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Bông bí xào tỏi
Garlic stir-fried pumpkin flowers
Bông bí xào tỏi: Vietnamese pumpkin flowers and tender shoots stir-fried with garlic
From the Mekong Delta to the market gardens outside Hanoi, pumpkin vines are picked for their flowers and tender shoots, and bông bí xào tỏi is the everyday way to cook them: a few minutes in a hot wok with lots of garlic, served beside rice and a bowl of soup at family dinners. The flowers are soft and sweet and the shoots slightly crunchy. Some cooks add a splash of fish sauce; this version is seasoned with salt and a little soy, so it is vegan. It is a light side with about 3 g of protein per portion. The common mistake is leaving the stamens and the stringy skin on the shoots: both make the dish bitter and tough. Courgette flowers work well instead. Chef's tip: put the shoots in first and the flowers only for the last 30 seconds, so the delicate petals don't collapse into mush.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 20 pumpkin or courgette flowersstamens removed
- 7 oz pumpkin shoots (ngọn bí)tender tips only; or green beans, sliced
- 1 ½ tbsp vegetable oil
- 5 cloves garliccrushed and chopped
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Peel the fine, hairy skin off the 7 oz pumpkin shoots (ngọn bí) by snapping the stems and pulling the strings down, then cut into 6 cm lengths. Pull out the stamens from 20 pumpkin or courgette flowers and rinse briefly.
Step 2: Heat 1 ½ tbsp vegetable oil in a wok over a high heat. Fry 5 cloves garlic for 20 seconds until golden and fragrant; scoop out half and keep it for the top.
Step 3: Add the shoots and ½ tsp salt and stir-fry until the stems turn bright green and just tender.
3 minStep 4: Add the flowers and 1 tsp light soy sauce and toss for 30 seconds, until the petals have just wilted.
1 minStep 5: Plate, scatter with the reserved crisp garlic and ¼ tsp ground black pepper, and serve at once.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 65 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
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Good to know
- How long does bông bí xào tỏi take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of light soy sauce?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
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