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Canh cua rau đay
Crab and jute leaf soup
Canh cua rau đay mướp: northern summer crab soup with jute leaves and luffa
Through the sticky Hanoi summer, the cheapest and most loved soup is canh cua: tiny rice-field crabs pounded and strained so the sweet crab 'curds' float to the top of a broth of slippery jute leaves (rau đay) and luffa, eaten with rice and crunchy pickled aubergines. Away from the paddies, fresh crab meat gives the same soft curds; if you buy live crabs, cook only lively ones and discard any that are dead. Chef's tip: stir the broth only until it comes to a simmer, then leave it; keep stirring and the crab curds break into a cloudy mush.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 9 oz fresh white and brown crab meator 500 g live small crabs, pounded with water and strained
- 1.3 litres cold water
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 shallotfinely chopped
- 1 tsp neutral oil
- 7 oz jute leaves (rau đay)picked and finely chopped; or Malabar spinach
- 1 luffa gourdridges peeled, cut into chunks
- 1 ½ tbsp fish sauce
- 3 ½ oz Vietnamese pickled baby aubergines (cà pháo) (optional)
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What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (3)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: If using live crabs, check every one is alive and moving and discard any that are not. Pound them with 500 ml of the 1.3 litres cold water, strain through a sieve and discard the shells. If using 9 oz fresh white and brown crab meat meat, whisk it with 500 ml of the water.
10 minStep 2: Pour the crab liquid into a pot with the rest of the 1.3 litres cold water and ½ tsp salt and set it over a medium heat. Stir gently and steadily, only until it reaches a simmer.
8 minStep 3: Stop stirring. As it simmers, the crab rises and sets into soft golden curds on top. Meanwhile fry 1 shallot in 1 tsp neutral oil until golden.
3 minStep 4: Lift some curds aside with a ladle, then add 7 oz jute leaves (rau đay) and 1 luffa gourd to the broth and simmer until the luffa is translucent and the jute leaves have turned silky, about 4 minutes. The crab must be fully cooked through.
4 minStep 5: Season with 1 ½ tbsp fish sauce, return the curds, spoon the fried shallot on top and serve with rice and 3 ½ oz Vietnamese pickled baby aubergines (cà pháo).
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 110 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 5 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does canh cua rau đay take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 20 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 gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of shallot?
- Half an onion per 2 shallots.
- What can I use instead of fish sauce?
- Soy sauce with a squeeze of lime (vegetarian).
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