In Vietnam, winged yam is a very familiar food, and the soup cooked from winged yam is definitely a favorable dish with most Vietnamese people.
Winged yam is a creeper tree that produces bulb. It is grown most in India, Malaysia and Africa. In Vietnam, winged yam is grown much in the countryside.
There are two main kinds of winged yam, one has purple bowel and the other has white bowl. The purple one is much more preferred since it is more delicious and looks more attractive.
Usually, winged yam is used to cook with glutinous rice, make cake, fry or cook with rice gruel. But most popular is the winged yam soup.
Making the winged yam soup is quite easy. Minced meat, fresh shrimp or dried shrimp can either be used to cook with winged yam. Yet, it is highly recommended that the dish would taste best with fresh shrimps.
Remove all the shrimps’ shell, then put them on a chopping – board and slightly strike them. Another way is putting them into a mortar and grind. These two ways will help to make the shrimps become sweeter when being cooked.
Other ingredients used for this dish is green onion and some corianders. They will make the dish fragrant and tastier. If the winged yam is about 300 grams, then it requires about 100 gram of chopped meat and 200 grams of fresh shrimp.
Remove the peel of the winged yam, and then cut it into square pieces. Clean those pieces in diluted salt water.
Next, using a large knife to strike the winged yam. Doing so would make the soup viscid, but still not so thick.
Fry the shrimp or the minced meat first, add some spices, and then pour water into the pot. Cook until the water boils and add winged yam.
When the winged yam is done, add some green onion and corianders, which have been cut into small pieces, and wait until the soup is boiling again.
With its beautiful purple, the winged yam soup looks so attractive and can make anyone feel so desirable. Although this dish is rustic, it is very easy to eat and promisingly brings delicious tasty.
Not only that, winged yam is very good for health since it is non – malignant and can reduce the body’s heat. Winged yam is also good for babies who are beginning to eat.
A simple meal with a hot bowl of winged yam soup would be an ideal choice for these rainy days of summer.
