Eat Malabar spinach during the dry season.

During our school days, who didn't know that Malabar spinach, initially green, turns a deep purple when ripe, and when picked and squeezed, it sticks to your hands like purple ink? Previously, Malabar spinach mainly grew along fences, with small, light green leaves and slender stems; or it was often attached to trellises. Nowadays, however, Malabar spinach is grown in rows like other leafy greens, with large, thick, dark green leaves, and sturdy stems that are less slimy than the smaller-leaved variety…

Báo Khánh Hòa•23/04/2024

Malabar spinach is a popular, rustic vegetable, loved not only for its delicious taste and ease of consumption but also for its suitability for hot weather. In the past, Malabar spinach was considered the "poor man's vegetable" because of its versatility; it tasted good with almost anything. Simply crush a few freshwater crabs, strain the liquid, and you have a bowl of Malabar spinach soup that's both refreshing and nutritious. Today, Malabar spinach reigns supreme in restaurants, appearing in various hot pot dishes – and any hot pot paired with Malabar spinach is delicious!

As mentioned above, although it's called "basil soup with crab," the basil isn't the main ingredient; it needs a few more things to be delicious. Wash the crabs, crush them, and strain the juice (pre-ground crab is now available in supermarkets). Add basil, zucchini, okra, and a little bit of amaranth, sweet potato leaves, and other greens (likely "mixed greens"), chopped coarsely or finely according to family preference. During cooking, the crab meat will automatically clump together and float to the surface. Bring to a boil briefly, then add the vegetables and cook quickly. Finally, add the zucchini and okra, then turn off the heat without waiting for it to boil again. This soup is served with pickled eggplant and shrimp paste; adding braised and stir-fried dishes makes for a basic three-course family meal that's delicious and nutritious. This is a summer dish, refreshing and cooling...

In Nha Trang, and in coastal areas in general, people cook jute mallow soup without much fuss: it tastes delicious with shrimp, raw fish cakes, fish, clams, or finely minced lean meat. In vegetarian dishes, jute mallow is cooked with mushrooms. In some rural areas of Central Vietnam, people cook it with fermented fish sauce (also known as fish paste). Bring water to a boil, add a spoonful of fermented fish sauce, then add jute mallow (or water spinach) and you have a delicious bowl of soup!

Stir-fried Malabar spinach is a different kind of delicious dish. The Malabar spinach leaves are used whole; some people blanch them in boiling water before stir-frying with garlic, while others stir-fry them directly. The nature of Malabar spinach is that it absorbs oil and fat well, giving the vegetable a sweet, rich flavor with the added aroma of garlic. This dish is no longer just for home cooking but has become a staple in restaurants as diners are starting to get tired of dishes high in protein.

Even simpler, boiled Malabar spinach dipped in soy sauce is also delicious, and you won't get tired of eating it in the hot weather!

In Dai Lan (Van Ninh district), there is a famous squid hotpot with jute mallow. During the season for baby squid, the squid must be medium-sized, round-bodied, and have white flesh; they must be very fresh to be sweet and tender. While in the past, people cooked the hotpot with sweet broth and served it with vermicelli and raw vegetables, now these have been replaced with jute mallow and mustard greens.

Just looking at the squid hotpot makes you crave it. Once the water boils, add some jute leaves or mustard greens, stir briefly, then scoop them out and eat immediately – a rich and delicious flavor. A bowl of pure, straw-yellow fish sauce, fragrant with a few chopped green chili peppers, adds a spicy kick. Dip a piece of squid in the sauce; the sweetness of the fresh squid blends with the salty and spicy flavor of the chili sauce, creating an indescribable taste. The deliciousness is enhanced by sipping some broth, adding some jute leaves or mustard greens, and savoring the spiciness and heat…

In dishes like braised pork stomach with green peppercorns or beef stew with green peppercorns, Malabar spinach is a perfect accompaniment. The pork stomach or beef is marinated with spices until tender, then braised until soft, seasoned to taste, and then crushed green peppercorns are added. Malabar spinach is arranged on a plate. It's eaten like a hot pot; when the broth boils, add the spinach as you eat, stir once, and then scoop it out. This dish is served with rice noodles. Additionally, in pigeon hot pot, Malabar spinach is the only way to enjoy its rich, flavorful taste. The deliciousness of Malabar spinach lies in its ability to absorb all the fat and flavor of the hot pot, whether it's lightly cooked or tender. The more you eat, the more you'll love it!

KIM DUY

Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/doi-song/202404/mua-nang-an-rau-mung-toi-3217526/