Banana Flower Salad Recipe

Banana Flower Salad Recipe

1 tablespoon roasted grated coconut

75 ml fresh coconut milk

3 tablespoons tamarind juice

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (adjust according to taste)

1 teaspoon pounded fresh chili

200g banana flower, julienne

100g grilled chicken breast, shredded

8 medium shrimps, grilled and shelled

2 tablespoons crispy shallots

1 tablespoon crispy garlic

Method:

Whisk grated coconut, coconut milk, tamarind juice, sugar, lime juice and fresh chili together until well-mixed.  Toss banana flower, chicken and shrimps in dressing.  Serve on a salad plate.  Sprinkle crispy shallots and garlic over.  Bananas are common enough tropical fruit, hanging in huge bunches that vary in color when ripe - from yellow to red depending on the species.  The banana flower however, encased by a dark purple red covering before bursting into fruit, is less commonly used in food.  The Thais are no strangers to it though.  They use it as an ingredient in salads to provide a crunchy textural contrast.