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Preparation
30 minutes
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Cooking
40 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Sweet and sour vegetarian hotpot is always loved by many people for its delicious flavor and simple, easy-to-prepare ingredients. Let’s get cooking with TasteVN to refer to how to make this hotpot and invite everyone in the family to enjoy it together.
Ingredients for Sweet and Sour Vegetarian Hotpot For 3 people
Pineapple 1 fruit (about 400 gr) Tomato 2 fruits Fried tofu 200 gr Fried bean curd skin 100 gr Vegetarian fish cake 200 gr Fresh noodles 1/2 kg Corn 1 fruit Carrot 2 roots White radish 1 root Chayote 1 fruit Lemongrass 3 stalks Spring onion 1 stalk Ginger 1 root Water spinach 100 gr Water mimosa 100 gr Oyster mushrooms 100 gr White snow fungus 100 gr Annatto oil 2 tablespoons Seasoning herbs a little (Basil/ cilantro/ sawtooth coriander) Common spices a little (sugar/ seasoning powder/ salt)
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose fresh tomatoes
- You should buy tomatoes that are plump with bright red color, evenly colored and emit a gentle characteristic aroma.
- Freshly picked tomatoes will have the stem tightly attached to the top of the fruit. Preferably choose medium-sized ones, not too big and not too small, because overly large ones will have thick flesh, making the dish less delicious when cooked.
- Avoid buying tomatoes that are bruised, unevenly ripened, have fallen stems, or show signs of pest damage or wrinkled skin, and feel soft when touched.
How to choose fresh carrots
- Good carrots are those that are of moderate size (not too big and not too small), with smooth and glossy skin. When held, there is a sense of firmness and weight of the carrot.
- You should choose carrots that have a natural orange color, with green tops still attached tightly to the body of the carrot.
- Do not buy carrots that have strange shapes, with bruised or wilted tops and bodies, showing signs of dark spots, and when pressed, they sink inwards.
How to choose fresh and delicious pineapple (khóm, dứa)
- You should choose pineapples that have an eye-catching yellow color or may have a bit of green mixed in because they are just ripe and will have a sweet taste.
- Choose pineapples that are slightly round and short rather than long ones as they will have more flesh. The larger the eyes of the pineapple, the better because these fruits are mature and naturally ripe, not ripened by chemicals.
- A pineapple that is just ripe will have a moderate aroma, not too strong. When you press your hand into the pineapple, you can feel a moderate softness and the skin is usually slightly wrinkled, which indicates that it is just ripe.
- Do not choose those with too much green color as they may not be ripe and those with dark brown color due to being left for too long. Additionally, avoid buying pineapples that are dented when pressed as they may spoil easily due to being left for too long; hard pineapples may not be ripe yet.
How to choose fresh and delicious corn (ngô)
- When choosing corn to make corn milk for children, you should choose American corn because this type has juicy, crunchy, and sweeter kernels.
- When selecting corn, you should choose fresh, moderately long ears, with the outer husk still green and not dry, and the corn silk should still be soft and smooth, and the stem should not be dark or wilted.
- Choose ears that have the outer husk tightly hugging the inner kernels. You should also pay attention to the corn kernels; they should be plump, uniform, shiny, and straight, and when you press them, if the kernels feel slightly soft, it is young corn.
- Do not choose corn that is too large as this may be old corn that is not tasty, and do not choose wilted corn where the husk no longer hugs the ear, as this may indicate old corn.
How to choose good tofu
- Fresh and good tofu usually has an off-white color, while tofu that contains a lot of gypsum, which is not good for health, will have an overly yellow color.
- You can test by holding the tofu; if it is quality tofu, it will feel light, smooth, but with good elasticity and especially not easy to break.
- You should limit buying tofu if you do not smell the characteristic faint scent of beans but only detect a strange, unpleasant smell, as that indicates the tofu has gone bad and should not be eaten.
How to choose fresh and delicious tofu skin
- When buying, you should choose tofu skin pieces that have an off-white color; do not choose pieces with unusual colors.
- Additionally, fresh tofu skin will have the characteristic smell of beans; if you smell something strange and unpleasant, it may be that the tofu skin has been stored for too long and is no longer good.
Suggestions for buying fresh vegetarian fish cake
- You can find vegetarian fish cakes at traditional markets or food stores. When buying, pay attention to whether the fish cake is still fresh; if the vegetarian fish cake has a strange smell or an oily smell, it may be that the fish cake has been stored for too long and is no longer good.
How to make sour and spicy vegetarian hot pot
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Prepare the vegetables
Peel the carrots and radishes, wash them clean, then cut them into pieces about 1 finger length. Peel the chayote, rinse with water, and also cut it into bite-sized pieces. Cut the corn into pieces about 1 finger length.
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Cook the vegetable broth
Add 2 liters of water to the pot, cook until the water boils, then add the corn, chayote, carrot, and white radish. Simmer these vegetables over medium heat for about 30 minutes.
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Blend the pineapple and tomatoes
Peel the pineapple, then cut it into medium-sized pieces. Remove the seeds and core from the tomatoes, keeping only the tomato flesh. Next, put the pineapple and tomatoes into the blender and blend until smooth.
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Prepare the remaining ingredients
Smash the lemongrass and cut it into sections, chop the scallions finely. Peel the ginger, wash it clean, then mince it. Wash the basil, cilantro, and sawtooth coriander, then chop them finely. Cut the fried tofu into bite-sized cubes.
For the vegetarian fish cake, cut it into long bite-sized pieces, and cut the yuba to a similar size.
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Sauté the ingredients
Place a pot on the stove, then add about 2 tablespoons of annatto oil into the pot. Once the oil is hot, add the scallions, ginger, and smashed lemongrass and sauté until fragrant. Next, add the blended tomatoes and pineapple, then add 3 tablespoons of sugar and stir well over medium heat for about 3 minutes.
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Prepare the broth
After simmering the vegetables for 30 minutes, remove the vegetables from the pot, then add the previously prepared broth and bring it to a boil. Once the hotpot broth is boiling, you can season it to your taste; if you find it not sour enough, you can add a little tamarind juice.
Next, add the tofu and cook for about 3 more minutes before turning off the heat. Pour the broth into the hotpot, then add mushrooms, rice noodles, fish cake, and vegetables, and bring the hotpot to a boil before enjoying.
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Finished Product
So the sour and spicy vegetarian hotpot is completed, when you eat it you will feel the broth’s sour and sweet taste that is extremely appetizing. Along with that, the accompanying vegetables are also soft and delicious, making the hotpot even more flavorful. You can enjoy this hotpot with vermicelli or instant noodles as well.
Thus, the recipe for sour and spicy vegetarian hotpot is complete. Don’t hesitate to get into the kitchen to prepare this delicious hotpot and invite everyone to enjoy it. Wishing you success!
