This type of vegetable is called passionflower. Whenever it comes into contact with water, the abundant saponin in the leaves of the vegetable will neutralize with the water and create foam. Passionflower is also known as passionfruit, passionflower vine,… its scientific name is Passiflora foetida.
The plant originates from countries in South America, Central America, or some countries near the Caribe region.
In Vietnam, passionflower is quite popular, especially in provinces in the North such as Bac Giang, Yen Bai, Quang Ninh,… or some mountainous areas with altitudes ranging from 500-1000m above sea level.
The leaves of passionflower and their ripe fruits are both edible and have a delicious aroma. The young shoots of passionflower can be cooked into boiled or stir-fried dishes. The ripe fruits can be peeled and eaten directly.
The abundant saponin in passionflower makes this type of vegetable a valuable medicinal ingredient that cannot be ignored. Passionflower helps calm the mind, stabilize blood pressure, and the nervous system.
However, it is not easy to buy passionflower, and if available, it is quite expensive. Fresh passionflower can cost up to 100,000 – 150,000 VND/kg, dried passionflower is more common and cheaper, ranging from 60,000 – 130,000 VND/kg.
If you can get passionflower, you can refer to the processing methods below to have a delicious and healthy dish.
Stir-fried Beef with Passionflower
Ingredients
– Beef: 200g
– Passionflower: 150g
– Sugar, cooking oil, salt, pepper: a little bit of each
– Garlic: 1/2 bulb
– Soy sauce: 1 tablespoon
Instructions
– Harvest the young shoots of passionflower and then rinse them clean.
– Marinate the beef with spices: 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 2 cloves of minced garlic, 1/2 tablespoon of cooking oil, and a little bit of pepper. Leave it for 15 minutes to absorb the flavors.
– Heat the pan and add cooking oil and crushed garlic, stir-fry until it releases its aroma, then add the marinated beef and stir-fry until cooked.
– Add passionflower and stir-fry gently (because the shoots are delicate and cook quickly). Adjust the seasoning to taste.
Put the stir-fried beef with passionflower on a plate, serve with a dipping sauce made from soy sauce and crushed chili.
Boiled Passionflower
Ingredients
– Passionflower: 200g
– Sugar, salt, cooking oil
– Lime juice
– Soy sauce
Instructions
– Choose the young shoots of passionflower, rinse them clean and drain.
– Remove the vegetable from the boiling water and place it on a stainless steel strainer to drain. Then, arrange the vegetable on a plate and serve with soy sauce and crushed chili, garlic chili fish sauce, or braised meat sauce.
