How to Make Delicious Banana Flower Salad with Snails for a Flavorful Meal

How to prepare Banana Flower with Snails

• 1

  Prepare the ingredients

  Since snails live in ponds and lakes with a lot of mud, you should soak the snails in water for at least 3 – 4 hours so that they expel all the dirt before cooking. Pick the leaves of wild betel and perilla, wash them clean, and let them drain.

  Prepare a small basin containing about 2 liters of water mixed with 2 tablespoons of salt. Next, peel off the outer layers of the banana flower and cut it into very thin slices. After cutting, immediately soak it in basin of diluted saltwater to prevent the banana flower from browning.

  After soaking the banana flower in saltwater for about 20 minutes, take it out and rinse it once with water, then let it drain.

  Tips to help snails expel dirt quickly:

  • Method 1: Use rice washing water instead of a mixture of water and chili. Soak the snails in rice washing water for 2 hours, then rinse them clean.
  • Method 2: Use about 1 cup of vinegar mixed into the water to soak the snails for 1 hour.
  • Method 3: Soak the snails in water mixed with diluted lemon and salt for about 1 hour, which is also an effective method.
  • Method 4: Boil the snails for about 5 minutes to lightly cook them, then remove and let them drain, proceed to separate the snail meat, and rinse clean with water again.

  

  

  

  
• 2

  Boil the snails and extract the meat

  After the snails have expelled all the mud, wash them thoroughly with water once more, then put the snails into a pot, pour in water just enough to cover the surface of the snails. Boil the snails until the water starts to boil, then lower the heat and continue boiling for about 5 more minutes before turning off the heat.

  After that, scoop the snails out into a basket to let them cool, then you can start using a needle to extract the snail meat, only take the head part of the snail meat.

  

  
• 3

  Mix the snails and banana flower

  Add the banana flower into the pot, then add 2 spoons of fermented rice, all the boiling water from the snails earlier, 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, 3 teaspoons of seasoning powder, and finally the snail meat into the pot. Mix all these ingredients well so that the banana flower and snail meat absorb the seasoning.

  

  

  
• 4

  Cooking banana flower with snails

  You put the pot of banana flower and snail meat on the stove and cook over medium heat; when the water boils, you reduce the heat to low and add the perilla leaves and wild betel leaves, continue cooking for about another 30 minutes, then turn off the stove.

  
• 5

  Final product

  So you have completed the dish of banana flower cooked with snails that is extremely delicious and quite unique. When eating, you will feel the soft and flavorful banana flower, and the snail meat still retains its crunchy texture, which is very appealing.