Stir-fried choko (su su xào)

Growing up, I loved it when Mum cooked su su xào. I never saw choko in the supermarket, only in Asian fruit shops, so it was always known as ’su su’ to me, which is the Vietnamese word for choko. To this day, I can’t stir-fry choko as well as my mum, but I still try! When stir-fried, it has a distinct flavour and a firm but soft texture that I love. Make sure you thoroughly cook the choko until it starts to turn translucent, otherwise it will have a very green taste.

Stir-fried choko Credit: Mark Roper

• serves

  1

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  7 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 choko
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 small Thai red shallot, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, diced
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• sea salt
• steamed jasmine rice, to serve

Instructions

1. Peel the choko, then cut it in half and use a knife to slice a diamond shape around the seed to remove it. Cut the flesh into 3 mm thick slices on the diagonal.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan with a lid over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes, until fragrant.
3. Add the choko, toss the pan to coat it in the shallot and garlic, then add the fish sauce and 2 1/2 tablespoons of water. Stir to combine, then cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes or until the choko is translucent and tender.
4. Season with salt, to taste and serve immediately with steamed jasmine rice.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.