Cơm Tấm was originally a humble dish eaten by farmers using fractured rice grains. Over time, it evolved into a signature Southern Vietnamese meal, often paired with grilled meats, chả trứng (steamed egg meatloaf), and a sweet-salty dipping sauce.
Ingredients List
500 g broken rice
4 pork chops
2 stalks lemongrass (minced)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
2 shallots (minced)
3 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp oil
150 g pickled carrots and daikon
1 cucumber (sliced)
3 tbsp fish sauce (for dipping)
2 tbsp sugar
juice of 1 lime
sliced chili
Materials & Tools
Grill or stovetop grill pan
mixing bowls
knife and chopping board
rice cooker
small saucepan for sauce
Preparation steps
Total Time :
1h00
Active Time :
55 min
Cooking Time
Step 1
Marinate Pork
Marinate pork chops with lemongrass, garlic, shallots, fish sauce, sugar, honey, and oil for 1 hour.
1h00
Step 2
Grill Pork
Grill chops over medium heat until cooked and caramelized.
20 min
Step 3
Cook Rice
Cook broken rice until fluffy.
20 min
Step 4
Make Sauce
Mix fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, and chili.
10 min
Step 5
Serve
5 min
Step 6
Step 7
Step 8
Chef’s Tips
Marinate pork overnight for deeper flavor; grill over charcoal for authentic smokiness.