Agricultural produce from Saskatchewan, a province in Western Canada (Photo: the Saskatchewan Office in Vietnam)

Recently, we attended a workshop at Hanoi Tourism College, where we explored premium ingredients from Saskatchewan—Canada’s fertile heartland.

Known for its world-class agricultural produce, Saskatchewan offers a rich variety of ingredients, from chickpeas, lentils, and peas to berry powder and oats. Each of these carries a fascinating story and endless culinary possibilities.

At the event, chef Tran Le Thanh Thien, Vice President of the Global Chefs Union created a remarkable dish that beautifully blends Canadian and Vietnamese flavors: Canadian green pea and wild rice risotto with red lentil piper lolot wrapping.

Chef Thien is excited talking about the Canadian ingredients during his demonstration at the event: “Today, I’m using dried green peas, dried chickpeas, and dried red lentils from Saskatchewan. One particularly special ingredient I’m featuring is wild rice—a nutritious grain grown in Saskatchewan, Canada. This type of rice is healthy due to its distinctive purple-colored outer husk. Additionally, it’s longer than regular rice grains.”

Talking about the dish he’s preparing, Thien said: “To accompany this dish, I’ve created a unique crispy piper lolot leaves wrapped around red lentils. This dish is entirely plant-based, making it a 100% vegan recipe. The preparation involves green peas, wild rice, and chickpeas as the main ingredients.”

“Green peas are soaked in water overnight. If you want to speed up the process, you can soak them in warm or hot water to help the peas expand. Similarly, with the chickpeas, which will also expand when soaked in water. Chickpeas are used to create a sauce with an umami flavor. Instead of using bones to create a rich, savory umami taste through slow simmering, we achieve a similar effect by using vegetables and chickpeas. The wild rice needs to be soaked in water for 3-4 hours. If you want to speed up the process, soak it in warm water—this softens the grains, allowing them to bloom like flowers and making them easier to cook.”

Discussing the use of wide rice, Thien says that unlike traditional rice, which is simply boiled in water, wild rice risotto offers a unique texture and deep flavor, adding that for this dish, he uses onions, shallots, garlic, and coconut milk to mix with rice to enhance aromatic combination.

“We need to sauté the onions and shallots over low heat for a long time until they become translucent and sweet before adding the garlic. Once the onions become fragrant, I add mushrooms and green peas and continue to sauté until they soften. Then I pour in a little white wine to enhance the aroma of the onions and eliminate any mushroom smell. Next, I add the pre-soaked wild rice into the pan and continue to stir-fry the wild rice, then I add the broth and cook for about 20-25 minutes until the mixture is tender. After that we add the coconut milk and cook until the mixture is thick. Finally, season the food with salt and ground pepper,” said Thien.

Canadian wild rice with lolot leaves

Moving to another part of the dish, Thien prepares the red lentil wrapped in piper lolot leaves. This will accompany the wild rice. Thien is quite creative in using lolot leaves to wrap red lentils and wild rice and then wrap it, making it like a cake. With a distinctive aroma and slightly peppery flavor, piper lolot leaves are a familiar ingredient in Vietnamese cuisine. They are commonly wrapped around seasoned meats, such as grilled beef in lolot leaves (bò lá lốt), or added to stir-fries and soups for an extra layer of fragrance.

Chef Thien explains how he combines lolot leaves, red lentils with Canadian wild rice: “Piper lolot leaves are a common Vietnamese ingredient. They are especially popular in the North, where they’re used to wrap dishes like snail patties and other traditional rolls. In this dish, the piper lolot leaves are deep-fried until crispy. Next, we remove and drain the oil, boil the lentils and chickpeas until cooked, and then we put the pan on the stove, add canola oil and chopped scallion, and cook over low heat until the scallion oil is boiling and fragrant. After that we mash the lentils with the scallions, oil, and vegan butter, seasoning with salt, then, mix well with the chickpeas and fried lolot leaves. Finally, we place in a circular mold and pan-fry on both sides.”

Once the rice risotto and red lentil piper lolot cake are ready, Thien ties it all together by drizzling a rich umami sauce over the dish. The sauce is made by slow-cooking chickpeas with pan-fried and baked carrots, celery, and onions until they caramelize and release their natural sweetness. It’s blended into a smooth, deep-flavored sauce that takes this dish to the next level. The result turns out to be an impressive dish with risotto as the base, topped with golden-brown lentil lolot cakes, and garnished with crispy leeks and edible flowers.

Whether you’re a vegan or just someone who loves trying new and exciting dishes, this Canadian-Vietnamese fusion dish is sure to impress.