Ốc chuối đậu • Snail stew with green bananas & tofu

“Ốc chuối đậu” which literally means “Snail banana tofu” is a very traditional Northern Vietnamese folk dish that even some people from other regions of Vietnam may not have tried. If you’re ready to graduate from our Ốc nhồi thịt to something a little more adventurous, this is the dish for you.

This piping hot bowl is packed with so many flavors and textures that will take your tastebuds for a wild ride. If you have never tried them, fully cooked green bananas are mild in flavor & have the same tender/starchy consistency as potatoes and taste nothing like ripe bananas. They are a play in contrast with the crunchy tofu, fatty pork belly, and slightly chewy snails.

The sauce is a beautiful combination of umami from the pork belly, warmth from turmeric, acidity/sweetness from tomatoes, and bright herbaceousness from the purple perilla.

In Vietnamese culture, we believe that certain foods are inherently hot or cold, not in terms of the temperature at which they are served, but in how those foods interact with your body. Eating foods that are too hot or too cold is believed to be bad for you. But worry not, you can balance out a certain ingredient by pairing it with others that have the opposite effect. Snails are seen as a very ‘cold’ ingredient, which is why this dish uses warming turmeric and is served hot!

Best served with room-temperature bún noodles and extra purple perilla on the side, ốc chuối đậu will warm your belly and soul on a cold day.

Ốc chuối đậu • Snail stew with green bananas & tofu

Course: MainCuisine: VietnameseDifficulty: Difficult
Makes

4

servings
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

30

minutes
Total time

45

minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 4 green bananas

  • 500 g 500 tomatoes

  • 400 g 400 tofu

  • 350 g 350 snails

  • 300 g 300 pork belly

  • 1/2 cup 1/2 mẻ (fermented rice – see Vietnamese Cooking Essentials. Alternative: plain yogurt)

  • 1 1 shallot

  • 5 cloves 5 garlic

  • 1 1 thumb-size piece of turmeric (Alternative: 1 tsp turmeric powder)

  • 1 bunch 1 purple perilla

  • 2 stalks 2 green onion

  • 1 tbsp 1 fish sauce

  • 1/2 tsp 1/2 MSG (optional)

  • 1/2 tsp 1/2 shrimp paste (Alternative: add more fish sauce to taste)

  • 200 g 200 bún noodles (cooked)

Directions

  • User a vegetable peeler to remove the tough outer layer of the green bananas- you don’t have to take off the entire green peel, just the outer layer. Trim both ends and slice into 1-1.5cm thick pieces diagonally. Soak in a bowl of salt water until ready to use.
  • Season the snails with the fish sauce and MSG. Set aside.
  • Cut tomatoes into wedges.
  • Slice pork belly in 0.5-1cm thick pieces.
  • Cut tofu into 2cm squares.
  • Mince garlic and shallots.
  • Chop the greens of green onions.
  • Chop 10g purple perilla into ribbons. The best way to do this is to layer the leaves on top of one another, then slice perpendicular to the spine of the leaves.
  • If using fresh turmeric: make the turmeric extract by crushing the turmeric piece in a mortar & pestle (or small blender) with 2 tbsps of water. Strain through a cheesecloth and squeeze all the liquid out of the pulp. (Use gloves if you’re worried about staining your fingers)
  • Heat 1 tbsp of neutral oil on medium in a large pot with thick bottom or dutch oven. Add the banana pieces and sauté for 10 minutes.
  • In the meantime, fry the tofu until golden, then set aside.
  • Add the tomatoes, pork belly, and minced shallots to the pot and sauté for 5 minutes.
  • If using mẻ, mix with equal parts water and strain to get just the liquid. If using yogurt, disregard this step.
  • Mix 2 tbsps of the turmeric extract with the mẻ/yogurt and shrimp paste.
  • Add this mixture to the pot and add water to cover all the ingredients (about a liter). Cook on medium for 10 minutes.
  • Add the snails, increase heat to high, and bring to boil.
  • Reduce heat to medium and add in fried tofu. Cook for another 3 minutes.
  • Turn off heat and mix in chopped perilla leaves, garlic, and green onions.
  • Ladle into the bowl (add chilies if you like heat) and serve hot with bún noodles and extra purple perilla!

Did you make this recipe?

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2 Comments

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