A useful ingredient to have in your refrigerator is chayote because it keeps for weeks and is handy when you run out of greens.
The bumpy, green gourd, which can be mistaken for jambu batu, is a thin-skinned squash from the Cucurbitacaec family. (www.britannica.com)
Although a fruit, the squash is versatile and can be treated like a vegetable as its skin, flesh and seed are edible.
Said to be rich in antioxidants and vitamins, the low-calorie fruit can be eaten raw, sauteed, stir-fried, grilled, roasted and used in stews or soups.
Large chayotes appear rough and dry, so it is advisable to peel off the skin as it can be fibrous and may not tickle the taste buds.
Flavourful stir-fried chayote with chicken. — Photos: LOW LAY PHON/The Star
The origins of this perennial fruit, that grows on climbing leafy vines, can be traced to Mesoamerican civilizations. (www.shape.com)
These days, the chayote, which thrives in warm climates, takes its pride of place among other squash and gourds on supermarkets shelves around the world.
It is popular in South American countries and Mexico.
The ingredients for chayote with chicken.
In India, the chayote is referred to as chow-chow and during a trip many years ago, my mother, sisters and I were a little confused when told that the dish we were about to savour was chow-chow cooked in dhal.
Since Chow Chow is also a dog breed, we were puzzled but certain that the dhal contained some sort of gourd.
We would later learn that the chayote, also known as English gourd, labu cameron, labu siam, custard marrow, vegetable pear and mirliton, is the ubiquitous chow-chow in India.
Peel the skin off the chayote.
The chayote is always on my shopping list because it typically lasts two to four weeks, cling wrapped, in the vegetable drawer.
I enjoy stir-frying chayote with either chicken, beef or prawns, a variety of mushrooms for texture, carrots for sweetness as well as alliums like garlic and leek for their aromatic appeal, and heat from ginger.
The crunchy texture of stir-fried chayote is appetising and a dish my family never tires of.
In fact, during the video shoot of this recipe, I learnt that my colleagues were not fond of chayote. However after trying this stir-fry version, they are now more open to the idea of enjoying the fruit.
This particular hearty one-pot wonder can be eaten on its own, with rice or porridge.
Rinse the chayote slices in clean water to get rid of the salt.
Chayote with chicken
Ingredients
50g ginger
3 pips garlic
5 fresh shiitake mushrooms
1 medium-sized carrot
1 stalk leek
10g wood ear fungus
450g chayote
200g chicken breast, sliced
1 red chilli (garnish)
3 tbsp oil
For soaking
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
Marinade
1 tsp cornflour
½ tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
½ tsp white pepper
1 cup water (rinse bowl)
Slurry
¼ cup water
3 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
Directions
Peel off the skin from the chayote, halve it lengthwise and then into quarters.
Using a sharp paring knife, deseed the chayote and cut into eight wedges before slicing them diagonally.
Add 1 tsp salt to a cup of water and massage chayote slices to remove the sap.
Leave to soak for 10 minutes.
Rinse the chayote in water, drain and set aside.
Soak wood ear fungus for them to bloom in water.
Once the flavour of the ginger has infused in the oil, add shiitake mushrooms and leave them to cook and soften.
Slice chicken and marinate with soy sauce, white pepper, sesame oil and cornflour for 30 minutes.
Next, slice ginger, leek and carrot diagonally and set aside.
Also slice shiitake mushrooms and mince the garlic.
In a tumbler, mix oyster sauce, cornflour, water, sugar and salt to make a slurry.
Add three tbsp of oil to a pan on high heat, and fry ginger slices until aromatic.
Introduce shiitake and garlic, cook until mushrooms soften.
Throw in carrots, wood ear fungus and stir to integrate the ingredients.
Add the oyster sauce and cornflour slurry to add flavour to the vegetable.
Next, add chicken slices and stir for a minute.
Rinse the bowl (used for the chicken) with 1 cup water, pour into the pan.
Cover the pan and allow the steam to cook the ingredients. Once water evaporates, throw in the leek and stir briefly before adding the chayote.
Cover with a lid for about three minutes for the fruit to cook.
Next, pour in slurry for extra flavour and to bind the ingredients together.
The chayote should be crunchy.
Garnish with sliced chillies. Serve with white rice or porridge.
