How to choose fresh and delicious water spinach
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Prioritize choosing bunches of water spinach with stems as thick as a chopstick, with small tips that look a bit firm when eaten, as they will be crispy and safer.
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When buying water spinach, try breaking the stem; if you see thin sap, it indicates that the vegetable is still fresh and should be purchased.
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Avoid buying bunches of water spinach with abnormally thick stems, looking too lush green, and when bending the stem, it feels crispy and the leaves are dark green. This indicates that the vegetable has been over-fertilized with nitrogen or leaf fertilizers that are not good for health.
What is ‘mẻ’? Where to buy ‘mẻ’?
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‘Mẻ’ or fermented rice is a traditional spice in Vietnamese cuisine with a sharp sour taste and characteristic aroma, usually made from leftover rice or noodles.
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You can buy ‘mẻ’ at various stores, food stalls, reputable supermarkets, or to ensure better hygiene, you can make ‘mẻ’ right at home.
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How to Prepare Snakeskin Catfish Hotpot with Fermented Rice
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Prepare the snakeskin catfish
After purchasing the snakeskin catfish, clean it thoroughly and remove all the intestines. Next, use lemon or vinegar to rinse the fish, wait a few minutes for the slime to coagulate, then use a knife to scrape off the slime.
After that, wash it thoroughly with water and let it drain before placing it in the refrigerator.
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Prepare the accompanying vegetables
After purchasing banana flower, use a knife to slice it into thin strands and soak it in a mixture of salt water and lemon for 10 – 15 minutes to prevent browning. After that, remove and let it drain.
Pick the water spinach into bite-sized pieces and trim off excess leaves. Then, wash it clean with diluted salt water and let it drain.
For the lotus flower, remove the inner stamen. Then soak it in diluted salt water for about 15 minutes, wash it clean with water, and let it drain.
For the bitter melon, wash it clean, cut it into bite-sized pieces, and soak it in a saltwater mixture to reduce bitterness, then squeeze to drain.
Rinse the cilantro, rice paddy herb, and Thai basil, then wash them clean with water and let them drain.
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Prepare other ingredients
Shallots are peeled and sliced thinly. Garlic is peeled, sliced thinly, and then minced.
Lemongrass is smashed and cut into pieces about 2 finger lengths. Onions are cut into wedges. Chilies are sliced thinly.
Pineapple is peeled, cored, rinsed briefly with water, and then cut into bite-sized pieces.
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Cook the hotpot
Place a pot on the stove, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. When the oil is hot, add shallots, garlic, and lemongrass to sauté until fragrant. Next, add pineapple and chilies to stir-fry together for about 10 seconds, then pour in 1 liter of fresh coconut water, 1 liter of clean water, 3 tablespoons of sugar, 2 teaspoons of seasoning powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, then bring to a boil.
When the water boils, scoop some water from the pot into a bowl with the fermented rice, stir well, and then strain through a sieve to collect the liquid. Repeat the filtering step 3 times to extract all the sour liquid from the fermented rice.
Then, add all the filtered fermented rice liquid into the pot, season with 1 tablespoon of sugar, 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, and continue to cook.
Finally, add the onions and cook for another 3 minutes, then taste and adjust the seasoning as needed before turning off the heat.
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Final Product
You sprinkle more chopped coriander, Vietnamese balm, and fried shallots on top to enhance the aroma of the hotpot broth.
The finished hotpot has a distinctive sour taste from the fermented rice. When eating the hotpot, you add the fish and dip it with various vegetables. This dish is best enjoyed with fresh rice noodles and a bowl of dipping fish sauce.
2. Spicy and Sour Fish Hotpot
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Preparation
30 minutes
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Cooking
30 minutes
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Difficulty Level
Easy
Ingredients for Spicy and Sour Fish Hotpot Serves 4
Snakehead fish 2 pieces (700 – 800g) Tomatoes 4 pieces Pineapple 1/2 piece Banana flower 1/2 piece Water spinach 400 g Lotus blossoms 300 g Coriander 300 g Shallots 3 bulbs (minced) Kumquats 10 pieces Chili peppers 1 piece Lime 2 pieces Spicy satay 3 tablespoons Cooking oil 3 tablespoons Salt a little Sugar 3 tablespoons Fish sauce 2 tablespoons
How to choose fresh and delicious tomatoes
- Tomatoes that are naturally ripe usually have a red color, plump skin, bright green stems, and when lightly pulled, they still cling tightly to the fruit.
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It is advisable to choose tomatoes that are pink-red, feeling slightly soft to the touch while still being firm in hand.
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Avoid choosing tomatoes that are already soft as they spoil very quickly and may be bruised or rotten inside.
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How to prepare sour and spicy eel hot pot
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Prepare eel
Clean the eel you bought, removing all the intestines. Then place the eel in a basin, pour boiling water over it, and use a knife to scrape off the slimy layer. Next, rinse it thoroughly with water and let it drain, then cut it into bite-sized pieces.
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Prepare other ingredients
After purchasing the banana flower, use a knife to shave it into thin strips and soak it in a mixture of saltwater and lemon for 10 – 15 minutes to prevent the banana flower from turning dark. Then, remove it and let it drain.
Pineapple should be peeled, the core removed, rinsed briefly with water, and then sliced thinly.
Water spinach needs to have the white flowers removed, discard the old stems, and only use the young stems, then wash thoroughly and let them drain.
The butterfly pea flower should have the inner pistil removed. Then soak it in diluted saltwater for about 15 minutes, rinse well with water, and let it drain.
Culantro should be separated into individual leaves, washed, and divided into two portions. One portion should be tied into a small bunch, while the other is chopped finely.
Tomatoes should be washed and cut into wedges. The calamondin should be squeezed for juice, and the chili should be sliced thinly.
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Fry the eel
Place a pan on the stove, add 3 tablespoons of cooking oil. Wait for the oil to heat up, then add chopped shallots to fry until fragrant. After that, add the eel and fry briefly until the flesh firms up, then turn off the heat.
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Cooking the Hot Pot
Place a pot on the stove, add 2 liters of water and bring it to a boil. When the water is boiling, add the pineapple and continue boiling over medium heat. Next, add the fish along with a bundle of cilantro and cook for about 5 minutes, then add 3 tablespoons of spicy satay, calamansi juice, and 3 tablespoons of sugar to the pot.
After that, stir well once and add the tomatoes to cook together. Finally, add 2 tablespoons of fish sauce to the pot, adjust the seasoning to taste, and turn off the heat.
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Final Product
Sprinkle some chili and chopped cilantro on top of the hot pot.
This sour spicy eel hot pot lives up to its name, when you eat it you will feel the spicy kick from the chili and satay, the sourness from the calamansi, and a delightful aroma when dipping various vegetables, with the eel being tender.
This dish is best served with fresh vermicelli and a bowl of spicy chili fish sauce for an even more flavorful and enticing meal.
How to choose fresh and delicious eel fish (trạch)
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You should choose the eel fish that is fat so that when cooking, the meat will be tender, sweet, and more delicious.
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Choose lively fish that are still alive, with clear eyes, scales tightly attached to the body, the mouth closed, and when pressed, the body has a certain elasticity.
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Avoid buying swollen fish, weak swimmers, or those with strange odors.
How to remove slime from eel fish (trạch)
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Method 1: Use boiling water to pour over the fish, wait for the slime to congeal, then use a knife to scrape off the layer of slime, and then rinse with diluted salt water.
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Method 2: Use kitchen ash to rub along the body of the eel many times until the fish is clean of slime, then rinse thoroughly with water.
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Method 3: Use vinegar to pour over the fish, wait for the slime to congeal, use a knife to scrape off the layer of slime, and then rinse with diluted salt water.
How to choose fresh and delicious pineapple (dứa)
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It is best to choose pineapples that have a striking yellow color, sometimes with a few green spots as these are ripe and have a certain level of sweetness.
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Choose pineapples that are slightly rounded, short fruits, with a light aroma, and the larger the eyes, the better. These are naturally ripe fruits with a lot of flesh.
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Avoid buying unevenly ripe fruits; if pressed and the fruit sinks in, it means the pineapple is overripe and will spoil quickly.
How to choose fresh and delicious bamboo flowers
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Choose bamboo flowers that are firm, fresh, and have a bright white color, not wilted or bruised.
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Delicious bamboo flowers are those that are still budding, not fully opened, with large buds, dark green stems, and intact petals that have not fallen off.
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You can find this type of flower at reputable large markets.
How to choose delicious banana flower
- Delicious banana flowers are those that have a dark red color, fresh skins, with a white powdery layer on the outside, and feel heavy and firm when held.
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Avoid choosing wilted, dull-colored banana flowers, as these are old and not tasty.
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You can buy pre-peeled banana flowers. However, it is still recommended that you buy the whole fruit and peel it yourself for better hygiene.
How to prepare banana flower without browning
- Prepare a basin of clean water, squeeze the juice of 2 lemons into it. Then, add 1 tablespoon of salt and stir the mixture well.
- As you peel the banana flower, place it into this mixture immediately. Next, soak it for 10 – 15 minutes, then rinse with clean water 2 – 3 times and let it drain.
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Above is the guide for 2 ways to cook eel hotpot (trạch) cooked with fermented rice and sour spicy flavors. We hope that with the above recipe, you can easily make this hotpot dish. Wishing you success!
*Refer to images and recipes from YouTube channels: Cơm Quê Miền Tây and Người Miền Tây
