- Banana flower – 1
- Sambar Powder – 2 teaspoon
- Turmeric powder – a pinch
- Urad dhal – 1 teaspoon
- Mustard – ½ teaspoon
- Asafotida Powder - a pinch
- Oil – 2 teaspoon
- Coconut gratings – 2 tablespoon
- Curry Leaves – few
- Salt – 1 teaspoon
Remove the big skin (bract) and take out the florets found underneath. In the florets, you will find a string in the middle and a rubbery skin outside. Remove both from each floret. Then chop all the floretss into tiny bits and put in water mixed with little butter milk. This will avoid discoloration of the florets.
Wash well and put the chopped florets in a vessel and add just enough water to cover them. Cook for two to three minutes or till the florets are soft. Remove from stove and drain the water. Cool it. When it is cold, take out a handful of cooked florets and squeeze out the excess water and keep aside. To this add sambar powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well. Keep it for atleast ten minutes.
In a kadai put the oil and add mustard seeds and when it pops up add the urad dhal, asafotida powder and fry till urad dhal turns light brown. Add curry leaves and fry for a while. Add the cooked banana florets. Fry nicely till raw smell of the powders goes off. Add coconut gratings and mix well.
Banana blossom. Ah! My personal favourite.
It came out tasty, crispy and looked so appetizing.. I have made banana florets ussili, but ur poriyal just swept me away. hats off to you.
Also i tried kothamalli kozhambhu. it was awesome.
believe me it was a "SPOT ON"
Hi Usha Pradeep,
Thank you for visiting my site. Nice to hear that this poriyal and kothamalli kozhambu came out well.
Planning to try this one today — thanks for your recipe
) First time on your blog – Awesome!
Dear Kamla, I have tried to cook Banana florets many times, but every time the dish turns out to be bitter like quinine, what should I do ?
Hello Dr Maya Rao,
Some varieties of banana flower taste bitter. But we cannot identify which one is bitter. You can ask the vendor to get good quality or just pick a floret and taste it. If it is good quality,it will give raw taste but not bitter. Then you can buy that. Moreover while cooking, you have to remove the outer cover and inner stems from each floret as explained in my post. Put the cut florets in water. Then put the cut florets in boiling water and cook for five to ten minutes. Squeeze out from the water and then prepare the dish. When you add other ingredients like dhal and coconut and spices, it will not be bitter.