plantforwardkitchen.org/southeast-asia

Nguyen Dzoan Cam Van Talks Buddhism and Eating Vegetarian

Nguyen Dzoan Cam Van is a household name in Vietnam, and considered Vietnam's "national chef" for her role on her popular cooking show “Kheo Tay Hay Lam.” The famous cooking teacher was ordained as a Buddhist monk in 2019, and she has since focused on teaching vegetarian cooking. The Spice Garden is a cooking school in Củ Chi, a rural district of Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam where Cam Van now teaches her cooking classes. She discusses how eating a vegetarian diet aligns with the Buddhist philosophy of ahimsa, or non-violence toward living beings.
Watch the full series at: https://www.plantforwardkitchen.org/southeast-asia

Introduction to The Plant-Forward Kitchen: Southeast Asia

In The Plant-Forward Kitchen: Southeast Asia, we explore the bold, aromatic cuisines of Vietnam and Thailand — where plant-forward traditions are deeply rooted in everyday meals. Southeast Asian cuisine has long embraced plant-forward principles, drawing from its Buddhist roots that promote compassion for all living beings and encourage followers to adopt an occasional or ongoing vegetarian diet.
In this series, we cook vegetarian pho with Buddhist monk, Nguyen Dzoan Cam Van, and we sample a family-style spread of vegetarian offerings at Buddhist Vĩnh Nghiêm Pagoda Temple Restaurant. We make some Vietnamese classics, such as Vietnamese Lemongrass Tofu, with Chef Mai Pham of Lemon Grass Restaurant. At the Michelin-starred Vietnam House Chef/Owner Luke Nguyen shows us his take on a vegetarian pork belly salad.
In Thailand, renowned chef and television presenter, Ian Kittichai gives us a whirlwind tour of Thai curries. Finally, we head to Michelin-starred Bo.Lan Restaurant in Bangkok, where Chefs Bo Songvisava and Dylan Jones make an eggplant relish, and discuss the importance of championing local farmers.
Watch the full series at: https://www.plantforwardkitchen.org/southeast-asia