Food & Receipts

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Nutritious and beneficial for health, the su su vegetable can be transformed into a variety of delicious dishes.

9 December, 2023

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In many Vietnamese families’ meals, chayote is a familiar ingredient. Chayote plants are usually grown for their fruit, but in fact, their shoots and leaves are also delicious. In Tam Dao, chayote shoots are considered a specialty.

From July to September every year is the best season for delicious chayote shoots. At this time, the shoots are fresh, stir-frying or boiling them will make them crispy, sweet, and refreshing. Chayote shoots can be cooked into many different delicious dishes. Even when cooked, the shoots still retain their crispness, making them enjoyable to eat. They are also a nutritional stash with astonishingly high levels of folic acid, good for pregnant women, middle-aged and elderly people.

In addition to the incredibly high folic acid content, chayote shoots are also rich in fiber. Eating them regularly helps promote bowel movement, prevent constipation. Besides greens, chayote shoots also contain a significant amount of vitamin A, C, E, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and other minerals that boost the immune system, maintain healthy skin, and balance the body’s water.

You can refer to some ways to cook chayote shoots below.

Stir-fried Chayote Shoots with Shrimp

Ingredients:

– Chayote shoots

– Shrimp

– Ginger

– Spring onion

– Garlic

– Cooking oil

– Soy sauce

– Salt

Instructions:

– Clean the fibrous layer on the outside of the chayote shoots and wash them with water to remove dirt. Peel and clean the shrimp. Chop the spring onion, ginger, and garlic.

– Heat some cooking oil in a pan, sauté the spring onion, ginger, and chopped garlic until fragrant. Add the shrimp and stir-fry until they turn orange, then season with soy sauce and salt to taste.

– When the shrimp are almost cooked, add the chayote shoots and stir-fry until they are tender.

– Transfer to a plate and enjoy. The shrimp is sweet and savory, while the chayote shoots are crispy and sweet, stimulating the taste buds.

Stir-fried Chayote Shoots with Garlic

Ingredients:

– Chayote shoots

– Minced garlic

– Dried chili

– Cooking oil

– Salt

Instructions:

– Wash the shoots with water and drain them. Cut the dried chili into pieces. Mince the garlic.

– Heat the cooking oil in a pan, then sauté the minced garlic and dried chili until fragrant.

– Add the chayote shoots and stir-fry them together, season with salt and monosodium glutamate to taste until the shoots are tender and delicious.

Stir-fried Chayote Shoots with Pork

Ingredients:

– Chayote shoots

– Pork

– Spring onion

– Ginger

– Garlic

– Dried chili

– Egg

– Cornstarch

– Cooking oil

– Salt

– Soy sauce

Instructions:

– Pick and wash the chayote shoots, then drain them. Chop the spring onion, ginger, and garlic. Clean and thinly slice the pork.

– Break an egg into a bowl, separate the egg white. Beat the egg white, then add cornstarch, salt, and soy sauce, and mix well. Dip each piece of pork in this mixture, then deep-fry until golden and crispy.

– Heat the cooking oil, sauté the chopped spring onion, ginger, garlic, and dried chili until fragrant. Add the fried pork and stir-fry. Season with soy sauce and salt to taste.