Preparation
15 minutes
Processing
30 minutes
Difficulty
Easy
According to folklore, the starfruit is a medicinal ingredient with many health benefits, providing minerals and vitamins, and can be processed into a dish to accompany meals. Let’s get cooking to make this delicious pickled starfruit dish.
Ingredients for Pickled Starfruit For 4 people
Starfruit 1.5 kg Fish sauce 500 ml Garlic 1 bulb (peeled) Chili 10 fruits
Tools needed
What is starfruit? How to choose fresh starfruit
Starfruit is a fruit belonging to the genus Averrhoa, oval in shape, about 3cm long, with a sour and slightly astringent taste. There are two main types of starfruit: white starfruit, also known as cà na in the Mekong Delta, and black starfruit.
Starfruit is a valuable folk remedy with many health benefits. Some benefits of starfruit include treating coughs, insomnia, detoxifying from alcohol and pufferfish, and calming for epileptic patients,… Additionally, starfruit can be processed into dishes that help cool down during hot days.
How to choose delicious trám
- Delicious trám fruits are those that are round in shape, with a non-pointed tail. These fruits have thin skin, plenty of flesh, a light green color, and are not bitter.
- You should buy trám fruits that are just ripe, which are firm when squeezed by hand.
- You should not buy fruits that are too young as they can be easily astringent; overly ripe fruits will be mushy.
- Do not buy large, long fruits with pointed tails and dark green skin. These fruits have little flesh and are very bitter.
- Additionally, you can also use black trám to make pickled trám. Black trám will have a richer flavor than white trám.
How to prepare Pickled Trám
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Prepare trám
First, wash the trám thoroughly, then boil them in a pot of boiling water. Boil the trám for 15 minutes, then cut one fruit in half to check; if it can be cut easily, the trám is cooked.
Pour the trám into a basin, then use a knife to cut them in half and remove the seeds. After that, rinse the trám with warm water and then let them dry completely.
Tip: You may not need to remove the seeds depending on your preference.
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Preparing the soaking solution
With 1.5kg of tamarind, you add 500ml of fish sauce and 250ml of water in a ratio of 2:1 to prepare the soaking solution. Boil the mixture over medium heat.
While the fish sauce is boiling, remember to skim off the foam frequently to keep the soaking solution clear and to preserve it longer.
Once you have skimmed off all the foam, reduce the heat gradually, let it simmer for another 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it cool.
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Soaking the tamarind
You place the drained tamarind into a jar. For every layer of tamarind, you will add a layer of garlic and chili. Repeat the layering until all ingredients are used up.
Pour the cooled fish sauce over the tamarind until it is submerged, and tightly seal the jar. After soaking for 1 week, you can enjoy the tamarind.
Tip:- Before adding the tamarind, you should sterilize the glass jar by washing it thoroughly, then briefly blanching it in hot water and letting it dry completely.
- Depending on your family’s taste, you can adjust the amount of garlic and chili used for soaking the tamarind.
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Finished product
So we have completed this delicious pickled starfruit dish together. Starfruit has both health benefits and is an extremely appetizing dish.
You can use pickled starfruit to prepare various braised dishes or enjoy it with hot rice as a side dish!
Storing pickled starfruit
- Pickled starfruit stored in a glass jar can last about 1 month in a cool place, away from sunlight.
- If stored in the refrigerator, it can last about 2 months.
So you have learned how to make pickled starfruit, delicious and easy to make. Wish you success in your cooking!
*Refer to the recipe and images from the YouTube channel Banh Family
