Daun Silom 

This month, let us look at our Chairman Phang's favourite ulam --- the Daun 
Silom (Oenanthe javanica).  It is also a very popular ulam in Kedah and can be 
found growing wild throughout the state, especially in flooded waste lands and 
shallow drains or swampy areas.  It probably got its name from the Thais who 
referred to the herb as Chi Lawn or from the Indians who called them Shellum.  
The Chinese called them Sui Karn.

It is a perennial herb and erect to semi-erect in nature with shoots averaging 
from 20 cm to 40 cm in height.  If left uncut, the shoots will keep on growing 
upwards until its stem can no longer support its weight; then it will fall onto 
the ground.  New roots and shoots will develop from the nodes giving rise to 
more plantlets.  The creeping stolons (stems) can grow to a length of 1 to 2 
metres.  The stem is hollow with a diameter of about 1 cm.  The leaves, dark 
green in colour, are bipinnate with uneven number of 1, 3, 5 and 7 leaflets with 
deep serration.  Its flowers are white, small and fragrant, in umbels (of about 
20 florets with short peduncles), are borne on a long stalk sprouting from the 
leaf axils.  See the pencil drawing by F.K.Phang.

In the very first article: The Nutritional Values of some Ulam (July/August 
issue of the Nature's Voice), the daun silom has a whole range of minerals 
(Calcium, Phosphorous, Iron, Sodium and Potassium) and vitamins (Beta Carotene, 
Thiamine, Riboflavin, Ascorbic Acid and Vitamin A).  It has a very distinctive 
and pleasant flavour, quite close to that of celery.  That is the reason our 
western counterparts call them "water celery".

Daun silom is mostly eaten raw with sambal belacan.  Shredded finely, it gives a 
special aroma to Nasi Kerabu.  Often, I chop it up to compliment the Laksa Telok 
Kecai bought from a pasar malam.  Another interesting recipe I whipped up is my 
sardine/tuna kerabu which is simple and fast to prepare.  Just open up a small 
can of sardine or canned tuna (pour away excess oil) and mix with a bunch of 
daun selom (coarsely chopped), one onion (halved and finely sliced), a juice of 
1 lime or 2 limau kesturis and a couple of chilli padi or more if you like it 
hot.  Mix and mash up the fish well and walla ...... you have a delicious 
sardine/tuna salad!  This sardine/tuna kerabu can also be made with daun pegaga.  
Spread them between two slices of bread and you have a nutritious sandwich.  
Give it a try 

and I am sure you'll like them both.  My son does not particularly go for ulams 
but this is one way I can get him to consume the herbs.  

Propagation for this herb is very simple.  Just get a stem cutting with 2 or 3 
nodes and just insert the lowest node into a pot of soil and it will grow.  Daun 
silom likes plenty of water and can stand water-logged conditions and therefore 
thrives very well in hydroponics.  It can also be grown in normal aerated soil.  
When the root system is fully developed, the plants must be exposed to full 
sunlight.  It does not flourish well under 
shade........................................ by Koon Hup

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