Ua No Mai

Ingredients

 * 5 bamboo shoots, which may be no mai lai (GIANTOCHLOA NIGROCILIATA) or no mai bong (BAMBUSA TULDA) - choose small ones, boil them until they lose their (bitter) taste, then cut off all the hard outer layer and cut the trimmed shoots into sections 8 cm long - after this use a needle to make slits in them lengthwise, but leaving the ends of each section intact
 * 7 (small) shallots, pounded
 * 1 piece of pork, including some fat, the size of the palm of a hand, minced
 * 2 eggs
 * salt and fish sauce
 * flour (about 2 tbsp)
 * ground black pepper
 * chopped spring onion leaves
 * pork fat

Directions

 * 1) Mix together in a large bowl the minced pork, the pounded shallots, ground black pepper and I tablespoonful of the flour. Mix all this thoroughly. Add salt, fish sauce and some of the chopped spring onions. Mix again, taste to check the saltiness, and add more of the chopped spring onion.
 * 2) Stuff the mixture into the slit-open bamboo shoots and wrap these in pieces of banana leaf as you would in making a kanab. Use a bamboo holder to grill the packages until they are cooked, then open up the banana leaf coverings and leave the contents to cool.
 * 3) Heat some pork fat in a wok. Beat the eggs in a bowl with salt and some flour mixed in. Dip the cooked bamboo shoots in the egg mixture and fry them in the hot fat until they are nice and golden. Place them on a platter to serve.