Banana flowers with rustic dishes containing plenty of fiber, appealing flavors, and colors have become a favorite dish for many “sophisticated” eaters. Today, let’s get cooking with TasteVN to learn how to make 2 simple stir-fried dishes with banana flowers at home!
1. Stir-fried Banana Flower with Fermented Rice
Preparation
15 minutes
Cooking
15 minutes
Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Stir-fried Banana Flower with Fermented Rice Serves 3
Shredded banana flower 500 gr Fermented rice 5 tablespoons Garlic 1 bulb Turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon Fish sauce 1/2 teaspoon Cooking oil 1 tablespoon Lemon juice a little Common seasoning a little (sugar/ salt/ monosodium glutamate/ seasoning powder)
What is Fermented Rice? Where to buy Fermented Rice?
Fermented rice or fermented cooked rice is a traditional seasoning in Vietnamese cuisine with a sour and distinctive aroma, usually made from leftover rice or vermicelli.
You can purchase fermented rice at reputable grocery stores, supermarkets, or to ensure better hygiene, you can make it at home.
How to prepare stir-fried banana flower with fermented rice
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Prepare the banana flower
When you buy the banana flower, remove the old outer bracts, peeling off layer by layer until you reach the tender part that is difficult to peel, then stop.
Use a knife to slice the banana flower thinly horizontally, as you slice, place the banana flower in a bowl of diluted salt water with lemon.
Finally, wash the banana flower with cold water and drain it in a colander.
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Prepare the other ingredients
Cut off the roots of the garlic, peel it, wash it clean, and then crush it.
Add 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder and stir it with 5 tablespoons of fermented rice.
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Stir-fried banana flower
You place a pot on the stove over high heat with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. When the oil is hot, add crushed garlic to sauté until golden and fragrant, then quickly add the banana flower and stir-fry.
Season the dish with 1 tablespoon of seasoning powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, 2/3 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, and 1/2 teaspoon of fish sauce, stirring well to let the seasonings penetrate the banana flower.
After stir-frying for about 10 minutes, when the banana flower is cooked and slightly wilted, gradually add the mixture with turmeric powder, tasting multiple times until you reach the desired level of sourness. Stir-fry the dish for another 3 minutes, adjust the seasoning to taste, and then turn off the heat. The stir-fried banana flower with fermented rice is complete and ready to be served on a plate!
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Final product
The stir-fried banana flower has an eye-catching golden-brown color, cooked to the right level, crispy, and fragrant. The seasonings are balanced, savory, and sweet, blending with the refreshing sourness of the fermented rice, making the dish incredibly delicious, especially when served with hot, sticky white rice.
This dish is simple yet extremely flavorful, perfect for adding to your family’s daily meal menu!
2. Stir-fried banana flower with snails
Preparation
20 minutes
Cooking
20 minutes
Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Stir-fried banana flower with snails For 4 people
Banana flower 1 piece Freshwater snails 1 kg Aromatic herbs A little (perilla/ herbs/ basil) Spring onion 3 stalks Cilantro 1 bunch Calamondin lime 2 fruits Garlic 2 cloves Chili 3 pieces Fish sauce 1 tablespoon Cooking oil 2 tablespoons Vinegar A little Common spices A little (sugar/ salt/ seasoning powder)
How to choose fresh and delicious freshwater snails
- When choosing, touch the mouth of the snail; if the snail retracts deeply inside, it is a live and very fresh snail, so you should buy it.
- Fat snails have their flesh close to the mouth, while skinny snails have their flesh retracted deep inside.
- You should not choose snails that smell strong when you pick them up. If you observe that the flesh of the snail is retracted deeply inside, it is likely that the snail is dead. When placed in a basin of water, dead snails will float with their mouths facing down.
How to Cook Banana Flower Stir-Fried Snails
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Preparing Freshwater Snails
Freshwater snails should be washed clean of their shells, soaked in diluted salt water with a few chili peppers for one night to release all the slime and dirt. After soaking, wash the snails again, rubbing them thoroughly to ensure they are clean.
Boil a pot of water with a little salt, cook the snails until done, and you can add a bit of vinegar or sour rice to the boiling water to eliminate the fishy smell. Once the snails are cooked, remove them to a strainer and use a toothpick to extract the snail meat.
After extracting all the snail meat, mix it with a little salt and white vinegar, then rinse several times with clean water.
How to Clean Snails Thoroughly, Removing All Sand
- To remove the slime and mud from the snails, soak them in rice water for about 2 hours to release all the dirt.
- To eliminate the fishy smell, you can add some chili powder or crushed fresh chili into the soaking water.
- Using vinegar mixed into the soaking water is also an effective way to clean them.
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Prepare the banana flower
After purchasing the banana flower, you should remove the outer old leaves, peeling off each layer until you reach the tender part of the banana flower. Then, use a knife to thinly slice the banana flower horizontally.
As you slice the banana flower, place it into a bowl of diluted salted water with 2 calamondins for soaking, and let it soak for at least 15 minutes.
Finally, rinse the banana flower with cold water and drain it in a colander.
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Prepare other ingredients
For the garlic, cut off the root, peel, wash it clean, then crush it and chop it finely.
Green onions, cilantro, and aromatic herbs should have any wilted leaves removed, washed thoroughly, and then chopped finely.
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Stir-fried Snails
You place a pan on the stove over high heat to get it really hot, then add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil to the pan. When the oil is hot and bubbling, add garlic and sauté quickly until the garlic turns golden and releases its aroma, then add the snails to stir-fry.
Season the snails with: 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, and stir evenly to let the snails absorb the spices.
After about 10 minutes, when the snails are fragrant, add the banana flower and stir-fry quickly to mix the ingredients together. After 5 minutes, when the banana flower is cooked, add the finely chopped herbs and stir well for another 2 minutes.
When all the ingredients are cooked, taste and adjust the seasoning one last time to your liking, then turn off the heat; the dish is ready to enjoy!
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Final Product
The stir-fried snails with banana flower are served, exuding an incredibly enticing aroma. The banana flower is stir-fried just right, crispy and fragrant, soaking up the rich flavor of the snails. The dish is enhanced by the combination of finely chopped herbs, making it visually appealing and delicious, perfect for a meal.
This will definitely be a unique and novel dish, contributing to the diversity of your family’s daily meals.
How to choose delicious banana flowers
- Banana flowers that have been peeled and shredded will often be dark purple or brownish yellow, not crispy and firm as when treated with chemicals, so be careful when buying.
- Delicious banana flowers have a deep red color, fresh skin, and a white powdery layer on the outside. When you pick them up, they feel firm and heavy.
- You should buy whole banana flowers to prepare and store them yourself, which will ensure safety as well as the quality of the banana flowers.
How to prepare crunchy and delicious white banana flowers
- You need to prepare a basin of water mixed with diluted salt and lemon juice (you can replace lemon with vinegar, alum, or fermented rice as well).
- Next, slice the banana flowers very thinly and put them into the basin of water immediately as you cut.
- Soak the banana flowers for at least 15 minutes, then take them out and rinse them with clean water.
See more
Above is an article guiding 2 how to make stir-fried banana flowers with fermented rice and stir-fried snails that are delicious, unique, extremely simple, and easy to implement that anyone can do. Wishing you success with these 2 recipes!
*Images and recipes referenced from the YouTube channel BINGO FOOD CHANNEL and TUẤN NGUYỄN FOOD.
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