How to Cook Stir-Fried Eel with Green Bananas, a Unique Dish to Change Up Family Meals

How to prepare stir-fried eel with green bananas

• 1

  Prepare the ingredients

  After purchasing the eel, scrape off the slime, remove all the internal organs, discard the head and tail, and rinse thoroughly several times with saltwater. Then cut into thin pieces about 2 – 3 finger joints long.

  How to prepare eel to reduce fishy smell and eliminate slime:

  • You can use kitchen ash to cover the eel and scrape off the ash to effectively clean the slime.
  • Rubbing the eel with salt, then rinsing it several times along the eel’s back with lemon juice also helps remove the slime.
  • To clean the eel’s intestines, soak the eel in rice washing water for about half a day; the intestines will be clean and odor-free.

  Wash the green bananas thoroughly, peel off the outer skin, cut the bananas into bite-sized pieces, and soak them in a diluted saltwater solution mixed with about 1 tablespoon of vinegar for about 30 minutes to 1 hour, then drain.

  Tip: Soaking bananas in a diluted saltwater solution mixed with vinegar will help prevent them from browning and reduce their bitterness.

  

  

  
• 2

  Marinate the eel

  Marinate the eel with 1 teaspoon of minced turmeric, 1/2 chopped chili, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of five-spice powder, 1 teaspoon of shrimp paste, and 1 teaspoon of minced shallots. Mix well and let the eel absorb the spices for 10 minutes.

  
• 3

  Boil the banana

  Place a pot of water on the stove and add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder into the pot. When the water boils, add the bananas and boil until cooked over medium heat for about 10 minutes.

  

  
• 4

  Stir-fried eel and banana

  Place a pan on the stove and add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, when the oil is hot, add 2 teaspoons of minced shallots to sauté until fragrant, then add 2 tablespoons of annatto oil and the marinated eel to stir-fry gently over medium heat for about 3 minutes until the eel is firm, then remove to a plate.

  Continue to add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil to the pan, add the banana with 1/2 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 1/2 teaspoon of fish sauce, adjust the heat to medium and stir-fry the banana for about 3 minutes for the banana to absorb the seasoning.

  Add the stir-fried eel to the pan, add chili and Vietnamese coriander, stir well, adjust the seasoning to taste, then turn off the heat and plate it, sprinkle some pepper on top to finish.

  Tip:

  • Stir-frying the banana first and then adding the eel will help prevent the eel from breaking apart and affecting the dish.
  • When stir-frying the eel, avoid stirring too vigorously to prevent it from breaking apart.

  

  

  

  
• 5

  Final product

  The stir-fried eel with green banana dish is extremely appealing, unique with sweet and flavorful eel and green banana, fragrant with turmeric and a slight spiciness, making it a perfect dish to enjoy on chilly days!