Banana Flower Thai Salad:

This is a typical Thai salad and is quite an elaborate one with lots of ingredients such as prawns, pork, nuts, shallot and shrimps along with banana flower, which is the main ingredient. The combination of tamarind juice and chili sauce gives a hot and tangy flavor.

Ingredients:

• 1 banana flower
• 4 cup water
• 100 g pork, minced
• 4 tsp tamarind juice
• 4 prawns, peeled and deveined
• 2 tsp chili jam
• ½ cup stock water
• 2 tbsp lime juice, freshly squeezed
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp palm sugar
• 5 chilies (bird’s eye), thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp dried shrimps, ground
• 2 tbsp cashews/peanuts, crushed
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced and fried golden brown
• 4 tbsp shallot, thinly sliced, fried golden brown
• 1 red chili, finely shred and soaked in cold water
• Small handful of coriander

Method:

1. Mix tamarind juice and water and soak the finely chopped banana flower in it to prevent discoloration.
2. This also helps to remove the stickiness and tart taste that comes with the banana flower.
3. Drain the banana flower after 10 minutes.
4. Take a wok and add stock to it.
5. Boil the stock and add minced pork, stirring for 1 minute continuously.
6. Add prawns and stir for one minute again. Keep it aside.
7. Take a bowl and put coriander leaves, shredded red chili, shallots, dried shrimps, garlic, prawns, pork, banana flower and cashews in it.
8. Mix well.
9. Garnish with shredded chili, coriander, garlic and shallot.