Banana Flower (Vazhai Poo in Tamil) is also known as banana blossom. It is used as a food item in India, particularly in South India. It has lot of medicinal values. It is considered a blood-purifying item. It effectively cures menstrual disorders like painful menstruation and excessive bleeding. It also increases hemoglobin cell levels in the blood. Due to time consuming job involved in cooking this flower, most people do not cook it often. But it is not so laborious job to cook this flower, if you have some practice.
Banana flower consists of many layers of bract. You will find a bunch of florets under each layer. First remove the hard pink layer. Take out the florets found underneath. Remove all the layers one by one and collect all the florets.
In each floret, you will find a string in the middle. It has a tiny head. There is also a small plastic-like white cover around it. Both are not edible. Remove both from all the florets.
The florets in the upper part are slightly bigger than the florets in the inner part. From the big floret, you can easily see these and remove it.
But it is little difficult to find the string in the small florets. You have to open each small floret gently by your fingers and remove the string and cover. Take a bunch of florets in one hand. Hold the bottom of the bunch. Gently rub the top of the florets in your palm. Now the florets will open up and you will see the strings in each floret. Remove it. When you remove the hard layers, the colour of the bract changes from dark pink to pale yellow. Finally, it ends up with a small white bulb. The florets in the inner part will be more tender. You can use the tender florets and the small white bulb as it is. No need to remove string or anything from these.
Chop all the florets into tiny bits. Put them in water mixed with a little buttermilk until you cook them. This will avoid discoloration of the florets.
If you find time and a banana flower in nearby market, just buy it.
Banana flower recipes
You can make Vazhai Poo Vadai for snacks or Vazhai Poo Poriyal as a side dish for rice.
Vazhai Poo Vadai
Difficulty: MediumThis snack is made with banana flower (vazhai poo) and is served with tea or coffee.
Vazhai Poo (Banana Flower) Poriyal
Difficulty: MediumThis side dish is prepared using banana flower (vazhai poo) and is typically served with rice.
Thanks for posting this, Kamala.
Wish it was just a few days previous. I am back in US now so now chance of making this. However, I have tried my hand at making they poriyal back in 2001 at my friend’s house in Kanchi- you’re right it is very time consuming. But it is SOOOO tasty! (As is drumstick leaves curry!)
http://shakahaari.blogspot.com/2008/05/drumstick-leaves-curry.html
I remember finding the banana flower once in an indian market in the US and excitedly buying it, remembering what a delicacy it was. Of course I had no idea then how much effort went behind the scenes. Then my mom had to explain to me in painstaking and patient detail over the phone how to find the floret, string and bulb. Wish this post existed then! 🙂
Anyways, I ended up making ariti-puvvu koora as my mom made it, took me forever but it was worth it. But I don’t think I will venture again unless I have plenty of time on my hands. 🙂 Great post and pics!
Hi Jennifer,I also cook drumstick leaves poriyal in the same way as your recipe. Your version with potatos seems to be nice. I have also posted my version of poriyal here: https://www.kamalascorner.com/2007/08/murungai-keerai-drumstick-leaves.html#link
Thank you for your note.
Nice posting this. Banana Flower (Vazhaipoo) Vadai & Porial are nice to make and rather more tasty. Banana flower Thuvaiyal will also be tasty and can be added to rice besides side dish to Dosa, idli etc.
Dear Ponnammal Balasubramanian,
Can you please send the recipe for Banana Flower Thuvaiyal. I can try and include in my recipes.
I need one information from you with regard to this banana flower. I clean this banana flower in afternoon(removing tiny head and white cover) and put it in a cover tightly wrapped and i keep that in fridge. next day morning i cook it. sometimes my banana flower preparation comes out very well and on sometimes its very bitter. i dont know where its going wrong. i think so it should not be stored in fridge and i think so it should be cooked immediately once we clean it. need suggestion from you ….
Hi Suchithra,
Yes. You are right. It should be cooked immediately. Moreover, some variety have bitter taste and the taste of the flower depends on the type of the Banana tree from which it comes. Usually in villages, we get flower from our own garden and we know the taste of the flower. But when we buy from the market, we have to take the chance only.
Thank you for the reply which makes me easily understandable.thanks once again.
Many thanks dear your note for cooking banana flower is very useful
I mean I was not sure about the cleaning of it and hence the curry always turned to be bitter. Your pictoral notes have been very clear and apt I shall try and then write to you bye
Hi Kamala
I tried your recipe this evening for dinner and the banana flowers were from my back yard and what a disaster it was. It was utterly bitter. I did remove the plastic like thing and the long stringy tail with the head on and soaked it in lemon water. So where did i go wrong???? 🙁