What to Cook with Dried Squid Tentacles? 6 Delicious Recipes.

Dried squid tentacles are the tentacles (or arms) of squid that have been sun-dried or oven-dried, and are used as a special ingredient in Vietnamese seafood cuisine. With a chewy texture, a light sea flavor, and the ability to be flexibly combined with various spices, dried squid tentacles can be transformed into countless delicious dishes, from simple to elaborate. The article below offers 6 suggestions for attractive dishes made from dried squid tentacles to help you diversify your family’s menu.

1. Delicious Stir-fried Dried Squid Tentacles with Vegetables

Ingredients needed for stir-fried dried squid tentacles with vegetables:

• Dried squid tentacles: Soak in diluted salt water for about 15-20 minutes until softened, then rinse, drain, and cut into segments (each segment consists of 2-3 tentacles).
• Celery, carrots, chayote
• Minced garlic
• Seasonings: Oyster sauce, seasoning powder, MSG, ground pepper, chili

The process of making stir-fried dried squid tentacles with vegetables is as follows:

• Prepare ingredients: After soaking and softening, cut the squid tentacles into bite-sized pieces. Peel and clean the vegetables (carrots, chayote, celery) and cut them, then let them drain.
• Stir-fry squid tentacles: Sauté minced garlic until fragrant with a little cooking oil. Add the squid tentacles and stir-fry quickly with 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce until they firm up, then set them aside.
• Stir-fry vegetables: Lightly stir-fry carrots with 1 tablespoon of seasoning powder and 1 tablespoon of MSG. Then, add chayote with about 50ml of water, stir well until the vegetables are tender-crisp.
• Complete the dish: Add the pre-fried squid tentacles and celery to the pan, stir-fry evenly for another 5-7 minutes to allow the ingredients to absorb the flavors. Finally, turn off the heat and sprinkle with a little ground pepper.

2. Dried Squid Tentacles Stir-fried with Fish Sauce and Garlic

Ingredients to prepare for making dried squid tentacles stir-fried with fish sauce and garlic:

• Dried squid tentacles, about 150-200g
• Garlic: peeled and crushed
• Seasonings: fish sauce, MSG, seasoning powder, oyster sauce
• Fresh chili: optional, according to taste

Process of making dried squid tentacles stir-fried with fish sauce and garlic:

• Step 1: Soak dried squid tentacles in water for about 15-20 minutes until softened. Then, rinse again with cold water, and cut the squid tentacles into small, bite-sized strips. Marinate the squid tentacles with fish sauce for about 10 minutes to absorb the flavor.
• Step 2: Add oil to a pan, heat it up, then add the crushed garlic and sauté until golden and fragrant.

• Step 3: Add the marinated squid tentacles to the pan, stir-fry evenly over medium heat. When the squid tentacles firm up, add ground pepper to make the dish more aromatic and appealing. You can add a little oyster sauce if you want the dish to have a slight thickness and richer flavor.

3. Dried Squid Tentacles with Tamarind Sauce

To make dried squid tentacles with tamarind sauce, you cannot miss the following ingredients:

• Dried squid tentacles
• Sour tamarind (the kind used for cooking soup)
• Garlic, fresh chili, chili powder
• Seasonings: fish sauce, sugar, annatto oil

Detailed instructions on how to prepare this dish with the following steps:

• Step 1: Lightly grill the dried squid tentacles over the stove to bring out their characteristic aroma. Cut them into bite-sized pieces for easy simmering and sauce absorption.
• Step 2: Soak the sour tamarind in boiling water, mash thoroughly, strain to remove seeds and pulp, keeping the concentrated tamarind juice.
• Step 3: Pound the garlic and fresh chili with a little sugar to create a balanced spicy and sweet mixture. Add fish sauce and mix well to create a savory base for the sauce.
• Step 4: Heat a pan with annatto oil, add the fish sauce, garlic, chili mixture, and a little chili powder. Simmer over low heat until the sauce thickens slightly and becomes fragrant.
• Step 5: Add the grilled squid tentacles to the sauce pan. Stir evenly to coat the squid tentacles thoroughly with the sauce, simmer until the sauce becomes thick and coats each piece of squid, then turn off the heat.

4. Dried Squid Tentacles Braised with Pineapple

Before you start making this dish, you need to prepare some ingredients:

• Dried squid tentacles
• ½ ripe pineapple
• 1-2 tomatoes, green onions
• Seasonings including fish sauce, salt, MSG, cooking oil

The steps to cook dried squid tentacles braised with pineapple are as follows:

• Step 1: First, rinse the dried squid tentacles and soak them in warm water for about 20 minutes until softened. Drain and cut into bite-sized pieces. Peel and devein the pineapple, slice it into thin, bite-sized pieces. Cut the tomatoes into wedges, and chop the green onions.
• Step 2: Heat a pan with a little cooking oil, add the squid tentacles and stir-fry lightly. Add a little water to keep them moist, season with 1 teaspoon of MSG and seasoning powder to absorb the flavor.
• Step 3: When the squid tentacles start to firm up and expand evenly, add the pineapple to the pan. Stir-fry over high heat for about 2 minutes to release the pineapple’s sweet and sour flavor, blending with the squid.
• Step 4: Finally, when the pineapple is just cooked, add the tomatoes and green onions. Stir gently to combine the ingredients, then turn off the heat and serve on a plate.

5. Dried Squid Tentacles Stir-fried with Bamboo Shoots

Ingredients needed to make dried squid tentacles stir-fried with bamboo shoots:

• Dried squid tentacles
• 1 tuber bamboo shoot (fresh bamboo shoot)
• Dried garlic, green onions
• Seasonings: salt, fish sauce, pepper, cooking oil

Detailed instructions on how to prepare this attractive dish:

• Step 1: Wash the bamboo shoots and slice them into small strips. Boil them once in boiling water to remove any bitterness and toxins, then drain. Rinse the dried squid tentacles thoroughly and soak them in warm water for about 15-20 minutes until softened, then drain and cut into bite-sized pieces.
• Step 2: Sauté minced garlic in hot oil until fragrant. Then, add the squid tentacles and stir-fry over medium heat until they firm up, maintaining their chewy texture without becoming dry.
• Step 3: Continue to add the prepared bamboo shoots to the pan, stir-fry evenly. Season with salt and a little fish sauce to taste, stir-fry until the bamboo shoots are cooked and have absorbed the flavors. Add chopped green onions and stir gently, then turn off the heat.
• Step 4: Spoon onto a plate, sprinkle with a little ground pepper. Enjoy hot with white rice to fully appreciate the crispy sweetness of the bamboo shoots combined with the chewy aroma of the squid tentacles.

6. Crispy Fried Dried Squid Tentacles with Pepper Sauce

Ingredients needed to make crispy fried dried squid tentacles with pepper sauce:

• Dried squid tentacles
• Green peppercorns
• Garlic, chili (optional, if you like it spicy)
• Seasonings: fish sauce, sugar, cooking oil

Detailed preparation steps:

• Step 1: First, soak the dried squid tentacles in warm water for about 20-30 minutes until softened, then drain and cut into bite-sized pieces.
• Step 2: Roast the green peppercorns in a hot pan until dry and fragrant, then crush them to make the sauce.
• Step 3: Next, heat cooking oil, add the squid tentacles and fry until golden and crispy. Then, remove the squid from the pan and place them on paper towels to absorb excess oil.
• Step 4: Sauté minced garlic until fragrant, add the crushed peppercorns and stir well. Add the fried squid tentacles to the pan, season with 1 tablespoon of sugar and 3 tablespoons of fish sauce. Finally, stir-fry evenly over low heat until the sauce thickens and coats the squid tentacles, then it is complete.

The article above provides suggestions for delicious dishes with rich flavors made from dried squid tentacles. In particular, don’t miss ZAPMUK Extra Spicy, a signature product from Ola Squid, which will surely make your meal more impressive. And if you are looking for clean, safe, authentic, and reasonably priced dried squid, please contact Ola Squid to order quality ingredients, ready to be transformed into delicious dishes for the whole family!