297 – Banana Blossom Salad – Vietnamese Recipe / سلطة زهرة الموز

Ingredients :

• 300 g young banana blossom (you can also use white cabbage, red cabbage, green papaya), shredded in thin slides
• 1 carrot, cut or shredded in thin sticks
• 1 onion thinly chopped
• 1 small bunch of “rau răm” (you can also use mint leaves instead)
• 1 small bunch of cilantro (finely chopped)
• 1 small star fruit ( you can replace it by green mango or any fruit naturally sour and sweet, for example some slides of pineapple )
• Crushed peanuts
• Marinade Ingredients:
• 3 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 3 teaspoons white granulated sugar
• 3 teaspoons of fish sauce
• 2 garlic cloves chopped
• A few pieces of chopped red chili pepper

Directions :

Step 1: Preparing the Ingredients of the Salad
1- Place the layers of the banana blossom (or the cabbage leaves) on top of each other and roll them tight together.
2- Slice them very thin and place them in a bowl of ice water and lime for about 20 minutes.
3- Before using, squeeze the banana blossom until dry and set aside.
4- Chop the rest of the ingredients (vegetables and herbs of your choice).
Tip: once chopped, place the onions in warm water so that they become less ‘spicy’.

Step 2: Making the Marinade
1- Add all the ingredients of the marinade in a small bowl and stir around until dissolved.

Step 3: Combining all the Ingredients
1- Combine banana blossom, onion, carrot, green pepper, coriander, marinade and peanuts in a large bowl and toss until well blended (Add peanuts before serving to avoid peanuts softened).
2- Arrange the salad on a serving platter (or on a thick part of the banana or cabbage leaf).
Bon Appetit!