Thai Banana Blossom Salad

We have spent much time in Thailand over the last four years. I now find myself cooking Thai-style meals all the time. I usually shop at the local SuperCheap (a Thai supermarket) and use local Asian vegetables and fruits in our meals.

For over a year, I have regularly seen banana flowers (blossom) in the veggie section. I finally decided to make a banana blossom salad. Using the traditional flavours of Thai cuisine, this is what I came up with.

Table of Contents

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons lime juice
2 Tablespoons fish sauce
1 Tablespoon palm sugar*
1 Tablespoon chilli paste or chilli jam
3 Tablespoons coconut cream
1 banana blossom
1 large red chilli, remove the seeds and pith, thinly sliced
1 large green chilli, remove the seeds and pith, thinly sliced
1 small carrot (or 1/2 a large carrot, grated)
2 spring onions, finely sliced
bean shoots
4 Tablespoons of Asian fried shallots
2 Tablespoons of crushed peanuts or a seeds

Method

Mix the lime sauce, fish sauce, palm sugar and chilli paste in a bowl and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add coconut cream and blend well. Check for the right balance of salty, sweet, sour and spicy. Adjust as needed (fish sauce – salty, sugar – sweet, lime juice – sour, chilli paste – spicy). Set aside.

Put the chillies, carrot, spring onions and bean sprouts into a large bowl and set aside.

Fill another large bowl with cold water and squeeze some lemon or lime juice into it. Remove the outer leaves of the banana blossom until all dark leaves have been removed. Keep the best two outer leaves for serving. Cut the blossom lengthwise and remove the inner core. Finely slice the flower and place each slice in the water as you do so to stop it from going black.

Strain the blossom and add to the mixing bowl. Add the dressing and two tablespoons of the fried onion and mix well.