What to Cook with Dried Squid Tentacles? 5 Must-Try Delicious Dishes

Dried squid tentacles have a chewy and crispy texture, a deep sweet flavor, and a distinct aroma, making them suitable for transforming into many attractive dishes. If you are wondering what delicious dishes to make with dried squid tentacles, you can try stir-fried, simmered, salad, noodle, or crispy fried dishes with simple methods at home. In this article, Ola Squid will suggest 6 easy-to-follow recipes, while also sharing how to choose and prepare dried squid tentacles so that the dishes retain their deliciousness and rich flavor.

Tips for choosing and preparing delicious dried squid tentacles

The quality of dried squid tentacles directly affects the aroma, chewiness, and sweetness of the dish after processing. Therefore, you should carefully choose the ingredients from the beginning and prepare them just enough to make the tentacles softer while still retaining their characteristic texture.

How to choose quality dried squid tentacles

When buying dried squid tentacles, you can rely on color, aroma, and dryness to recognize quality products. Specifically:

• Color: Delicious squid tentacles usually have a natural pinkish-white color, covered with a thin layer of white powder on the outside.
• Aroma: Has the characteristic aroma of dried squid, with no strong fishy, foul, or strange odors.
• Dryness: Feels dry to the touch, and may be slightly sticky due to the natural powdery layer but not damp or slimy.
• Texture: The squid tentacles have a certain chewiness, and are not too soft, mushy, or crumbly.
• Abnormal color: Avoid types that are too dark, mottled, or unusual because they may have been kept for a long time or marinated.
• Signs of mold: Do not choose products with a sour, foul, or moldy smell, or those with unusual spots on the surface.

How to soak in water to soften before cooking

Dried squid tentacles should be soaked just enough to soften and be easy to process without losing their natural chewiness. Soak the squid tentacles in warm water for about 15-30 minutes, then rinse 2-3 times with clean water, you can add a little salt in the final rinse. Next, take the squid out to drain and cut into bite-sized pieces.

For stir-fried or simmered dishes, you can lightly grill or blanch the squid tentacles before cooking to bring out their aroma and reduce the fishy taste. Do not soak for too long because the squid tentacles can become mushy, lose their chewiness, and make the dish less delicious.

5 foolproof recipes for delicious dried squid tentacles

Dried squid tentacles can be combined with many familiar ingredients to create diverse dishes, ranging from rich, spicy, and fragrant to refreshing and easy to eat. Below are 5 recipes with simple ingredients and uncomplicated methods, suitable for changing up your family’s daily meals.

Dried squid tentacles simmered with fish sauce and garlic

If you love dishes with a rich sweet and salty flavor, dried squid tentacles simmered with fish sauce and garlic are a worthwhile choice. The light, luscious garlic fish sauce coating each strand of squid creates an attractive aroma and a well-balanced taste. This dish is especially suitable to eat with white rice or as a drinking snack.

How to make: After preparation, the squid tentacles are grilled or pan-seared briefly until fragrant. Sauté the garlic in cooking oil, add fish sauce, sugar, chili sauce, and minced chili, then stir well until the mixture is slightly thick. Add the squid tentacles and stir over low heat so the sauce coats evenly, simmering until the squid has a nice color and releases a fragrant aroma.

Pro tip: Season the sauce moderately because dried squid tentacles inherently have a natural saltiness. Simmering on low heat helps the spices absorb evenly without burning the squid.

See more: How to make rich, soft, and chewy garlic chili simmered squid authentically

Dried squid tentacle salad

Dried squid tentacle salad brings an interesting combination of the chewy and sweet taste of squid and the fresh crunch of vegetables. The sweet and sour dressing along with Vietnamese balm and peanuts helps balance the flavor of the dish, preventing it from becoming greasy. This is a suitable choice for days when you want to change your palate with a light yet flavorful dish.

Ingredients:

How to make: Soak the squid tentacles until soft, wash them thoroughly, then blanch quickly in boiling water, drain, and cut into bite-sized pieces. Slice the onion thinly and soak it in ice water to reduce the pungent taste. Toss the squid with vegetables and Vietnamese balm, drizzle with the dressing consisting of fish sauce, sugar, lemon, garlic, and chili, and finally sprinkle roasted peanuts on top.

Pro tip: Do not blanch the squid tentacles for too long to avoid making the squid tough and hard. Toss the salad just before eating so the vegetables retain their crunchiness.

See more: How to make deliciously crispy and authentic sweet-and-sour squid salad at home

Dried squid tentacles cooked with noodles

Dried squid tentacles cooked with noodles is a quick, easy-to-make dish that still carries the distinctive sweet and aromatic flavor of squid. The squid tentacles make the broth richer, combining with noodles, eggs, and green vegetables to form a convenient meal. You can enjoy this dish for breakfast or on days when you do not have much time to cook.

Ingredients:

How to make: Soak the squid tentacles until soft, wash them, and cut them into small pieces. Boil the broth, add the squid tentacles first so the sweetness from the squid blends into the water, then add the noodles, bean sprouts, and mustard greens. When the noodles are just cooked, crack an egg into it, re-season to taste, and top with scallions and chili.

Pro tip: Lightly grilling the squid tentacles before cooking helps the noodle broth smell better. Do not add too much squid because the natural saltiness of dried squid can make the broth too heavy.

Dried squid tentacles stir-fried with galangal flowers

Dried squid tentacles stir-fried with galangal flowers have a distinct aroma and a quite novel combination. The chewy and crunchy texture of the squid blends with the mildly crunchy, pungent galangal flowers to create a rich yet not overly greasy dish. If you want to try a different way of processing dried squid tentacles, this is a dish you can add to your menu.

Ingredients:

How to make: Soak the squid tentacles until soft, wash them, and cut them into bite-sized segments. Wash the galangal flowers, let them drain, and sauté them with garlic until fragrant before adding the squid tentacles to stir-fry quickly over high heat. When the squid firms up, add the galangal flowers, fish sauce, and sugar, stir well until the flowers are just cooked, then turn off the heat and sprinkle with ground pepper.

Pro tip: Stir-fry quickly so that the galangal flowers retain their crunchiness and the squid tentacles do not become chewy. You can add fresh chili if you like a spicy and fragrant flavor.

Crispy fried dried squid tentacles

Crispy fried dried squid tentacles are attractive thanks to the golden crispy crust on the outside and the chewy, aromatic squid on the inside. The dish has an uncomplicated method, suitable to be used as a snack or a drinking appetizer during gatherings. When eaten hot with chili sauce or mayonnaise, the flavor becomes even more complete.

Ingredients:

How to make: After soaking until soft, the squid tentacles are washed, drained thoroughly, and cut into bite-sized segments. Dip the squid in beaten eggs, then coat evenly with a layer of crispy frying flour. Heat the oil, add the squid and fry until the outer flour layer is golden and crispy, then take them out, drain the oil, and serve hot with dipping sauce.

Pro tip: Pat the squid tentacles very dry before coating with flour so that the flour adheres well and limits oil splashing when frying. You should fry in small batches so the squid cooks evenly and retains its crispiness.

See more: How to make amazingly delicious crispy fried and breaded squid at home

Hopefully, through the above suggestions, you now know what delicious dishes to make with dried squid tentacles and have more attractive preparation methods to change up your family meals. If you want to enjoy delicious, high-quality dried squid, you can contact Ola Squid for advice on suitable products. Ola Squid specializes in providing a variety of whole dried squid in many sizes, helping you easily choose your favorite products to prepare attractive dishes at home.