Chinese Arrowhead, also known as Ngaku, is a type of tuberous plant that becomes readily available as Chinese New Year approaches. Ngaku Chips are a popular delicacy during the Chinese New Year season. However, I personally prefer to eat
ngaku when it's cooked into a dish alongside other
ingredients.
Braised Chinese Arrowhead is a delicious, savory dish that features the unique flavor and texture of arrowhead. Ngaku looks like water chestnuts and taste like potatoes when fully cooked.
Due to its mild flavor, ngaku pairs exceptionally well with robustly flavored sauces such as oyster sauce and dark soy sauce.
Here's a simple recipe for Braised Ngaku with Minced Pork & Mushroom that I cooked recently.
Ingredients:
7 fresh ngaku, peeled and cut into chunks
100g minced pork
4 dried Chinese mushroom, soaked, rinsed, cut into slices
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups water
How to:
1. Rinse the ngaku chunks well. Coat minced pork with some cornstarch and mix well.
2. In a sauté pan, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Add minced garlic and ginger, and sauté until fragrant.
3. Add in minced pork and stir-fry for about 2 minutes, until the meat changes color. Add in Chinese mushroom slices and ngaku chunks. Give everything a good stir for a few minutes.
4. Meanwhile, mix together dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Pour the sauce over the ingredients in the pan and stir well to
coat.
5. Pour in water to cover, add more water if necessary. Let everything boil for about 3 minutes, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it simmer for about 30
minutes, or until the arrowhead slices are easily pierced through with a fork.
6. Taste the dish, make sure the ngaku chunks are tender and not bitter (under-cooked ngaku is really bitter to the taste). Adjust the seasoning if necessary. Add more
soy sauce, salt, or sugar according to your taste preferences.
7. You can garnish the dish with chopped spring onion if you like. I don't like raw spring onion, so I don't add it.
8. Serve piping hot with rice! Yummy!
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