Bi chay is a vegetarian version of a Vietnamese shredded pork meat and skin dish. This meatless dish is made with tofu, jicama, carrots, sweet potatoes, mung bean noodles and roasted rice powder. It’s a mainstay dish that will add variety to Vietnamese vegetarian meals including bi chay spring rolls, banh mi sandwiches, rice noodle bowls (bun bi chay) and much more!
I pretty much lived on bi chay during my college years as a vegetarian. I would often visit the Buddhist temples and vegetarian restaurants that served it and enjoyed the various ways it could be added to many Vietnamese vegetarian dishes. My mom often makes bi chay at home, and this recipe is inspired by her version.
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Ingredients & Notes
Tofu: Used as the “mock” pork. It’s best to use firm tofu for frying as it holds up better.
Roasted Rice Powder: An aromatic dry seasoning made from toasted rice that enhances all the flavors in this dish. This is a must have ingredient. Get this at your local Asian market, it’s called thinh in Vietnamese.
Jicama: A root vegetable that gives the dish a slightly sweet and nutty crunch. Get this at your local Asian market, or at good produce stores like Sprouts (if you’re in the States).
Sweet Potatoes: Add a crispy layer to the mix. I used purple sweet potatoes for a bit of color, but any sweet potato will do.
Mushroom Seasoning: Adds a bit of umami and saltiness to the dish. Get this at your local Asian market.
Mung Bean Thread Noodles: Made of mung beans, they add an additional crunch. These can be found in the dry noodles aisle at the Asian market.
Instructions
1). Prep the ingredients: Cut the tofu into ¼ inch thick slices.
2). Julienne or thinly slice the carrots, jicama and sweet potatoes.
3). Saute the carrots and jicama with mushroom seasoning for 3 to 4 minutes and set aside.
4). Fry the tofu for 4 to 5 minutes per side until golden brown, then drain and set aside.
5). Fry the mung bean noodles for about 15 seconds.
6). Fry the sweet potatoes for about 30 seconds, do this last to prevent any color absorbing into the other ingredients.
7). Thinly cut the fried tofu.
8). Add all the ingredients and rice seasoning, salt and sugar to the bowl and mix!
Pro Tips
- After frying each ingredient, place it on a paper towel to soak up the excess oil.
- Use kitchen scissors to cut the tofu into thinner slices quicker.
- You can freeze bi chay in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
How to Serve
- Use it as a filling for vegetarian spring rolls.
- Add it as a filling to make vegetarian banh mi (Vietnamese sandwiches)
- Add it to rice noodles with a nuoc cham chay (vegetarian dipping sauce).
- Serve it as a side with broken rice (com tam bi chay).
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Bi Chay (Vietnamese Vegetarian Shredded Pork)
Equipment
- frying pan
Ingredients
- 14 ounces firm tofu
- 1 1/2 cups carrots, julienned 2 small carrots
- 1 1/2 cups sweet potato, julienned about 1 small sized potato
- 1 cup jicama, julienned
- 1/2 bundle bean thread
- 5 tablespoons roasted rice powder
- 1 teaspoon mushroom seasoning powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup oil for frying
Instructions
- Pat tofu dry with a paper towel. Cut into 1/4 inch thick pieces.
- In a frying pan, add about 1 tablespoon of oil and heat on medium high. Add carrots, jicama and mushroom powder. Saute for about 3 to 4 minutes until soft. Set aside on a plate with a paper towel to soak up oil.
- Add enough oil to the pan for frying. Heat on medium high until hot. Add tofu pieces and fry for about 4 to 5 minutes per side until golden. Set aside on a plate with a paper towel.
- Add bean thread bundle to the frying pan (make sure there is enough oil in the pan to cover the noodles) and fry for about 15 seconds until noodles puff up. Remove immediately and place on paper towels to soak up the oil.
- Fry sweet potatoes until crispy about 30 seconds. Set aside on a plate with a paper towel.
- Cut the fried tofu into thin pieces.
- Combine all ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Use your hands to break up the fried noodles into smaller pieces. Add sugar, salt and roasted rice powder. Mix all ingredients well.
Notes
- Use kitchen scissors to cut the tofu into thinner slices faster.
- Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- To thaw frozen leftovers, set in the refrigerator for 30 to 40 minutes and heat in microwave for about 15 to 20 seconds to warm it up. Avoid overheating it in the microwave, it can burn quickly.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Serve bi chay as a filling for vegetarian spring rolls, banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich) or top it over rice noodles or rice.