How to Make Vietnamese Stir-fried Snails with Tamarind Sauce
To make stir-fried snails with a rich, aromatic flavor and a perfect blend of sweet, sour, spicy, and salty, pay close attention to seasoning and use the following ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1kg snails
- 1 bottle tamarind sauce or dried tamarind packet
- 1 garlic bulb
- 4-5 lemongrass stalks
- 1 ginger root
- Lime leaves
- 20g peanuts
- 1 bunch Vietnamese coriander
- 1-2 chili peppers
- 30ml coconut milk
- 30g butter
- 20g corn starch
- Seasonings: fish sauce, sugar, chili sauce, pepper
Ingredient Notes
You can use various types of snails for this dish, such as apple snails, fragrant snails, razor clams, or spiral snails.
For tamarind sauce, you can use bottled tamarind sauce or pre-packaged dried tamarind.
Instructions
Preparing the snails
Clean the snails thoroughly and soak them in water for about 2-3 hours to expel slime and mud. You can use rice water for soaking as it cleans the snails better. Add a few slices of chili and place a metal object like a knife or scissors into the water to help the snails release more dirt. Change the water 2-3 times, stirring vigorously each time to remove any remaining slime from the shells.
After soaking, rinse the snails multiple times under clean water and set them aside to drain.
Preparing other ingredients
Wash lime leaves, some lemongrass, and ginger. These will be set aside for boiling the snails.
Mince the remaining lemongrass and ginger after washing and crushing them.
Peel and mince the garlic. Wash and mince the chili.
Pick and clean the Vietnamese coriander, then roughly chop it.
Roast the peanuts until golden, let them cool, then remove the skins and crush them coarsely.
Preparing the tamarind sauce
Bottled tamarind sauce is readily available in markets and supermarkets, making it convenient for cooking. A 280ml bottle typically costs around 25,000 VND.
If bottled tamarind sauce isn't available, you can use dried tamarind. Place the tamarind in a bowl, add about 150ml of hot water, and mash it with a spoon to extract the pulp, then strain to get the tamarind juice.
Boiling the snails
Place the snails in a pot and cover with water. Add lime leaves, lemongrass, and ginger for flavor. Boil the snails over high heat. Once the water boils, stir the snails to help loosen the shells. Boil for about 5-6 minutes on high heat until the snails are cooked.
For a more flavorful result, add a pinch of salt and sugar to the boiling water.
Once cooked, drain the snails. If they still have any residual dirt, rinse them again and let them drain.
Making the stir-fried snails with tamarind sauce
Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and 5 tablespoons of butter in a pan over medium heat. Once the butter melts, add minced garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and chili, and sauté until fragrant. Then, pour in 150ml of tamarind sauce and stir well. Season with 2 tablespoons of chili sauce, 4 tablespoons of sugar, 1/2 tablespoon of MSG, and 3.5 tablespoons of fish sauce. Dissolve 1-1.5 tablespoons of cornstarch in 3 tablespoons of water, and slowly pour it into the sauce to thicken.
Add the snails to the sauce and stir well so that they are fully coated. Finally, pour in 50ml of coconut milk and add the Vietnamese coriander. Stir one last time and then turn off the heat.
Serve the stir-fried snails hot. Enjoy the aromatic blend of tamarind, with the perfect balance of sour, spicy, salty, and sweet flavors, along with the buttery richness of the snails. For an extra treat, serve with bread to dip into the flavorful tamarind sauce.
