Vietnamese Squash Blossoms stuffed with Shrimp Paste

This is the best recipe for Shrimp paste Stuffed Squash Blossoms, Vietnamese style.

If you have never tasted this dish, you are missing out on a delightful experience.

The fresh and delicate Squash Blossoms are stuffed with a delicious shrimp paste and deep fried till a golden crisp.  Here’s my shrimp paste or chao tom recipe, you would need about 1/3 of the shrimp paste recipe to stuff these Squash Blossoms, and keep the rest to make Grilled Shrimp on Sugar Cane.

For a shortcut, the stuffing could also be made with frozen fish paste available in 12 oz container from most Asian supermarkets. Defrost the frozen fish paste in the refrigerator over night. When fully defrosted, add 1/2 teaspoon each of chicken powder, garlic powder and a pinch of ground pepper and a tablespoon of chopped fresh dill and mix well.

How to prepare and clean Squash Blossoms

With a pastry brush, gently remove any dirt or pollen. Blow into the flower so the petals would separate, remove the pistil from inside. Some cooks remove the green leaf like base that connects the flower to the stem with scissors, but I like to keep it for its slightly crunchy texture.

Delicately put the blossoms in a bowl of water, with your fingers, swirl them around. Carefully remove them from the water and lightly shake them, and lay them on a clean kitchen towel, and gently pat them dry with the towel.

How to Cook the Squash Blossoms

As appetizer for 4 people, you need 12 Squash Blossoms. After removing the pistil, cleaning and air drying them, prepare the batter.

• RICE FLOUR ½ cup
• ALL PURPOSE FLOUR ½ cup
• BAKING POWDER ½ teaspoon
• A PINCH TURMERIC POWDER 
• SALT ¼ teaspoon
• WATER 1 cup

In a bowl, mix the above ingredients and let it rest for 20 minutes.

While the batter is resting, stuff each Squash Blossom with around 2 teaspoons of the shrimp or fish paste. Do not overstuff. Twist the petals tips together to keep the stuffing inside.

In a deep medium sauce pan over high heat, add sufficient oil to reach 1 inch.  Heat till very hot.

Dip the Squash Blossom one by one in the batter and into the hot oil. Lower the heat to medium high. Cook in small batches to avoid crowding the pan.

After couple of minutes, when the Squash Blossoms turn golden, turn each piece over to cook the other side. It may take less time for the other side to turn golden.

Remove the Squash Blossoms from the pan and place them on a paper towel lined plate to drain the oil.

Serve hot with cooked rice vermicelli, lettuce and Vietnamese herbs like shiso (Tia To), basil, mint, coriander, and dip in Nuoc Cham.

This dish is one of the most delectable delicacy!

Here’s our family recipe for Nuoc Cham:

We use a ratio of 1/3 – 1 – 1 – 3

The following recipe would yield around 4-1/2 cup of Nuoc Cham

1/3 cup white vinegar (or fresh squeezed lime juice)

1 cup caster sugar

1 cup fish sauce (or Nuoc Mam)

3 cups water

Mix above ingredients together. If you wish to prepare a batch and store for future use, use white vinegar instead of fresh squeezed lime juice, boil the mixture for a few minutes, let cool, store in an air-tight container or a jar and refrigerate. It should keep for couple of weeks.

Before serving, add sliced chili and minced garlic to taste, or 1 teaspoon of chili garlic paste like this one. It’s better than Sriracha!

To enjoy this dish, put a Squash Blossom with rice vermicelli and herbs on top of lettuce leaf, wrap the lettuce leaf into a hand roll and dip into the Nuoc Cham.