How to Eat Andrographis paniculata: Cold Dressing and Stir-Fry Recipes, Plus Precautions

When it comes to how to eat Andrographis paniculata, the first thing is to distinguish between the culinary and medicinal types. The Andrographis paniculata sold in markets as a vegetable has thick leaves and a crisp, tender texture with a faint, refreshing flavor, making it suitable for cooking directly; medicinal Andrographis paniculata, on the other hand, tastes extremely bitter and has a cold nature, and is mainly used as medicine in the form of sliced decoction pieces or extracts, so it is generally not recommended to eat it in large quantities as a vegetable.

The most common preparation is a cold dressed salad. Wash the tender leaves, soak them briefly in lightly salted water, then blanch them quickly in boiling water for a few seconds, remove and rinse in cold water, drain, and toss with minced garlic, fragrant vinegar, light soy sauce, a little sugar and sesame oil. The result is refreshing and crisp, very suitable for eating in hot weather. If you prefer the original flavor, you can also wash the leaves and dip them directly in sauce, similar to other leafy vegetables served with dipping sauce.

Besides cold dressing, culinary Andrographis paniculata can also be stir-fried or made into soup. For stir-frying, use high heat and cook quickly, adding minced garlic for aroma, then season with salt just before removing from the wok; the cooking time should not be too long, so the leaves do not soften and lose their crunch. For soup, add the leaves just before the soup is done, and they are ready after a brief blanching, giving a clear, light broth that is not greasy.

There are also a few points to note when eating it. Culinary Andrographis paniculata has a cooling nature, so people with weak and cold spleen and stomach, or who are prone to diarrhea, should taste only a small amount; medicinal Andrographis paniculata is a medicinal material, and its use must follow a doctor's advice, so it should not be taken on one's own in large amounts over a long period. When buying, it is best to confirm with the seller that it is the culinary variety, to avoid mistakenly buying the medicinal variety and cooking it at home.