Purple Garlic & Purslane Cold Salad

Why people make this dish

Many of us love sashimi, buffets and salads — raw, cold foods that, if not handled well, can trigger acute gastroenteritis with vomiting, diarrhoea, cramps and fever (usually settling on its own within a couple of days). Bro Niu offers this purple-garlic-and-purslane cold salad as a traditional kitchen remedy, valued for warming the stomach and supporting gut health. Purple-skinned garlic carries more allicin and antioxidants than the white kind, and since most allicin breaks down when cooked, raw garlic is preferred here.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• People dealing with mild acute gastroenteritis from cold or raw foods, who want a gentle, antibacterial-style food remedy.
• During the early phase of gastroenteritis, avoid fresh milk and dairy, sashimi (especially oysters and shellfish), uncooked fruit and vegetables, and fried, greasy food. Keep up personal hygiene to avoid passing it on. If symptoms are severe or persist, please see a doctor.

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Purple garlic (zi pi suan): Higher in allicin and antioxidants than white garlic; traditionally used to warm the stomach and for its antibacterial reputation, best eaten raw.
• Purslane (ma chi xian): A slightly sour wild green, traditionally used in folk cooking as an appetising dish associated with supporting gut health.
• Vinegar, sugar & oil: Make a sweet-sour dressing; a little oil helps carry garlic’s fat-soluble nutrients.

Ingredients (2 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Purple garlic, minced	1–2 tbsp	Raw
Purslane	~225 g	Trim roots, rinse, cut into sections
Rice vinegar	to taste	For the dressing
Sugar	to taste	For the dressing
Cooked oil	to taste	For the dressing

Method

1. Trim the roots off the purslane, wash thoroughly and cut into sections.
2. Bring water to a boil with a little salt and oil; blanch the purslane about 5 minutes, then drain well and arrange on a plate.
3. Mix the minced garlic with vinegar, sugar and cooked oil into a sweet-sour dressing, pour over the purslane, and serve.

Bro Niu’s tips

When you have acute gastroenteritis, the most important thing is personal hygiene to avoid spreading it. In the early phase, skip fresh milk and dairy, sashimi (especially shellfish like oysters), uncooked fruit and vegetables, and fried, greasy food.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (Gi Gi): Lately I get stomach pain and have to rush to the toilet partway through meals; sometimes loose, sometimes thin stools, and I can’t hold it. What can I do? Bro Niu: If the stool isn’t very smelly, it may be spleen-stomach cold. Try 1 tael each of stir-fried hyacinth beans and gorgon fruit (qian shi), 3 slices of ginger and 5 red jujubes in a lean-pork soup or congee, up to 3 times — it supports the spleen and helps firm the stools. If no better, see a doctor. For dysentery-type symptoms, 6–8 garlic cloves boiled in an amaranth-and-lean-pork soup is traditionally used for its antibacterial reputation.

• Q (Wuwu): I just had haemorrhoid surgery — what soup can I drink? Bro Niu: Try 4 qian astragalus (bei qi), 2 wood-ear mushrooms, 4 figs and 2 taels of dried mussels (dan cai) in a lean-pork soup — it supports recovery and helps keep the bowels moving.

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Published March 15, 2023 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.