Homemade Kho Sauce Recipe for Authentic Vietnamese Braised Dishes (Nuoc Sot Kho)
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In Vietnamese home cooking, a staple braised dish is made primarily with fish sauce, sugar, coconut water, and a caramelized sugar mixture known as "nước màu” to darken the meat.
These ingredients provide a distinctive sweet, salty, and savory flavor profile that is common in Vietnamese fish-sauce-braised dishes.
In this recipe, we will make just the sauce, known as nước sốt kho. This sauce can be used for your choice of protein, whether it be pork, chicken, shrimp, fish, or tofu.
Make the sauce in advance so you have it ready for those lazy and busy weeknights.
When ready to use, simply add protein and braise. You’ll have a quick side dish that goes wonderfully with steamed rice.
What You Will Need
To make this Vietnamese sauce/marinade, gather the following ingredients:
Fish Sauce: The backbone of this sauce, fish sauce provides a savory umami signature flavor of Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries. There are many brands of fish sauce with varying level of intensity. I’m using Viet Huong’s Three Crabs brand.
Salt: Too much of fish sauce can be too strong so I’m also using a bit of salt.
Sugar: Balances out the saltiness. I’m using granulated white cane sugar. You can also use brown sugar, honey, or any other type of sweeteners. Adjust accordingly.
Bouillon Powder/MSG: Bouillon powder known as hạt nêm or bột nêm in Vietnamese, this is what’s needed to bring the taste to whole new level.
Here in the States, we either use chicken (which contains a bit of MSG) or mushroom bouillon powder. I’m using chicken bouillon powder in this recipe.
Dried Aromatics: Garlic powder, onion powder, and ground black pepper.
Water or coconut juice – Traditionally, fresh coconut juice is used for the braising liquid. One of the most popular alternatives to fresh coconut juice in the States is Coco rico coconut soda, which is what I’m using. If you don’t have coconut juice or coconut soda, you can use water.
Caramelizing Sugar (Nuoc Mau) — This serves as the color component of the sauce. To caramelize sugar, we need a neutral oil such as vegetable oil and granulated white sugar. We will heat these two components up until we reach the right color.
How to Make It
Mix together fish sauce, salt, sugar, bouillon powder, garlic powder, onion powder, ground black pepper, and coconut soda.
Caramelize Sugar: Heat oil and sugar in a small nonstick skillet until the sugar breaks down and turns dark amber (approximately 4 minutes with foaming bubbles).
Once color is achieved, turn off heat and remove the skillet from the stove so that the sugar doesn’t get any darker. Pour in the sauce slowly as it might splatter. Stir until combined.
Return the skillet back to the stove and bring it to a boil. Cook for about 2 minutes then turn off heat.
Usage Instructions: Pour sauce over your protein. I like to start by adding sauce halfway covering the protein. If you want a deeper flavor, you can add extra sauce later in the cooking process, or dilute it with some water for a lighter taste. Keep braising on medium-low heat until the protein is tender and/or the sauce has thickened to your liking.
FAQs
How long can I store the marinade?
If you are not using the sauce immediately, allow it to cool completely then transfer to a closed container. Store the sauce in the refrigerator. It can be kept for up to one month.
Can I use fresh aromatics such as garlic and onions instead?
Yes, absolutely. Instead of the garlic and onion powder, finely mince about 3 large garlic cloves and 1 small shallot.
Homemade Kho Sauce Recipe for Authentic Vietnamese Braised Dishes
Ingredients
Instructions
- Mix together fish sauce, salt, sugar, bouillon powder, garlic powder, onion powder, ground black pepper, and coconut soda.
- Caramelize Sugar: Heat oil and sugar in a small nonstick skillet until the sugar breaks down and turns dark amber (approximately 4 minutes with foaming bubbles).
- Once color is achieved, turn off heat and remove the skillet from the stove so that the sugar doesn’t get any darker. Pour in the sauce slowly as it might splatter. Stir until combined.
- Return the skillet back to the stove and bring it to a boil. Cook for about 2 minutes then turn off heat.
- Usage Instructions: Pour sauce over your protein. I like to start by adding sauce halfway covering the protein. If you want a deeper flavor, you can add extra sauce later in the cooking process, or dilute it with some water for a lighter taste. Keep braising on medium-low heat until the protein is tender and/or the sauce has thickened to your liking.
