Bo Kho Chili
When it comes to cooking, I tend to stick to traditional Vietnamese recipes—dishes that remind me of home, family, and the flavors I grew up with. But every now and then, inspiration strikes, and I take a creative leap. Enter my Vietnamese Bo Kho Chili, a fusion recipe combining the rich, aromatic spices of bò
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 40 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 3 lbs Lean Ground Beef
- 4 Carrots
- 3 tbsp Bo Kho Seasoning
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 2 Stalks Lemongrass
- 1 Small Cinnamon Stick
- 1 Star Anise
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 2 Slices Ginger
- 1/2 White Onion
- 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
- 3 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 16.9 oz Coconut Water
- 1/4 cup Water
- 10 oz Grape Tomatoes
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1/2 tbsp MSG
- 1/2 inch nub of Rock Sugar
- 2 tbsp Fish Sauce
- 2 tbsp Cornstarch
- 2 tbsp Water
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
- Cooked Jasmine Rice
- White Onion
- Thai Basil
- Lime
Instructions
- 1
Prep:
- 2
Finely dice a white onion. Save half to sauté and the other half to use as a garnish
- 3
Cut the bottom and tops of the lemongrass stalk, remove an outer woodsy layer, and then pound and bruise the lemongrass using the back of your knife. Then, cut two slices of ginger
- 4
Peel carrots and then dice into small cubes
- 5
Remove the leaves from the stem of the Thai basil, then stack leaves together, roll tightly, and thinly chiffonade the leaves to use as a garnish later. Then, cut Limes into wedges
- 6
Cook:
- 7
To a big pot on medium-high heat, add in a splash of oil, sauté half the white onion and a tablespoon of minced garlic for a minute or until fragrant
- 8
Add in tomato paste and cook for another 1-2 minutes to cook out raw flavor and to help sugars caramelize
- 9
Add in ground beef and brown off while breaking the meat up with a spatula or wooden spoon
- 10
Add bo kho seasoning, coconut water, and water—season with soy sauce, rock sugar, MSG, salt, and pepper to taste. Drop in grape tomatoes and mix well.
- 11
Add in aromatics - lemongrass stalks, ginger slices, dried star anise, dried cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Bring up to a boil, and reduce the heat to low; cover the pot with a slight crack and let the chili simmer for 25 minutes
- 12
Then add diced carrots, and continue to let the chili simmer for 10-15 minutes or until carrots have softened
- 13
Season to taste with fish sauce, and add a cornstarch slurry to thicken chili. Make any adjustments to seasonings
- 14
Serve:
- 15
To serve, scoop white jasmine rice into a bowl, pushing it to one side. Ladle in chili on the other side and garnish with diced onions, Thai basil, and a wedge of lime. Enjoy!