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Nước rau má
Pennywort juice
Nước rau má: fresh pennywort juice, Saigon's grassy green cooler
Saigon street carts blend nước rau má to order through the hottest part of the afternoon, pouring the bright green juice into plastic cups over crushed ice for office workers and students. Pennywort (rau má) tastes fresh, grassy and very slightly bitter, and southerners drink it to 'cool the body' in the dry season; some stalls blend in cooked mung beans or a splash of coconut milk to make it richer. Look for bunches of rau má in Vietnamese and South Asian grocers, where it is also sold as gotu kola. Chef's tip: strain twice through a fine cloth and drink it within the hour; left standing, it separates and darkens to a dull khaki.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
- 7 oz pennywort (rau má)leaves and tender stems
- 2 cups cold water
- 2 tbsp sugaror to taste
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 cups crushed ice
- 4 tbsp coconut milk (optional)for the creamier southern version
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Soak 7 oz pennywort (rau má) in a large bowl of cold water for 5 minutes, swish to loosen any grit, then lift out and rinse twice more until the water stays clear.
7 minStep 2: Blend the leaves with half the 2 cups cold water on high speed until completely smooth and bright green, about 1 minute.
1 minStep 3: Pour through a fine cloth or nut-milk bag into a jug, squeezing hard. Return the pulp to the blender with the rest of the water, blend again and squeeze again.
4 minStep 5: Pour over 2 cups crushed ice and swirl 4 tbsp coconut milk on top if you like. Drink straight away.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 60 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 14 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
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Good to know
- How long does nước rau má take?
- About 15 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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