Try out these great fall recipes involving gourds and roots: stick-to-your-ribs and deliciously spiced stir-fried chayote and Chinese jicama salad
My last article introduced several types of gourds, melons and tubers of the Asian kind. Asiatic veggies need not be scary, some may look otherworldly, but I promise you the taste is lip-smacking. Check out my previous introductions to Asian veggies if you're seeking more information on these greens.
There's plenty of vegetable recipes in my Best Asian Recipes listing.
Chayote is a light green pear-shaped gourd. It is also known as custard marrow, choko and christophene and is rich in vitamin C. Do not buy if the gourd is starting to send out shoots.
These recipes are derived from A Cook's Guide to Asian Vegetables by Wendy Hutton (Periplus).
BURMESE STIR-FRIED CHAYOTE
Ingredients:
- 4 oz (125 g) lean pork, thinly sliced
- 2 tsp rice wine or sake
- ½ tsp salt
- white pepper
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 small or one large chayote, peeled, stone discarded, flesh sliced into thin shreds
- 1/3 cup water
Directions:
- Put pork in a bowl and sprinkle with wine, salt and pepper. Massage to the wine is absorbed and set aside for 15 minutes.
- Heat oil in a wok and add the garlic, stir fry for a few seconds and then add the pork. Fry for 2 minutes. Splash with fish sauce and fry some more.
- Add the chayote, stir fry 1 minute, add the water and continue to fry for 5 minutes or until the vegetable is tender. Add water if it begins to burn. Serve hot with rice
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Jicama is also known as bangkuang. It's a crisp tuber sometimes referred to in China as "turnip " because of its shape.Shaped like brown spinning tops, the taste is potato-like with a texture like water chestnuts. Buy the smallest ones.
CHINESE JICAMA AND CARROT SALAD WITH PRAWNS
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minces
- 5 oz (150 g) small fresh prawns, peeled and de-veined
- 7 oz (200 g) jicama, peeled and cut into matchstick pieces
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into matchstick pieces
- 1/3 cup chicken stock
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- white pepper
- 1 head iceberg lettuce, leaves washed and dried
- 1 tbsp Hoisin sauce
Directions:
- Heat oil in a wok and stir fry the garlic for a few seconds. Add the prawns and stri fry until they turn pink.
- Put in the jicama and carrot, stir fry until the vegetables start to wilt. Pour in stock and simmer, stirring occasionally until al the vegetables are soft and the liquid has dried up.
- Add soy sauce and pepper, stir, and then transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool.
- Serve at room temperature, with the lettuce leaves and a small saucer of hoisin sauce.
- To eat, smear hoisin inside the lettuce leave add the veggie mixture and roll up.
