Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Mugwort Omelette


This has been our family dish since I was a kid. We call it "Hia" in Hokkien. I've always wanted to learn more about this herb, but was unable to find additional info without knowing its English name. My googling research recently was fruitful indeed. The herb is revealed as Mugwort. Surprisingly, it's not only well known in Chinese society, but it's popular in Western countries as well.



Physically, the Mugwort leaves has a unique shape. The top of the leaf is dark green, and the bottom is more towards whitish-green. The surface is hairy, so it's rather rough to touch. It has a pleasant herbal scent. When the leaves are chopped or crushed, it emits a pungent and distinctive aroma. It has a very pleasant bitter taste. :)

Mugwort is rich in chlorophyll and enzyme. It is a natural source of minerals like Calcium and Magnesium. Chinese use it in post maternal treatment as it can dispel "wind" from the womb. Medical wise, Mugwort is also a proven herb to speed up healing for cancer and hepatitis C, and helps in hair growth. Besides, it is also used to treat stomach troubles, high blood pressure, and many more.

Mugwort Omelet
Serves 2

Ingredients:

a handful of mugwort leaves, chopped
3 organic eggs, beaten
100ml water
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp of light soy sauce

Steps:

1. Mix the chopped mugwort leaves with beaten egg. Season it with a tbsp of light soy sauce.

2. Heat up oil in a wok, fry the omelet till cooked. Over-turn to fry the other side.

3. When the omelet is cooked, divide it into portions. Add water and bring to a boil. Dish up and serve hot.

22 comments:

WendyinKK said...

Interesting.
I never knew this type of vege before.

Thanks for sharing.

J2Kfm said...

I know this mugwort!
It has this slightly bitter, metallic tinge ... leaving a bitter taste in the mouth.

Aiks, fried in omelette? Hmm ... definitely not something you can easily order in the restaurants.

choi yen said...

what does it called in Chinese?

Swee San said...

Never heard of mugwort before.. but looks like coriander

Joanne said...

Mugwort. I love saying the name. It reminds me of Harry Potter. That omelet looks delicious!

Priya Suresh said...

Beautiful omelette, looks yumm!

New Kid on the Blog said...

this is hakka's favorite vegetable. it has its name, something like 'ai chai'.

very good vege for those on confinement. it pushes the wind in the body.

Anonymous said...

I think I have tried this vege before....refreshing!!

minchow said...

I love how food blogs teach me something new all the time - had no idea what these were called, but now I know! Mugwort! What are the chances?

the lacquer spoon said...

Lovely recipe! Japanese makes race cake mixed with mugwort, but didn't know it's also eaten in the West.

tigerfish said...

Another homework for me today! Whoa! It is new to me...need to know the Chinese name...

Stella said...

Hey, this is really interesting. I will keep my open for this vegetable...?

MaryMoh said...

Beautiful omelette. I can have that for lunch with a baked sweet potato....happy me :D

Dora said...

My chef loves this very much but i don't like it.

Little Inbox said...

Wendy, no problem! :)

J2Kfm, yeap you are right, the metallic tinge!

mimid3vils, just learned the Chinese name - 艾草.

Swee San, it tastes totally different that coriander. In fact, the leave is much more bigger.

Little Inbox said...

Joanne and Priya, thanks.

New Kid, just in the afternoon, I watched a program introducing Hakka food, and yea you are right, it is called 艾草.

SimpleGirl, yes it is refreshing. I can eat it for few consecutive days.

Minchow, like New Kid said, this is very popular in Hakka dish. It's either you like it or you hate it.

Little Inbox said...

the lacquer spoon, oh I see. Thanks for telling me that.

tigerfish, it is called 艾草.

Stella, err vegetable? I think herbs describe it the best.

MaryMoh, me too. I can eat this dish alone as my meal. Hehe...

Dora, oh too bad!

JC said...

I just picked some mugwort which grows wild in my neighborhood, washed it, and mixed it with some milk, honey, and flax seed for a nutritious green smoothie. I think I'll try the mugwort omelette for breakfast :)

JK said...

Hi
Thanks for your recipe.
However, I don't quite understand Step 3 ie "3. When the omelet is cooked, divide it into portions. Add water and bring to a boil. "
Does it mean after the omelet is already cooked, we still need to add water to boil it? Why? Don't think it will appear like what your picture shows if we were to add water at the end.
Hope you could clarify.
Tks!

Little Inbox said...

JK, yes. This omelette is best to be a little bit soupy. Add salt or light soy sauce to the soup.

JK said...

Thanks fo ryour reply.
Will it taste good even without the last step ie adding water?

Little Inbox said...

JK, when comes to mugwort, I prefer the soupy version. It tastes better.

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