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Growing all these wonderful
exotic plants is a pleasure in itself but learning how to cook with them is an even
greater delight. We launch this page with a Vietnamese flavour but stay tuned the
collection will grow. If you have any recipes featuring our plants please share it
with us. |
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Stephanie Alexander is a notable chef and food writer from
Melbourne. After a recent visit to 'Earthcare Farm' Stephanie kindly sent us this
traditional Vietnamese recipe that she brought back from there.
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Ingredients
- juice of 1 lemon
- 500g of stems of young flowers picked before they emerge from the
water
- 75g sugar
- 100g carrot, cut in julienne
- 200g cooked lean pork, sliced thinly
- 200g cooked pig’s ear, sliced thinly
- 100g cooked prawns, peeled
- 1 onion, finely sliced and soaked in a little rice vinegar
- 50g Vietnamese pickles (experiment!)
- 100g roasted unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped
- 50g crispy fried shallots (Obtainable at Asian groceries)
- 1 hot red chilli, seeded and finely sliced (or more to taste)
- basil or sawtooth coriander
- fish sauce
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Method
Cut lotus stems in half lengthwise, cut into
pieces 5cm long, soak in
lemon water for 15 minutes, then drain well and toss with two-thirds of
the sugar. Leave for 30 minutes and then drain. Toss carrot in remaining
sugar and leave for 15 minutes. Drain. In a large bowl toss all pork, prawns, drained carrot and lotus
stem, chopped herbs, drained onion and chilli and Vietnamese pickles. Mix
well and season with fish sauce and extra lemon juice to taste.
Pile onto a serving dish and scatter over the crispy shallots and the
peanuts. If desired some of the pork and prawns can be reserved for the
final garnishing.
In Vietnam we were served very freshly fried prawn crackers with this
dish and with it came a dipping sauce of fish sauce, made by simmering
together 1/2 cup of fish sauce with 3/4 cup of white sugar until it had
the texture of honey.
[Back to Top] |
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Stephanie Alexander is a notable chef and food writer from
Melbourne. After a recent visit to 'Earthcare Farm' Stephanie kindly sent us this
traditional Vietnamese recipe that she brought back from there. |
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Ingredients
- juice of 1 lemon
- 500g of stems of young flowers picked before they emerge from the
water
- 75g sugar
- 100g carrot, cut in julienne
- 200g cooked lean pork, sliced thinly
- 200g cooked pig’s ear, sliced thinly
- 100g cooked prawns, peeled
- 1 onion, finely sliced and soaked in a little rice vinegar
- 50g Vietnamese pickles (experiment!)
- 100g roasted unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped
- 50g crispy fried shallots (Obtainable at Asian groceries)
- 1 hot red chilli, seeded and finely sliced (or more to taste)
- basil or sawtooth coriander
- fish sauce
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Method
Cut lotus stems in half lengthwise, cut into
pieces 5cm long, soak in
lemon water for 15 minutes, then drain well and toss with two-thirds of
the sugar. Leave for 30 minutes and then drain. Toss carrot in remaining
sugar and leave for 15 minutes. Drain. In a large bowl toss all pork, prawns, drained carrot and lotus
stem, chopped herbs, drained onion and chilli and Vietnamese pickles. Mix
well and season with fish sauce and extra lemon juice to taste.
Pile onto a serving dish and scatter over the crispy shallots and the
peanuts. If desired some of the pork and prawns can be reserved for the
final garnishing.
In Vietnam we were served very freshly fried prawn crackers with this
dish and with it came a dipping sauce of fish sauce, made by simmering
together 1/2 cup of fish sauce with 3/4 cup of white sugar until it had
the texture of honey.
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Nguyet Tran is a Vietnamese lady also from
Melbourne. She sent us the following
recipes after visiting this website and seeing so many of her
favourite food plants from home. Thank you Nguyet Tran, we can't wait to try them!
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Ingredients
- 1 kg of cassava root peeled and grated finely (using cheese
grater with smallest hole size).
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 cup of coconut milk
- 1 pinch of salt
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Method Mix the ingredients together. Oil 20
cm cake tin, pour the mixture and flatten the top evenly. Place the mixture in the
moderate reheated oven (190 C) for 1 hour approx .
It can be served with ice cream as a dessert or as a snack. |
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Ingredients
- 1 kg of cassava root peeled and grated finely (using cheese
grater with smallest hole size).
- 1 level teaspoon of salt
- 2 table of sugar
- 1 table spoon of curry powder
- 1 chilly chopped (optional)
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Method
Mix the ingredients together. Take
spoonfuls of the mixture and form into balls about 2cm in diameter. Deep fry the balls and
serve it in a bed of lettuce as a snack or with main course.
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Ingredients
- 200 gr of cassava root peeled and cut into 3cm cubes
- 5 ripe lady finger bananas
- 1 cup of sugar
- ¼ cup of tapioca pearls
- 1 cup of coconut milk
- ½ litre of water
- 1 pinch of salt
- crushed roasted peanut
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Method Cook the pearls with water with slow heat
until cooked (clear and soft), then add cassava root cubes bananas and cook for another 10
minutes. Coconut milk and sugar are added last, leave it in the stove for another 5
minutes. Serve in a bowl and sprinkle with crushed peanut.
It can be serve as a dessert or a snack.
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Ingredients
- ½ kg of young lotus shoot, cleaned and slice diagonally
into 8 cm long pieces.
- 5 table spoons of vinegar
- 6 table spoons of sugar
- 200 grams of cooked chicken meat pieces
- 5 cooked peeled prawns, sliced (optional)
- 5 table spoons of fish sauce
- ½ of a lemon juice
- 1 chilli, chopped (optional)
- 3 table spoons of water
- herbs : chopped basil, Vietnamese mint, coriander etc
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Method Wash lotus shoot and slice as
directed. Place the slices in a non metal container (ie plastic) and sprinkle with 2
tables spoon of sugar and 2 table spoons of vinegar. 15 minutes later put the rest of the
ingredients in and mix well. This is an up market and very delicious salad.
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Ingredients
- 1/4 kg of water chestnuts, peeled, sliced 1/2 cm thick
- 3 table spoon of oil
- 3 tablespoons of finely chopped spring onions
- 200 gr of chicken fillet, sliced and marinated with 1 table spoon of
soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 2 table spoon of soy sauce
- 2 table spoon of water
- 1 tea spoon of sugar
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Method Heat a work or large pot until it is very hot.
Add the oil when it is very hot (slightly smoke), add the chicken stir- fry for 5 minutes
or until cook.. Add water chestnuts and continue to stir-fry for another 2 minutes. Add
the rest of the ingredients and cook for a further 2 minutes and serve at once. This
can be served with rice or noodles or pasta.
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BAMBOO SHOOTS are an important ingredient
in Vietnamese cooking specially in villages where all sources of food and vegetables are
from their gardens and farms. Choosing the right part of young shoot and preparation
are essential before cooking can take place. First discard all the hard outer
jackets from the shoot, then test and see whether the whole young shoot can be used or we
may have to discard some of the bottom bit that too fibre to eat. The test is done by
using finger nail to test the bottom of the shoot if you can press your finger nail
through the bottom part then it is ok to eat. If not then discard some then retest until
you are satisfy.
Now the shoot is ready for preparation. Slice the shoot into 3 or 4 thick slices (2 cm
thick). For each slice, slice again thinly into 2cm X 8 cm pieces. Boil in 1.5 litres of
water for 15 minutes, wash it then boil in water the second time. Wash thoroughly.
Fresh young bamboo shoots are the best. The above process does not take long to prepare
(30 minutes approx) but it is really worthwhile.
Editor's Note - The boiling procedure above is for
shoots of tropical clumping species to remove bitterness & toxins. Our Phyllostachys shoots such as 'Moso' are dug just as they break the
surface of the ground and have no bitterness or toxins. These can be eaten raw
in various ways or cooked very lightly which means they retain a wonderful crisp texture.
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Ingredients
- 450 gr of lean beef steak, sliced and marinated with 1 teaspoon of sugar,
1 table spoon of fish sauce and 1 tea spoon of finely chopped garlic.
- 2 table spoons of fish sauce
- 450 gr of young bamboo shoot, sliced and boiled (see above)
- 4 table spoons of oil
- 2 table spoons of chopped spring onion and coriander
- 2 table spoon of oyster sauce (optional)
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Method
Heat a work or large pot until it is very hot. Add
the oil when it is very hot (slightly smoke), add the beef stir- fry for 7 minutes or
until cook. Add the bamboo slices and continue to stir-fry for another 3 minutes. Add fish
sauce and oyster sauce and cook for a further 2 minutes and sprinkle with spring onion and
coriander serve at once. It can be served with steam rice or pasta.[Back to Top] |
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Ingredients
- 1 cup of water
- 500 gr of chicken wings cut into pieces, marinated with 1 tea spoon of
sugar, 1 table spoon of fish sauce and 1 tea spoon of finely chopped garlic.
- 2 table spoons of chopped spring onion and coriander
- 500 gr of young bamboo shoot, sliced and boiled
- 1 stalk of lemon grass cut diagonally into 2 cm long pieces.
- 2 table spoons of oil
- 2 table spoons of fish sauce
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Method Heat a large pot until it is very hot. Add the oil
when it is hot, add the lemon grass pieces and stir- fry for 1 minute, then add chicken
pieces, the bamboo slices, fish sauce and continue to cook for another 5 minutes.
Water is added last and reduce to simmer for another 30 minutes with lid on. Sprinkle with
spring onion, coriander serve at once. It can be served with steam rice or pasta.
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Ingredients
- 350 gr of beef minced.
- 150 gr of pork minced
- 3 table spoon of oil for frying
- 1 tablespoon of finely chopped garlic
- 20 big La lot leaves with stems still attached
- 2 tea spoons of fish sauce
- 1 tea spoon of sugar
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Method Mix beef and pork mince together, then add garlic, sugar,
fish sauce, mix well . Wash the leaves, (BETEL LEAVES )for each leave place some filling (about a heap teaspoon ) in the middle of the
leave then roll from the bottom of the leave toward the stem and make a hole in the roll
and insert the stem to that hole. The stem has a role of holding the filling in place. Do
not worry about the sides of the roll it can be opened as soon as you fry it the meat will
stick well with the leave. After rolling bit is done for all leaves. Heat the fry
pan until hot, add the oil, then fry the rolls in batches may be 10 per batch for 10
minutes (slow heat) until cook. Served with rice as a main course or on its own as an
entree.
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PIPER sarmentosum - BETEL LEAVES - Chaa
phluu, phok
puu noo, phak phiuu nok, pblug ring, ye-thoei (Thia), LA LOT (Vietnames)
- Leaves from this plant can be used as vegetable or herb or herbal
medication for controlling hiccup, diarrhoea, nausea by chewing some leaves then swallow.
In Vietnamese cooking there is a famous beef banquet that includes 7 beef dishes and the
following dish is one of them.
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Ingredients
- 5 eggs
- 300gr of beef minced, marinated with 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1 table spoon
of fish sauce
- 5 young la lot leaves, chopped
- 3 table spoons of oil
- 2 table spoons of fish sauce
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Method La lot is used as herb for this dish. Break the eggs
into a big bowl, add la lot leaves, fish sauce and mix well. Heat a large frying
pan until it is very hot. Add 1 table spoon of oil when it is hot, add the beef
minced and stir- fry for 5 minutes, then add the beef into the egg mixture bowl.
Wash the frying pan then heat the pan until it is very hot. Add the rest of the oil then
pour the egg-beef mixture in and cook for 5 minutes on each side (low heat). serve at
once. It can be served with steam rice. |
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Ingredients
- 100 gr of taro, peeled and cut into 3 cm cubes
- 1 medium tomato cut into 3 cm chunks
- 100 gr of carrot, peeled and cut into 2 cm chunks
- 1 medium potato, peeled and cut into 3 cm cubes
- 3 table spoons of sugar
- 3 table spoons of soy sauce
- 100 gr of bamboo young bamboo shoot, sliced and boiled
- 500 gr of fresh bean curd (tofu), available in Chinese grocers or health
food shop
- 1 cabbage leaf, cut into 3 cm square pieces.
- ½ cup of water
- some oil for frying
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Method Cut the beancurd into match box sizes. Drain it on kitchen
paper.. Heat a large frying pan (non stick is preferable) until it is very hot.
Add 3 table spoon of oil when it is hot, fry the beancurd pieces in batches. For
each piece fry 3 minutes for each side. Drain the pieces with kitchen paper. Now mix
all ingredients together in a large pot with a table spoon of oil, leave it for another 15
minutes. Stir occationally. Bring the pot to the boil then reduce to simmer with lid on
for another 30 minutes or until taro is soft.
It can be
served with steam rice.
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Ingredients
- 300 gr of taro, peeled and grated using cheese grater
- 100 gr of green split pea or yellow split pea or mung bean split, peeled available in
Chinese grocers
- 100 gr of carrot, grated using cheese grater
- 20 gr of vermicelli (green bean thread) available in Chinese grocers
- 500 gr of fresh bean curd (tofu), available in Chinese grocers or health food shop
- 2 table spoons of sugar
- 3 table spoons of soy sauce
- 1 pack of spring roll pastry available in supermarket (50 sheets) put in the freeze
- only take the pack out 1 hour before using.
- some oil for deep frying
- 1 egg or 1 table spoon of corn flour and 1 table spoon of water.
- herbs : chopped basil, Vietnamese mint, coriander etc
- lettuce
For the sauce to go with spring rolls
- 3 table spoons of vinegar
- 4 table spoons of sugar
- 5 table spoons of soy sauce
- ½ of a lemon juice
- 1 chilli, chopped (optional)
- 3 table spoons of water
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Method Soak vermicelli in hot water for 15 minutes, then drain and
cut into lengths of 5 cm. Wash green split pea, put in a pot with a litre of water,
bring the pot to the boil, then discard most of water (only leave about 3 tablespoons of
water with the bean) then reduce to simmer with lid on for another 15 minutes or until the
bean is soft. Now mix the first 4 ingredients with bean curd together. Put the
mixture in a cloth bag then squeeze to remove excessive juice from the mixture. This way
the filling will not be to wet so preventing the spring roll from being soggy after deep
frying. Now add the sugar and soy sauce and mix well. Peel one sheet of spring roll at the
time. For each sheet place 1 table spoon of filling in the middle and roll t it up tightly
(please refer to the picture described at the back of pastry pack) and finish off by
sticking the last edge with either egg white or a mixture of 1 table spoon of corn flour
and 1 table spoon of water. Deep fry the spring roll in batches over medium heat.
Spring
rolls are served with the sauce and herb and lettuce. Wrap 1 spring roll and some herb in
a piece of lettuce then dip in the sauce.
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Ingredients
- 400 gr of taro, peeled, cut into 3 cm chunks
- 200 gr of sticky rice, available in Chinese grocers
- 2 litres of water
- 300 gr of sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 tea spoon of vanilla sugar
For the sauce to go with it.
- 1 cup of coconut milk
- ¼ tea spoon of salt
- 4 table spoons of sugar
- 1 cup of water
- 1 tea spoon of corn flour
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Method Place taro in a pot with 1 litre of water, bring it to boil
with lid on then reduce to simmer for 20-30 minutes or until taro is soft. Wash the
sticky rice, place it in a another pot with 1 litre of water, bring it to boil then reduce
to simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the rice is soft and sticky. You may put the lid on
while simmering but keep an eye on it because the sticky juice from the rice may overflow
all over the stove. After the taro and the rice both soft then mix them
together. You may discard any excessive juice if only the mixture is too watery. Add
sugar, salt, vanilla sugar and mix well.
Sauce - Mix all ingredients together in a pot
Bring the pot to the boil and reduce to simmer for another 5 minutes.
This sweet treat should be served hot. It can be served in a bowl. For each bowl place
2 pieces of taro and 2 table spoons of sticky rice and pour the sauce on top.
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