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If you are tired of ordinary vegetables, consider a delicacy from Asian countries called jicama.
Mexicans have grown this vegetable since ancient times, both for their own consumption and for livestock feed.
It will not be so easy for you to find this product on the shelves of European and American stores, however, some frequent markets sell fresh jicama!
What Is Jicama?
Jicama is a herbaceous liana plant of the bean family. This product is common on the American continent and is practically not found in European cuisine.
Cooks consider only the root of the vegetable as its edible part. All other components, including the peel, are poisoned with rotenone — fish poison and pesticide. In Asian countries, such a product can be an excellent substitute for vegetables, especially potatoes.
For residents of other countries, dishes from this product will simply help to diversify the diet and allow them to hold culinary experiments.
Is Jicama Like A Potato?
If you decide to cook jicama for the first time, then you are probably wondering: is jicama similar to ordinary raw potato? Yes, this vegetable resembles potatoes, but it has a crispy texture, more like a pear or an apple.
The taste is also significantly differ – jicama is sweeter and juicier than unleavened potatoes. If, for example, you decide to cook French fries from this product, then do not expect it to be crispy.
However, from a nutritional point of view, it is better to give preference to dishes from jicama than from potatoes.
What Does Jicama Taste Like?
Jicama tastes like pears and potatoes, and its smell is similar to the aroma of fresh sweet apples. This product has a moderate flavor, which is suitable for many gourmet dishes.
A ripe vegetable may slightly resemble a nut or a water chestnut. You can easily combine such a product with various vegetables and meat dishes due to its soft and starchy nature.
Jicama’s nutritional value
Experts appreciate jicama for its high content of starchy fiber, vitamin C concentration, absence of cholesterol and harmful fats. Due to the large amount of water in the composition, the tuber’s pulp is juicy and tender.
Only 100 grams of jicama contain daily amounts of essential vitamins: vitamin E, vitamin B6, folic acid, and thiamine. As you can see from chemical composition, jicama is suitable for use in weight loss programs.
Thanks to vitamin C, it will also be useful for maintaining immunity. The main task is to eat only suitable parts and not exceed the daily norm. Otherwise, there is a risk of poisoning or an allergic reaction.
How to choose jicama
To make the process of cooking jicama easy, you must learn how to choose this vegetable correctly. Just follow the advice from the experts:
- Look for a small or medium-sized jicama with a brown peel. Smaller jikams are more tender and sweet. If you prefer a more starchy taste, choose a bigger vegetable, however it may have a slightly wooden structure.
- Jicama should be slightly shiny, and not very dull. Choose a root without stains and damage.
- Jicama should be heavy for its size. If it seems light, it most likely lays for a long time, and the moisture begins to evaporate.
- Jicama is not a seasonal plant, so you can find jicama all year round.
Do you have to peel jicama?
The process of cleaning jicama is very similar to standard potato peeling. Scratch the jicama, instead of cutting off the skin with a sharp knife.
Use a vegetable brush or a clean cloth soaked in water to rub the peel of the vegetable. A potato peeler or carrot cleaning can also handle this job very easily.
You should definitely remove the peel, as it is inedible and can be poisonous. Some sellers sell jicama without a peel, but the cost of such a product will be higher.
How to slice jicama?
Cut jicama into thin slices, circles, chunks or strips – the shape that is suitable for your recipe. Professional chefs claim that there is not much difference when slicing.
You will find that the texture is similar to that of a potato. Use only a sharp knife, as the pulp should be firm and without dents.
How to eat jicama
It takes a lot of luck to meet a jicama in a supermarket. When choosing a crop, you need to make sure that the root vegetable is firm with a dry and smooth skin.
Small tubers are more fragrant and sweet than large ones. You can eat jicama both raw and as a snack when preparing salads. You can also boil, stew or roast such a vegetable.
In the countries where this exotic plant grows, chefs prepare jicama cocktails and use it in baking as a source of starch.
Can you boil jicama like potatoes?
You can easily cook jicama like a regular potato. The best option is to cook vegetables and make a tender puree out of it. Simply peel the jicama, cut into cubes and boil in lightly salted water.
Add the peeled, crushed garlic for extra flavor. Cook the jicama over low heat until it is easily pierced with a fork, then drain the water and turn it into a mashed potato mash.
Add butter and milk or cream and stir until the puree becomes light and airy.
How to prepare a jicama
There are several ways to cook jicama. Among them:
Fried jicama. Toasting makes the flesh of the vegetable a little sweeter. Try frying jicama instead of potatoes or sweet potatoes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Peel and cut the jicama into cubes. Mix the cubes with 1/4 cup of frying oil, salt and pepper, and your favorite seasonings. Fry the jicama cubes for 15 minutes.
Jicama stir fry. Cut the jicama into small pieces, then put it in a frying pan with other chopped vegetables, such as peas, carrot sticks, and green beans. Add soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil.
Stewed jicama. You can add such a vegetable to almost any soup or stew. Cut the jicama into small cubes and simmer for 1-2 hours to soften the fibers.
How to prepare jicama fries
French fries from jicama are a great alternative to a harmful potato dish.
For this recipe, you will need the following set of ingredients:
- jicama – 1 piece
- olive oil – 1 tablespoon
- chili powder – 1 teaspoon
- garlic powder – 1 teaspoon
- onion powder – 1 teaspoon
- kosher salt – 1 teaspoon
- ground cumin – 1 teaspoon
- lime juice – to taste
- fresh cilantro – 1 sprig
Step-by-step technology of preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 425 F.
- Clean the outer shell of the hikama. Cut into equal pieces. They should be thick enough to be easily turned over with tongs, but thin enough that they could be fried in the oven.
- Spread the jicama slices on a baking sheet in a thin layer. Drizzle with olive oil and add pepper.
- In a small bowl, mix chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and ground cumin. Sprinkle the jicama mixture and place the baking sheet in the oven.
- Fry the jicama slices in the oven for 15 minutes until golden brown, turning them over periodically.
How to cook jicama in soup
You can eat jicama in different ways. One of the delicious and affordable options is to add raw jicama to the soup. The cooking technology is simple:
- Finely chopped carrots and onions in sunflower oil.
- Sweet pepper, white cabbage and jicama cut into strips.
- In boiling water, lower the chopped cabbage and green beans in pods and cook until half-cooked.
- After that, add salt, pepper, and other vegetables to taste to the soup. In each plate you can also add chopped herbs, mint leaves, and sour cream to taste.
How to prepare jicama for salad
Another affordable option is to make jicama slaw.
Thanks to a variety of nutritious things, such a dish will have many health benefits. To get a delicious jicama salad, follow the instructions:
- Fill the bottom of the salad bowl with torn lettuce leaves.
- Next, lay out the chopped or finely sliced jicama.
- You can also make jicama chips for salad from thin sticks of the vegetable.
- Peel apples, tangerine and grapefruit. Cut them into thin strips. Place the pomegranate seeds on top.
- Mix orange and grapefruit juice in equal proportions. Pour the mixture over the resulting salad. Then sprinkle it with corn oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Salad with asparagus and jicama recipe
Such a light dish can be cooked briefly. For it, you will need the following set of ingredients:
- avocado – 2 pieces
- fresh asparagus – 200 g
- jicama – 1 piece
- grapefruit – 1 piece
- lime – 2 pieces
- fresh mint – 2 tablespoons
- green onion – 2 bunches
- sea salt – to taste
- red onion – ½ head
- of radish seed seedlings – 1 cup
- lettuce – 1 bunch
Step-by-step cooking technology:
- Peel and slice avocado, asparagus, Chinese radish, grapefruit, and jicama. Remove the white streaks from the grapefruit for a sweeter taste of the salad.
- Squeeze the juice out of the limes.
- Finely chop mint, green onion, red onion.
- Mix all the ingredients carefully, add salt and put on a plate with lettuce leaves mixed with sprouts.
Fried chicken with jicama and watercress recipe
The recipe for cooking fried chicken with jicama, bell pepper, chili, soy sauce, watercress and ginger will surprise everyone.
So you will get a great dish for dinner and will be able to please your loved ones with an interesting combination.
To cook everything correctly, follow the instructions:
- Mix the chicken with 1 tablespoon of corn starch.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the broth, vinegar, sugar, chili sauce, soy sauce and the remaining corn starch. Set aside.
- In a large frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Fry the chicken until golden brown, from 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add leeks, jicama pieces, sweet pepper, ginger and garlic to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes.
- Return the chicken to the pan. Add the watercress and fry for about 2 minutes.
- Whisk the soy sauce mixture, add to the pan. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute.
What goes well with jicama?
Jicama is traditionally seasoned with vinegar, chili pepper, honey and palm sugar. Ginger and cilantro allow you to give piquancy to the product. A great addition will also be butter, sesame or olive oil.
Jicama and fruits are perfectly combined with each other. Often, many residents of tropical countries use jicama together with orange, lime, pineapple and apple in the form of salads.
During heat treatment, you can add sweet peppers, onions, green beans, and carrots to the root crop.
Substitutions and Variations
If you want to add jikama to one of your dishes, but you can’t find a suitable product in the store, use substitutes. Among them:
- This is a similar product in texture, but more bland. Another significant difference is that potatoes soften when cooked, while jicama remains firm.
- Sweet potato. This vegetable tastes as sweet as jicama. The texture and wateriness are also similar.
- Water chestnuts. It is a product with a firmer texture and nutty taste. However, with proper preparation, you can get a product similar to jicama.
How to store jicama
Store raw jicama tubers at room temperature in dry and well-ventilated containers. Professional chefs advise not to freeze such a vegetable, so as not to lose all the valuable properties of the product.
If you do not want to eat jicama raw, then use cooked jicama. Store this product in the refrigerator for 7-14 days.
To extend the shelf life of the jicama, put it in the refrigerator in a tightly closed plastic bag and do not clean the jicama until ready for use.
Common Tips
Tips from professional chefs will help you to properly prepare jicama and cut it. Among them:
- Chopped jicama can be stored in the refrigerator or at room temperature for up to 4 hours. During this time, jicama is safe to consume. It won’t change color or oxidize, but it will start to dry out, so keep it well closed to retain moisture.
- Store the jicama unpeeled, at room temperature. Chilled jicama can easily deteriorate due to humidity in the refrigerator. And the unpeeled jicama left on the table will remain fresh for a month.
- Use a sharp knife dipped in water to facilitate the process of cutting jicama. Too rough texture does not allow the vegetable to be eaten raw and complicates slicing.
Final thoughts
Jicama is a great dish for those who want to try something new.
You can cook this vegetable like a regular potato, or you can just make improvised French fries. Don’t be afraid to experiment and try an Asian vegetable.
It has a number of useful substances that will definitely strengthen your body!