Frog braised in Indian pennywort leaves

During the rainy season, when the night falls, in the fields just harvested, frogs croak loudly. I remember back in the countryside, during this season, my brothers and I would go hunting for frogs to come back from the fields and cover the fields with cassia leaves.

The two brothers waded from one field to another. Whenever they heard a cry nearby, they would shine their flashlights and see two red eyes, then point their noses at them or catch them with their hands. At nearly 9 p.m., when the baskets were full, my brothers and I returned, not forgetting to pick a few branches of cassia leaves and a dried coconut.

To make this dish, it requires wild frogs to be delicious because wild frog meat is fragrant, sweet, and firm while farmed frog meat is fishy, ​​bland, and mushy. It is not difficult to distinguish wild frogs from farmed frogs. Wild frogs have long, thin waists, not as plump as farmed frogs. Wild frog skin is dark black, while farmed frog skin is bright and bland. Notably, wild frog meat is red when processed, not milky white like farmed frogs.

When my brother and I brought the basket of frogs home, my mother carefully selected each one. The big frogs she kept to sell at the market tomorrow, the small ones she kept to make braised frogs with galangal leaves. Then she grated the dried coconut to make coconut milk and prepared other small things.

Frogs are very clean, so when preparing them, just cut off the head, remove the toenails, and remove the intestines, leaving the skin intact. Cut the frog meat into bite-sized pieces and marinate with turmeric powder, salt, sugar, lemongrass, and minced garlic for about 15 minutes. Pick the young leaves of the galangal and chop them finely.

When the preparation was complete, Mom put the pan on the stove with a little cooking oil. When the pan was hot, Mom sprinkled minced garlic in and sauteed until golden and fragrant, then added the frog meat and stir-fried until it was firm. Next, Mom poured in coconut milk and simmered the heat so that the frog absorbed the coconut milk. Finally, Mom added the galangal leaves and stirred for 1 minute, then seasoned again and turned off the stove. Knowing the "fickle" nature of the galangal leaves, Mom did not leave them for too long because they would turn black and be a bit bitter. When the dish was done, Mom took them out and brought them to the table - where 3 members were sitting and waiting anxiously.

In the chilly autumn air, there is nothing better than eating braised frog meat with galangal leaves with a bowl of hot rice or a glass of authentic rice wine. Don't forget to sip a spoonful of the broth, because all the essence of the dish lies in it: the spicy taste of galangal leaves, the fatty taste of coconut milk, the spiciness of lemongrass and chili, and the rich sweetness of the frog.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/diem-den-hap-dan/ech-dong-um-la-cach-20201119205521854.htm