Here is a twist on a tradition with a Vietnamese Pork and Prawn Salad served in a Black Sesame Cracker Bowl inspired by Kumaran cuisine in the Raya and the Last Dragon movie. It’s just the sort of dish that Raya would eat before she goes off searching for dragons.
As an evil force threatens the kingdom of Kumandra, it is up to warrior Raya, and her trusty steed Tuk Tuk, to leave their Heart Lands home and track down the last dragon to help stop the villainous Druun. © 2020 Disney. All Rights Reserved.
Raya and the Last Dragon
If you have young children, prepare to hear a lot about Disney’s latest movie release, Raya and the Last Dragon (in cinemas now). As well as finding dragons and putting the world to right, Raya also enjoys eating with her friends. If you can sell this Kumaran-inspired dish to your children as Raya’s favourite meal, you might have a winner on your hands.
It’s all about finding dragons and putting the world to right.
The Raya and the Last Dragon movie story goes like this – Long ago, in the fantasy world of Kumandra, a re-imagined Earth now inhabited by an ancient civilization, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. However, when sinister monsters known as the Druun threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves and ended up turned to stone. A warrior named Raya sets out to find the last remaining dragon and reunite the tribes.
Food brings people together
Influenced by South-East Asian cultures, the film explores food’s role in bringing people and cultures together. As the characters journey through the movie, togetherness and trust grows through the simple sharing and experimenting with food.
Created by Melbourne based home chef and influencer Jessica Nguyen, this Vietnamese Pork and Prawn Salad with Black Sesame Cracker recipe adds a twist to the traditional. There’s also a visually appealing presentation that also makes it easy to eat!
It’s just the sort of Kumaran cuisine that Raya would enjoy and easy to consume before she goes off searching for dragons.
Vietnamese Pork and Prawn Salad with Black Sesame Cracker
Serves- 2 as a main or 4 as a starter
Cooking Time- 30 minutes
Skill Level- Easy
When I am making this Kumaran cuisine recipe for myself, I use only half a red onion, chilli and garlic as I find these flavours too strong on my palate.
Low in calories and easy to digest, Black Sesame Rice Paper gives this dish modern flair with its slightly nutty flavour.
Ingredients
- 200g of pork belly
- 400g or 8 prawns, raw with shells on
- 1 carrot peeled and julienned or grated
- 1 stick of celery, thinly sliced
- 1 cucumber, finely sliced
- 1 handful of herbs: coriander, mint, Vietnamese mint. Shiso leaves.
- 1/2 cup of bean sprouts
- 1 red onion
- 1 packet of prawn crackers
- 1 packet of black sesame rice paper
- ⅓ cup of peanuts, roasted
Dressing:
- 1 tablespoon of palm sugar
- 2 cloves finely chopped garlic
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 lemons or limes
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 red chilli finely chopped
Method
- Start cooking by bringing two pots of salted water to the boil. Place in your pork in one and prawns in the other. Cook the pork for about 15 minutes and then remove and allow to cool.
- The prawns only need to poach for 2-3 minutes until they turn opaque in colour. Remove and rinse with cold water to stop them from cooking any further. Allow them to cool down.
- Once cool, remove the prawns’ head and tail and peel off the shell and legs. Use a knife to slice the prawns in half lengthways and remove the intestinal tract. Set aside.
- Julienne the carrot by peeling, then cutting thin slices on an angle. Then finely slice the other way until you get super fine strips.
- Prepare the cucumber by cutting off the ends, cutting in half lengthways and then using a teaspoon to scoop out the core. You need to remove the core because it’s the cucumber’s wettest part and will make your salad soggy. If you don’t care, you can leave it as is. Finely slice and set aside.
- Finely slice the onion and soak in a bowl of cold water while preparing the rest of the salad. Adding onion to water makes it crunchy and removes the bitterness, so they do not overpower the salad.
- Finely slice the celery sticks and finely chop the leafy tops too. Don’t waste anything! Celery adds a nice crunch to the salad.
- Finely chop a handful of mint, but you can use whatever you want or leave it out. The mint adds freshness and aroma.
- Remove any bone from your pork belly and finely slice into little bite-sized square slices.
- Make your salad dressing by placing the palm sugar with a tablespoon of water into the microwave for 30 seconds or until it is fully melted. Add in the lemon/lime, fish sauce, finely chopped garlic, chilli and mix to combine. The dressing should be the perfect balance of salty, sweet, sour and spicy, so adjust to taste.
- Roughly chop the peanuts with a knife, so there is a good mix of chunky and almost fine dust-like peanut pieces.
- Prepare the rice paper by placing it into the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until it’s fully puffed up and white in colour. This is now to an edible ‘bowl’ to serve the salad in.
- Place all salad ingredients into a bowl, add in a tablespoon of dressing at a time and mix to combine until the salad is lightly dressed. Add in half of the peanuts and reserve the remainder for the garnish.
- To serve, place the rice cracker onto a plate. Fill the bowl with the salad with the prawns on top for presentation. Sprinkle the remaining peanuts over and serve immediately.
- To eat, simply break off a small piece of the cracker, add a bit of the salad on top and enjoy like nachos!
Enjoy this Kumaran cuisine dish with your children as you watch the movie!
