Cactus is very popular in Europe, many African countries and Japan. Its edible methods are diverse, and the tender stems are used as vegetables, which can be eaten fresh or soaked. There are many ways to eat fresh food, such as smoking, cold salad, cooking, stuffing, stew, cooked food and so on. The most common is fried cactus cake, and cactus sushi is the specialty of many hotels in Chinese mainland. The dishes made by eating cactus are not only tender, crisp, fresh, beautiful, sweet and sour, but also have a special flavor.
Choice of cactus
When buying vegetable cactus, you should choose tender slices that grow for 15~35 days, with light green color, little or no thorns, shiny skin, no wrinkles and appropriate palm size. Tender slices can be stored for 15 days at room temperature, and can be kept fresh for 40 days in the refrigerator.
Cooking method
Cooking cactus should first remove the small thorns, which can be easily removed by choosing a sharp thin kitchen knife; If the cactus is old, you can peel it properly, which will taste better. Then cut into the required shape and blanch with warm water to make various dishes.
Cold dishes can go with all kinds of food. According to the different tastes of north and south, different seasonings are added, including salty, sweet and sour and spicy. Cooked food, cut into slices, slices, strips, diced and other shapes, can be fried, fried and boiled, such as cactus scrambled eggs, diced chicken, shredded pork, fried belly slices, stewed ribs, stewed fish soup, stewed chicken soup and other more than 40 kinds of dishes; You can also wrap jiaozi, make wonton and eat it as fresh fruit. Smooth, fragrant, fresh and beautiful, with unique taste.
It is advisable to talk clearly and avoid turbidity.
Don't use too much oil when cooking cactus. Among all kinds of edible oils, salad oil is the best, and high-quality vegetable oil or soybean oil is also acceptable. Generally, animal oil should not be eaten more. When cooking, we should use less pungent spices to keep the color and flavor of cactus dishes.
Cactus pretreatment
With good recipes and good cooking skills, you can't make delicious cactus dishes without pretreatment. Because there is more mucus in cactus, it will affect the shape and taste of the dish. After shredding and slicing, you can marinate it with salt first, 15 minutes later, rinse it with water, and then cook it. Another way is to scald it with a proper amount of baking soda and salt, which can also effectively reduce the mucus and sour taste secreted by the cut part of the palm, and the taste will be better.
It is worth noting that not all cacti can be eaten, and some wild cacti can't be eaten, so pay attention when purchasing. Only Mibangta from Mexico can eat cactus in large quantities.
Here are some simple cactus recipes for you.
Cactus assorted salad
Ingredients: cactus 150g, pineapple, melon, cherry and other fruits 200g. Can be increased or decreased according to personal hobbies.
Accessories: salad dressing 150g.
Methods: Cut the stem slices of cactus and various fruits into small pieces, add salad dressing and mix well.
Features: sweet and sour.
Fried rabbit meat with cactus
Formula: cactus 100g, rabbit meat 50g, Shaoxing wine 5g, soy sauce 5g, ginger 5g, onion 5g, salt 5g, sugar 10g and white oil 30g.
Making:
1. Wash the cactus, peel it, and cut it into 4 cm long and 3 cm wide slices; Boneless rabbit meat, washed and cut into cactus-sized pieces; Slice ginger and shred onion.
2. Put the cactus and rabbit meat into a bowl, add salt, Shaoxing wine and soy sauce and mix well.
3. Heat a wok with a large fire, add vegetable oil, until it is six-ripe, add ginger and scallion until fragrant, then add cactus and rabbit meat, and eat it after mastering the heat.
How to eat: 50 grams of rabbit meat and 50 grams of cactus each time/kloc-0 times a day.
This dish has the effects of clearing away dampness and heat, nourishing yin and enriching blood, and is used for patients with chronic hepatitis.
Cactus shredded chicken
Raw materials: chicken 60g, cactus 200g, leek 20g, ginger 5g, salad oil 8g, salt 4g, white sugar 1g, appropriate amount of wet raw powder and cooked chicken oil1g.
Method:
1. Shred chicken, shredded cactus and washed, sliced leek and peeled ginger;
2. Add a little salt to the shredded chicken, marinate it with wet raw powder, add a little oil to the pot, stir-fry until it is 80% mature, and pour it out;
3. Put oil in another pan, add shredded ginger, shredded cactus and shredded leek, stir-fry over medium heat until nearly cooked, pour shredded chicken, add salt, monosodium glutamate and sugar to stir-fry until tasty, thicken with wet raw flour, and pour in cooked chicken oil.
Cactus contains many substances beneficial to human body, especially propanol diacid, which can inhibit the growth of fat. Chicken contains unsaturated fatty acids, so eating this dish often can get better slimming effect. The ingredients of this dish are tender, so don't turn it over too many times when frying, so as not to fry it.