Ingredients

• 1 bird's eye chile, finely sliced
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons warm water
• 3 teaspoons pineapple juice
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 banana blossom
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• Vegetable oil, for deep frying
• 9 ounces/250 g potato starch
• 1 sheet tofu skin, sliced into 3/4-inch/2 cm lengths
• 1 handful bean sprouts, roots plucked
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon fried Asian shallots
• 1 handful plucked Vietnamese mint leaves
• 1 long chile, julienned

Instructions

1. For the dressing: Combine the chile, sugar, water, and soy sauce and mix well. Set aside.
2. Peel the outer purple layer of the banana blossom until you reach the heart of the blossom, which should be opaque in color. Reserve one purple leaf along with the small young undeveloped baby bananas.
3. Begin to slice the opaque banana blossom transferring it into a bowl of water mixed with 1 tablespoon vinegar to stop the sliced blossom from discoloring. Soak and drain.
4. Add the deep-frying oil into a wok or deep fry pan and bring to 320 degrees F/ 160 degrees C.
5. Dust each baby banana with potato starch and flash fry them until crisp. Transfer to a kitchen paper-lined tray.
6. Once completed, flash fry the tofu skin until crisp and transfer to a kitchen paper-lined tray.
7. In a mixing bowl, add the sliced banana blossom, bean sprout, fried baby banana, fried tofu skin, sesame seeds, fried shallots, Vietnamese mint, and 3 tablespoons soy dressing. Toss well.
8. Place the reserved purple leaf into a serving bowl with the pointy end sticking out.
9. Transfer the salad onto the leaf then garnish with more tofu skin and chile.