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Laksa leaf

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ShowMeDaSauce

Well thanks to PB the links i posted earlier are no longer linked so i wanted to touch on this topic again. Laksa aka Rau Ram aka Vietnamese Coriander and so on is very similar to cilantro in flavor. It has two HUGE advantages....It probably wont bolt on you (depending on region/zone) and its SUPER easy to clone. Its killer in curry too IMO.
 
When i pick a few pieces for garnish i leave a few leaves on the stem. I then take that piece of stem and put it in a jar with about an inch of unchlorinated water. After 4 days you will have roots and can plant them. They grow like mad in semi shaded areas. DO NOT let them dry out in the sun.
 
This is after a week in a jar of water.
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In a couple weeks those 3 stems will look like this
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In about a month they will look like this.
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Nice! Where'd you get your seeds?
Do you use any other parts in cooking, like the roots or seeds? This just reminded me that I really wish I had some cilantro growing...my favorite discovery was eating the fresh green seed pods. It's sort of a mix of flavors between cilantro and coriander, really amazing!
 
I bought a couple plants at nursery only because i knew they were super easy to clone.
 
I just use the leaves and ive only used them in Singapore/Malaysian style seafood/chicken curries so far. I use a few mixed in just before serving and more for garnish. They would be right at home in a chicken or seafood noodle soup as well or even in a salad. In Vietnam they are eaten with spring rolls.
 
We grow them too.  They turn a good chicken soup into an amazing chicken soup.  You need to protect them from frost, and they can't ever have too much water.  Other than that they are simple to grow.
 
Since they are so easy to clone, you simply take a cutting before winter. They seem to do fine potted on a window sill. Laksa is one the the few herbs i cant find locally and i have a massive selection of markets.
 
I cant stress enough though how important it is to NOT let them dry out. They will wither very quickly if the soil dries out and as mentioned....I think its impossible to over water them.
 
I almost lost my plants due to the cold and me not getting a cutting soon enough. Both pots looked wilted and dead but i pulled one stem out anyway with as much root as i could manage. Not really root as much as stem from under the soil.
 
WELL...i got lucky. Just like before roots started to form on the stem and new leaves even started in the cloning bottle. Got it out today and BAM that Laksa aroma just slaps you. Transplanted into a high coco media and a Folgers plastic container. The stem had a couple really small new leaves further up so after cutting the lower foliage with roots off i put it back in the bottle.
 
Its amazing how easy it is to clone this plant.
 
Vietnamese coriander has a great scent when you rub the leaves. Love the stuff. Now I'm going to have to replace it this year ;) I haven't grown it in a few years, but it's easy. I think of it in the same way I do rosemary - one of those plants that I have brush against or rub some leaves together to get the scent. Pineapple sage, too.
 
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