Ech nup lum looks playful and is not hard to make. The frog comes out crisp on the outside under a pile of fragrant fried lemongrass. Frying the lemongrass is the tricky part, because a slightly hot pan burns it bitter.
The lemongrass is bruised until it loosens, torn into fine threads and tossed with seasoning powder and crispy frying flour before it goes into the oil over low heat. The same pan of oil then fries the frog. Lift the lemongrass out the moment it turns golden.
This batch weighs about 895g, at roughly 101 calories per 100g.
Method
Wash 500g frog meat with rice wine, ginger or salt, blanch it briefly in boiling water, rinse, drain and cut it into bite sized pieces.
Marinate the frog with 1 teaspoon seasoning powder, 1/2 teaspoon MSG and 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper for 20 minutes.
Trim the roots and green leaves off 200g lemongrass, rinse it, bruise it until it loosens and tear it into fine threads. Toss the lemongrass with 1 teaspoon seasoning powder and 1 teaspoon crispy frying flour.
Heat the oil and deep fry the lemongrass over low heat until golden and crisp, then lift it out and drain.
Toss the frog with 3 tablespoons crispy frying flour until evenly coated. Using the same oil, fry the frog over medium heat until golden and crisp, then lift it out and drain.
Make the sauce: heat 1 tablespoon cooking oil in a pan, fry 1 tablespoon minced garlic until fragrant, then add 1/2 bowl water, 1/2 tablespoon seasoning powder, 1/2 tablespoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, stirring until dissolved.
Once the sauce thickens, add the fried frog and toss to coat, then turn off the heat.
Turn the frog onto a plate and pile the crisp lemongrass over the top.
Tips
Tear the tougher outer layers of the lemongrass into threads, since the tender core inside is hard to shred.
Deep fry the lemongrass over low heat and keep it moving so it crisps without burning.
Lift the lemongrass out as soon as it turns golden, because it darkens further while draining.
Pile the lemongrass on right before serving so it holds its crispness.
Blanch the frog, then blot it completely dry before the flour goes on, as a wet surface sheds the coating straight into the oil.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.