Anyone who travels to the Mekong Delta, if they get to eat “bồn bồn”, will surely never forget the refreshing, crunchy, and sweet taste of this plant. Today, the special page Vào bếp of TasteVN will share with you 2 delicious and easy-to-make stir-fried dishes from “bồn bồn” to make your family meal more delicious!
1. Stir-fried bồn bồn with shrimp and pork
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Preparation
15 minutes
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Cooking
30 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Stir-fried bồn bồn with shrimp and pork For 4 people
Bồn bồn 500 gr Shrimp 200 gr Pork belly 300 gr Shallots 2 bulbs Spring onions 2 stalks Cilantro 2 stalks Oyster sauce 2 teaspoons Cooking oil 1 tablespoon Salt/ seasoning powder a little
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose fresh and delicious shrimp
- Choose shrimp that have intact shells, are firm, translucent, and have a characteristic smell (not a fishy smell).
- Choose shrimp with heads and legs firmly attached to the body, not loose.
- It is best to choose shrimp with slightly curved bodies, firm flesh, and tails neatly arranged together.
- Do not buy shrimp with tails spread out and not neatly arranged, as these may be shrimp that have been caught for a long time or have been soaked in preservatives.
How to choose fresh and delicious pork belly
- You should choose pieces of meat that have a bright pink color, are highly elastic, and do not leave a dent when pressed with your hand.
- Fresh meat will be firm, evenly colored, not slimy, and have no unpleasant odor.
- In addition, you should choose meat with a balanced ratio of lean and fat, with a thick outer skin, fat approximately 1.5 – 2cm thick, and the lean meat tightly attached to the layer of fat, which will be tastier when cooked.
How to make Stir-fried bamboo shoots with shrimp and meat
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Prepare the bamboo shoots
Clean the bamboo shoots by removing the tough parts, then cut them into bite-sized pieces.
To keep the bamboo shoots looking attractive and white, soak the cut bamboo shoots in diluted salt water for 10 minutes, then rinse them thoroughly with water and let them drain.
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Prepping shrimp and meat
To remove the unpleasant smell from the pork, soak the meat in diluted saltwater for 5 minutes, then remove and rinse thoroughly with water, drain, and cut the meat into thin slices suitable for eating.
Wash the shrimp thoroughly, cut off the sharp head, legs, and tail, peel off the shell, and remove the shrimp vein. Then soak the shrimp in diluted saltwater for about 5 minutes, then take them out and rinse with clean water, allowing them to drain.
How to remove the unpleasant smell of pork
- Method 1: Blanch the pork in boiling water for about 3 minutes with 1 smashed shallot, then remove.
- Method 2: Mix white alcohol and crushed ginger in appropriate proportions, then rub it all over the meat and rinse well with water.
- Method 3: Rub salt into the meat, then blanch the meat in boiling water with salt, lemongrass, and ginger for about 3 minutes, then rinse with clean water.
See details: How to remove the unpleasant smell of pork
Quick ways to remove the shrimp vein
- Method 1: Use a knife to make a small cut along the back of the shrimp and remove the vein.
- Method 2: Count back from the tail of the shrimp to the second segment, between two shell segments, pierce a toothpick through and pull to remove the shrimp vein.
- Method 3: Turn the shrimp over, hold the body with one hand, and with the other hand peel back both sides of the shrimp’s head, then hold tightly the connection between the head and body, slowly separate the head from the body. At this point, the shrimp vein will be pulled out along with the part connected to the head.
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Sautéed Bồn Bồn
Place a pot on the stove, turn on medium heat, when the pot is hot, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and sauté minced shallots until fragrant.
Once the shallots are aromatic, add the pork and stir-fry until the pork is firm, then add the shrimp to stir-fry together.
Stir continuously until the shrimp turns a reddish color, then add the bồn bồn and stir quickly on high heat.
Season with 2 teaspoons of oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, stir well for about 2 minutes, and adjust the seasoning to taste.
Add chopped green onions, stir well once more until the green onions are cooked, then turn off the heat.
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Final Product
Serve the bồn bồn on a plate, garnish with cilantro, and sprinkle a bit of ground pepper on top to make it look very appealing, right?
The sautéed bồn bồn is fragrant with its distinctive flavor, crunchy and sweet bồn bồn along with tender and delicious shrimp and pork, very attractive to eat!
2. Stir-fried bamboo shoots with squid
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Preparation
15 minutes
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Cooking
20 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Stir-fried bamboo shoots with squid Serves 4
Bamboo shoots 300 gr Squid 200 gr Minced garlic 1 tablespoon Green onions 1 stalk Cooking oil 2 tablespoons Common spices a little (salt/ sugar/ monosodium glutamate)
How to choose fresh and delicious squid
- Choose squid with shiny, firm skin. They should have dark brown parts and a milky white body.
- The squid flesh should be firm and have high elasticity when pressed with your hand.
- The eyes of fresh squid should be clear and not bulging. Squid that is not fresh will have cloudy eyes and may have discharge.
- The head, tentacles, and arms of fresh squid will stick tightly together and be firm. Squid that is not fresh will often have soft and easily separable parts.
How to prepare Stir-fried Bồn bồn with squid
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Clean the squid
To clean and reduce the fishy smell of the squid, soak the squid in diluted saltwater for about 20 minutes.
After that, remove the hard bones, cut off the squid pouch, peel off the outer skin, cut the squid into bite-sized pieces, then rinse the squid with water and let it drain.
How to properly clean squid without it being fishy
- First, gently remove the tentacles and head of the squid to avoid breaking the squid pouch. If you accidentally break the pouch, rinse it clean with water.
- Use a knife to cut off the eyes and tentacles of the squid, then peel off the squid skin.
- Clean the insides and head of the squid and rinse it thoroughly with water.
See details: How to clean squid properly, without fishy smell
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Prepare other ingredients
Bồn bồn bought should have the hard, old parts cut off, then cut into bite-sized pieces, and soak the Bồn bồn in diluted saltwater for 15 minutes.
After that, take the Bồn bồn out, rinse it clean with water, and let it drain.
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Stir-fried bamboo shoots
Place a pan on the stove, turn on medium heat to warm the pan, then add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and sauté 1 tablespoon of minced garlic until fragrant.
Once the garlic is golden and fragrant, add the squid and stir-fry until the squid is firm, then season the squid with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate.
Add the bamboo shoots and stir quickly on high heat for about 3 minutes, seasoning to taste.
When the bamboo shoots are cooked, add a little chopped green onion and turn off the heat.
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Finished Product
The stir-fried squid with bamboo shoots is delicious, with crispy, sweet bamboo shoots blending together with the tender, sweet squid, making it very flavorful and appealing.
You can prepare a small bowl of chili garlic sauce to enhance the flavor of the dish!
What is bồn bồn?
- Bồn bồn is a plant that grows in wetland areas, developing in ponds or riverbanks, where there is slow water flow, capable of tolerating saline conditions, and can be submerged up to 1 meter deep.
- The young shoots of the bồn bồn plant are used as vegetables. With its crunchy, sweet taste and high nutritional content, bồn bồn is favored by many people. It is considered a specialty and is often used in restaurants or at parties.
How to choose and where to buy bồn bồn
- You should choose plants with fresh, tender roots and white cores.
- When buying, you should choose bồn bồn that is still fresh, not wilted, broken, or bruised.
- You can buy bồn bồn at reputable places with good preservation conditions, such as supermarkets and markets…
See more
The article above has guided you to make 2 easy and delicious ways to prepare stir-fried bồn bồn for your meal. Wishing you success in making this delicious dish!
*Reference recipes and images from YouTube channels: Cuộc Sống Cần Thơ Hậu Giang and bonsai hôm nay
