How to Make Vietnamese Stir-fried Frog with Betel Leaves
When making stir-fried frog with betel leaves, it's important to properly clean and remove the fishy smell from the frog meat. This dish is a flavorful frog recipe similar to stir-fried frog with bamboo shoots and stir-fried frog with lemongrass and chili, but it's simpler and quicker to prepare.
Ingredients
- 600g frog meat
- Green onions, betel leaves, perilla leaves
- 1-2 hot chili peppers
- 1 red chili pepper
- 3 shallots, 5-6 garlic cloves, 1 small piece of ginger
- 1 piece of fresh turmeric (or 1 teaspoon turmeric powder)
- Rock salt, ginger wine
- Seasonings: MSG, seasoning powder, oyster sauce, ground pepper, fish sauce
Ingredient Notes
If you're unsure how to prepare frog meat, you can ask the seller to clean it for you (skinning, removing the head, innards, and feet). At home, you'll just need to rinse it thoroughly, saving time.
In addition to betel leaves, perilla leaves, and green onions, you can also add mint leaves to the stir-fry for added flavor.
Red chili peppers add a mild heat and vibrant color to the dish, mainly for decoration. If you can't find them, feel free to skip this ingredient.
Fresh turmeric gives the dish a bright color and fragrant aroma, but if you're worried about staining your hands or kitchen tools, you can substitute with turmeric powder. If turmeric does stain, you can use lemon, alcohol, vinegar, or baking soda to remove the yellow stains effectively.
Instructions
Preparing the ingredients
After initial preparation (removing the skin, head, intestines), clean the frog meat by rubbing it with rock salt and ginger wine to remove any fishy odors.
Since frogs live in damp environments, they can harbor parasites like flukes, which are white and often found in the legs. Be sure to check carefully while cleaning.
After cleaning with salt and ginger wine, rinse the frog meat thoroughly and let it dry. Cut the frog meat into bite-sized pieces, leaving the legs whole if you prefer.
Before stir-frying, marinate the frog meat with a bit of seasoning to enhance the flavor. For 600g of frog meat, marinate with 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce, 1/2 teaspoon MSG, 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper, and 1 teaspoon seasoning powder.
Crush some fresh ginger and turmeric, and add them to the marinade for extra flavor and warmth. This will help eliminate any remaining fishy smell and give the meat a nice fragrance.
Peel and finely chop garlic and shallots, which will be sautéed with the frog meat for extra aroma.
Slice the hot chili and red chili into diagonal or fine slices. Adding chili will bring a spicy kick to the dish, which helps mask the frog's natural flavor.
Wash and dry the betel leaves, perilla leaves, and green onions, then chop them finely.
Stir-frying the frog with betel leaves
Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a pan. Once hot, sauté the chopped garlic and shallots until fragrant. Then, add the frog meat and increase the heat slightly. Stir gently but evenly, cooking the frog meat until it becomes firm and golden brown.
Since frog meat can fall apart easily when stir-fried, avoid stirring too vigorously. Instead, shake the pan to mix the ingredients.
You can also try variations like stir-frying the frog with bamboo shoots, eggplant, or lemongrass and chili. Other methods like grilling or frying frog with betel leaves are also delicious.
Once the frog meat is golden brown and almost cooked through, season with more seasoning powder, MSG, oyster sauce, and a dash of fish sauce for extra aroma. Stir-fry for another 30 seconds to let the frog absorb the seasonings completely.
Finally, add the chopped betel leaves, perilla leaves, green onions, and chili. Sprinkle with ground pepper and stir quickly for about 10 seconds before turning off the heat.
The stir-fried frog with betel leaves is incredibly fragrant, with the tender, golden-brown frog meat blending perfectly with the earthy, slightly spicy flavor of the betel leaves and perilla. The dish is both flavorful and warming.
This is a quick, nutritious stir-fry dish that is simple to make. It’s a great option to add variety to family meals from time to time.
