Canh Ca Tim (Eggplant Soup with Ground Pork and Tofu), Made with Monk Fruit Sweetener
Vietnamese dishesSoupsNationwide35 minutes
What makes canh ca tim good is a broth sweet with pork and eggplant that softens without collapsing. The difficulty is taking the bitterness out of the eggplant and keeping it from darkening.
Cut the eggplant into 3 to 4cm lengths and soak it in lightly salted water for 10 minutes, then squeeze it gently to push out the sap. The tofu is fried golden on every side first, so it holds together in the pot.
This batch weighs about 1.9kg, at roughly 81 calories per 100g.
Method
Rinse the eggplant and cut it into 3 to 4cm lengths. Soak in lightly salted water for 10 minutes to draw out the bitter sap and keep the color, then lift out, squeeze gently and drain.
Marinate the ground pork with 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 teaspoon ground pepper and 1 minced clove of garlic for 10 minutes. Cut the tofu into 2 to 3cm cubes, cut the tomato into wedges, shred the perilla and cut the spring onion into lengths.
Heat 2 tablespoons cooking oil in a pan and fry the tofu over medium heat until golden on all sides, then drain.
In the same pan, add 2 more tablespoons cooking oil and fry 2 minced shallots and 1 minced clove of garlic until fragrant. Add the ground pork and stir over high heat until loose and just cooked, then add the tomato and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until it breaks down.
Add the eggplant to the pot with the pork and tomato, sprinkle in 1 teaspoon turmeric powder and stir until the eggplant takes on an even golden color.
Pour in 800ml water, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and cook for 10 to 12 minutes until the eggplant is tender but still holds its shape.
Add the fried tofu and season with 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 teaspoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon seasoning powder to taste. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Squeeze in a little lime juice or drop in a few pieces of tamarind for a gentle sourness.
Scatter over the perilla and spring onion, stir once and turn off the heat straight away. Serve hot with white rice.
Tips
Ten minutes in lightly salted water keeps the eggplant pale and takes the bitterness out.
Turning the heat off right after the perilla goes in holds on to its full aroma.
Give the eggplant a gentle squeeze after its salt soak, because the water it carries over thins the soup.
Toss the eggplant with turmeric powder for an even golden color before any water goes in.
Ten to twelve minutes over low heat is right, because a hard boil breaks the eggplant apart.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.