Delicious Sesbania Flower Salad: A Taste of Southern Vietnam

Sesbania flower salad is a signature dish of the Mekong Delta, offering a fresh and rich flavor. In this article, we will guide you on how to make a simple sesbania flower salad while preserving the authentic taste of this traditional dish.

Sesbania flower salad is not only a delicious appetizer but also a wonderful choice to refresh your family meals. To begin, let’s explore two simple and appealing ways to make sesbania flower salad.

River Prawn and Sesbania Flower Salad

River Prawn and Sesbania Flower Salad

Preparation

• Time: 10 minutes

Cooking

• Time: 25 minutes

Difficulty

• Easy

Ingredients for River Prawn and Sesbania Flower Salad (Serves 4)

• River Prawns (Tép đồng): 200 gr
• Sesbania flowers: 500 gr
• Bean sprouts: 200 gr
• Sawtooth coriander: 3 sprigs
• Rice paddy herb: 3 sprigs
• Kumquats: 10 fruits
• Chili: 1 fruit
• Garlic: 5 cloves
• Fish sauce: 5 tablespoons
• Common seasonings: A little (Salt / sugar / MSG)

How to Choose Fresh River Prawns

• Choose prawns with natural, uniform color, and no strange odor.
• The tail of the prawn should be slightly curled and firm to the touch. If the tail is curled and soft, the prawns are stale and should not be bought.
• Avoid prawns with an overly taut back and stretched segments, as these might have been treated with chemicals and are unsafe.

How to Prepare River Prawn and Sesbania Flower Salad

1. Prepare Ingredients:

   • Wash river prawns, peel, de-vein, and remove heads.
   • Pick off the tough stems from sesbania flowers, then wash thoroughly.
   • Wash bean sprouts and drain.
   • Wash and finely chop sawtooth coriander and rice paddy herb.
   • Halve kumquats and remove seeds.
   • Finely chop chili.
   • Finely chop garlic.

2. Make the Dressing:

   • Mix fish sauce with sugar, MSG, minced garlic, and minced chili. Stir well until sugar dissolves completely.

3. Mix the Salad:

   • Combine sesbania flowers, bean sprouts, sawtooth coriander, rice paddy herb, and river prawns in a large bowl.
   • Pour the dressing over the ingredients, mixing thoroughly to ensure everything is well coated.
   • Add kumquats and mix again.

4. Serve:

   • River prawn and sesbania flower salad can be served with grilled rice crackers or fried prawn crackers for a truly appealing meal.

If you want to try another salad, check out how to make green mango and dried squid salad for more family meal options.

Silver Shrimp and Sesbania Flower Salad

Silver Shrimp and Sesbania Flower Salad

Preparation

• Time: 10 minutes

Cooking

• Time: 25 minutes

Difficulty

• Easy

Ingredients for Silver Shrimp and Sesbania Flower Salad (Serves 4)

• Silver shrimp: 200 gr
• Sesbania flowers: 100 gr
• Water lily stems: 100 gr
• Bean sprouts: 150 gr
• Herbs: A little (lettuce / basil / fish mint)
• Chili: 1 fruit (minced)
• Garlic: 4 cloves
• Lemon: 1/2 fruit
• Fish sauce: 2 teaspoons
• Cooking oil: 4 tablespoons
• Common seasonings: A little (Salt / sugar / MSG / ground pepper)

How to Choose Fresh Ingredients

How to Choose Fresh Silver Shrimp

• You should choose silver shrimp that are plump, about the size of a thumb, with a silver or translucent bluish shell and a red tail tip.
• It’s best to buy live shrimp with a naturally curved back and head firmly attached to the body. When held and squeezed lightly, you should feel firm joints and strong muscles.
• Avoid soft, mushy shrimp, those with an unusual dark gray discoloration, mucus oozing from joints, or an unpleasant fishy odor, as these can affect the dish’s flavor and consumer health.

How to Choose Fresh Water Lily Stems

• You should buy water lily stems that are fresh, especially if they have just been picked, not bruised or wilted.
• Do not buy old-looking water lily stems, or those with bruised petals and stems, as they will lose their characteristic crispness after cooking.

How to Prepare Silver Shrimp and Sesbania Flower Salad

1. Prepare Ingredients:

   • Wash silver shrimp, peel, de-vein, and remove heads.
   • Pick off the tough stems from sesbania flowers, then wash thoroughly.
   • Wash water lily stems and trim off tough ends.
   • Wash bean sprouts and drain.
   • Wash and finely chop herbs.
   • Finely chop chili.
   • Finely chop garlic.

2. Make the Dressing:

   • Mix fish sauce with sugar, MSG, minced garlic, and minced chili. Stir well until sugar dissolves completely. Squeeze in lemon juice.

3. Mix the Salad:

   • Combine sesbania flowers, water lily stems, bean sprouts, herbs, and silver shrimp in a large bowl.
   • Pour the dressing over the ingredients, mixing thoroughly to ensure everything is well coated.

4. Serve:

   • Silver shrimp and sesbania flower salad can be served with grilled rice crackers or fried prawn crackers for a truly appealing meal.

If you want to try another salad, check out how to make green mango and dried squid salad for more family meal options.

How to Choose Fresh Sesbania Flowers

• You should choose flowers that are just budding, freshly picked.
• Select flowers that are intact, not bruised or eaten by insects.
• Avoid flowers that are fully bloomed or still green, as they will be less delicious.

Sesbania flower salad is a dish that is not only delicious but also rich in the flavors of the Mekong Delta. We hope that with the two ways to make sesbania flower salad we’ve shared, you’ll have more options to refresh your family meals. Give it a try and share your results with us!