Medicinal value of fennel and how to cook it

There are many ways to cook fennel, it depends on how well you cook it. Here we will introduce several ways to cook fennel .

fennel

Medicinal value of fennel

Fennel, also known as star anise, belongs to the Magnoliaceae family. Su Song said: "It smells like fennel, but tastes sweeter. Its shape is different from fennel, and its fruit is split into eight petals. Each petal has a core." However, there is another poisonous plant in the same family, the fruit of the herb, which is similar in shape to edible star anise, so we must avoid confusion and accidental ingestion.

Pungent, neutral, non-toxic.

Both the fruit and leaves contain volatile oils with a sweet taste. The main components of the oil are anethole, safrole, anisaldehyde and aniseone.

It is mainly used to treat coldness in the heart and abdomen, hernia, regulate the middle and relieve pain, and stop vomiting.

Grind 7 star anises, 15g hemp seeds into powder, and 7 raw green onions, boil them in water and take twice a day.

30 grams of fennel and 30 grams of jackfruit shell, roast and grind into powder, take 3 to 6 grams each time, with warm yellow wine, twice a day.

Fennel recipes

Fennel shrimp balls

Shrimp is rich in vitamin B12, while fennel, tomatoes and onions are rich in vitamin C. Eating them together can be said to complement each other.

Material

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil , 1 large onion , chopped, 1 bulb fennel , chopped, 1 large clove of garlic , mashed, 1 can (about 410g) tinned tomatoes , chopped, 120ml seafood stock , 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds , zest and juice of 1/2 orange , 1 cup long-grain rice (such as Thai jasmine rice ), 1 pinch of saffron , 450g peeled prawns , a few fresh basil leaves for garnish

practice

1. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add onion, fennel and minced garlic and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion softens. Add tomatoes and tomato juice, seafood stock, fennel seeds, orange zest and juice, and season with salt and pepper. Stir and cook until boiling, then reduce heat to low, half-cover, and continue cooking for 12 minutes. 2. Cook rice according to package instructions, adding crushed saffron when water boils. Bring tomato sauce to a boil again. Place shrimp on top of sauce, cover tightly, and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until shrimp are cooked through.

3. Place the cooked rice in 4 bowls and add the cooked shrimp and tomato sauce. Add a few basil leaves as garnish.

Fennel beans

Whenever Shaoxing is mentioned, people will think of the fennel beans, which were said to be "a lot? Not too much." This food, which carries strong childhood memories of Mr. Lu Xun, was put into his classic work, "Kong Yiji," and has since become famous at home and abroad. Fennel beans are the most typical snack in Shaoxing. The bean meat is tough, soft and chewy, with a fresh and sweet flavor, and a faint rural atmosphere wafts out of the book. The emerald green color of the broad beans reveals their fresh, tender and soft nature. From the moment they were served on the table, they firmly attracted the children's attention. As a good appetizer, it can also be used as a snack for children after meals. Calorie label: This dish has a calorie content of 130 kcal/person

Material

500g broad beans , 1 star anise , 1g Sichuan peppercorns , 3 dried chilies , 1 small piece of cinnamon , 1 teaspoon salt (5g), 1000ml water

practice

Rinse the fresh broad beans with running water to remove the loose soil on the surface, and then pick out the incomplete broad beans.

Place the washed broad beans, star anise, peppercorns, dried chilies, cinnamon, salt and water into a small soup pot.

Bring water to a slight boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat for about 8 minutes.

Then remove from heat, let the broad beans cool completely, and let them soak in the soup and marinate for about 30 minutes to allow them to absorb the flavor.

Finally, drain the remaining soup in the pot and serve the cooked fennel and broad beans on a plate.

Tips:

Fresh broad beans are very soft and tender and should not be cooked for too long. If you choose old broad beans, you can extend the cooking time appropriately.

The fennel beans mentioned in Lu Xun's "Kong Yiji" and Tianjin's traditional food Wudou are very similar to the above-mentioned methods, but fennel beans are made with dried young broad beans, while Tianjin's Wudou is made with dried old broad beans. It can be made according to the different types of broad beans purchased.

Fennel stuffed buns

Production steps

1. Mix the self-raising flour with warm water to make a smooth dough, cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm and humid place to rise for 20 minutes; if the temperature in your kitchen is not too cold, the rising time should not be too long, otherwise the dough will rise too much and will become dead if you knead it again and steam it. Knead the dough evenly after it has risen, and then knead it into strips before use.

2. At this time, we soak the peppercorns in boiling water, and use this peppercorn water to enhance the flavor later.

3. Add eggs, salt, light soy sauce, chopped green onion, minced ginger, cooking wine and sesame oil to the pork filling.

4. Add the freshly soaked and cooled pepper water, and stir in one direction, first slowly and then quickly. The pepper water can be added in two batches.

5. Cut the washed and dried fennel into small pieces and place them in a bowl. Add a little olive oil or salad oil. This way, the fennel will not change color easily and will remain moist when placed in the stuffing.

6. Knead the risen dough slowly so that it will be evenly distributed without bubbles. Take out the dough, divide it into two halves and knead it into long strips. Pinch it into even-sized pieces with your hands or cut it with a knife.

7. Sprinkle a little thin flour on the surface and press it evenly with your hands to make it round.

8. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a dough that is slightly thick in the middle and thin around the edges.

9. At this time, find someone to help you mix the fennel and the minced meat evenly. Don't mix the fennel too early, or it will collapse and leak water, making it difficult to wrap.

10. Place the dough on your left hand and move it slightly forward to make it easier for your fingers to move the dough. Add the meat filling you think is appropriate.

11. Use your right hand to pull and bite the dough, and fold it step by step as shown in the picture.

12. Cooperate with the left hand in the rotation, and fold the left hand about 23 times.

13. Remember that you can leave a belly button at the end or you can mesh them together like I did. Of course, you can also follow your mother's wishes.

14. Don’t forget to put the wrapped buns on the lid, and don’t forget to sprinkle some thin flour on the lid to prevent them from dipping into the bottom.

15. Put the wrapped buns in a kitchen with a moderate temperature to let them rest for 10 minutes. This is the key. Many people let the dough rest for a long time before, but not at this time. For example, the buns my mother steamed are very small, wrinkled and wrinkled. It would be great to let the dough rest comfortably.

16. Brush the steamer with oil so that the bun skin won’t fall off when you open the pot.

Put the buns in the steamer, boil the water, add a large bowl of cold water, and then put the steamer on and cover it.

In this way, the water will boil quickly. Remember to keep track of the time. It will be ready 20 to 25 minutes after boiling. This will ensure sufficient fire and energy.

Tips

A few tips for making a steamer of plump and delicious buns:

1. Knead the self-raising flour with warm water in advance, wrap it with plastic wrap, and leave it to rest for 10-20 minutes.

2. The stuffing made with fennel is easy to dry. When mixing the meat stuffing, adding soaked pepper water can not only enhance the flavor, but also make the meat stuffing more tender. It will also make it smoother after adding fennel. Of course, you can also add a little vegetable oil.

3. Put the wrapped buns in a kitchen with a moderate temperature to let them rest for 10 minutes. This is the key. Many people let the dough rest for a long time before, but not at this time. For example, the buns my mother steamed are very small, wrinkled, and wrinkled. It would be great to let the dough rest comfortably.

4. Brush the steamer with oil so that the bun skin won’t fall off when you open the pot.

5. Cook it 20 to 25 minutes after the water boils, until the fire is strong and energetic.

6. After the steamed buns are turned off, do not open the lid immediately, and continue to simmer for 2 minutes. The steamed buns will be as soft as jade!

Isn’t it easy to make these fennel buns? Go home and make them yourself.

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