Authentic home cooking from Vietnam, with US measurements. 
Irresistible Shrimp and Tomato Bún Riêu
During the lockdown, my family was given market passes to shop twice a week. Since I was busy on weekdays, I could only go on weekends, so I bought enough groceries for the whole week at once. One time, I bought 4.5 lbs (2 kg) of black tiger shrimp. I prepped them by removing the heads and shells, then portioned the peeled shrimp into zip bags for freezing. It felt wasteful to throw away the shrimp heads, so this dish was born! My husband loves Vietnamese food, and when I told him I was making something new, he kept asking about it excitedly. I made a big pot with rich, flavorful shrimp roe. I wanted to share this recipe so everyone can make it for their family—don’t waste those shrimp heads!
Irresistible Shrimp and Tomato Bún Riêu
During the lockdown, my family was given market passes to shop twice a week. Since I was busy on weekdays, I could only go on weekends, so I bought enough groceries for the whole week at once. One time, I bought 4.5 lbs (2 kg) of black tiger shrimp. I prepped them by removing the heads and shells, then portioned the peeled shrimp into zip bags for freezing. It felt wasteful to throw away the shrimp heads, so this dish was born! My husband loves Vietnamese food, and when I told him I was making something new, he kept asking about it excitedly. I made a big pot with rich, flavorful shrimp roe. I wanted to share this recipe so everyone can make it for their family—don’t waste those shrimp heads!
Open in Cookpad AppSteps
- 1
Shred the water spinach and soak it in salted water.
- 2
Grind the shrimp heads and shells, then strain to get the broth and discard the solids.
- 3
Divide the tomatoes into two parts:
- Cut 4 tomatoes into quarters, soak in boiling water to make peeling easier. Chop them finely.
- Cut the remaining 3 tomatoes into wedges.
- 4
Bring the shrimp broth to a boil with 1 tablespoon salt. Stir well so the shrimp roe doesn’t settle at the bottom. When it boils, turn off the heat. Skim off the shrimp roe and divide it into two portions: 1/3 and 2/3 in separate bowls. I ended up with a whole bowl of shrimp roe!
- 5
Heat annatto oil, discarding the seeds to keep just the colored oil.
- 6
For the shrimp cake mixture:
Combine all the listed ingredients with 1 teaspoon fermented shrimp paste (for authentic bún riêu flavor), 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon seasoning powder, and 1 teaspoon fish sauce. Mix well. Add 2 tablespoons annatto oil and mix again. Let it marinate so the flavors absorb.
- 7
Keep the remaining annatto oil in the pan, add the shallot and sauté until fragrant. Add the chopped tomatoes and 2/3 of the shrimp roe, then stir-fry. Season with 2 teaspoons fish sauce and 2 teaspoons seasoning powder. Pour this mixture into the shrimp broth along with the tomato wedges. Bring to a boil, then shape the shrimp cake mixture into small balls and drop them into the boiling broth. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- 8
Serve with fresh herbs and vegetables. Enjoy!
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