Ingredients

Scale

For Prepping Vazhaipoo – Banana flower/blossom

1 head of Vazhaipoo – Banana flower
1 tablespoon Plain Vinegar
Little oil for applying on hands

For making Vazhaipoo Poriyal – Banana Blossom Stir Fry

2 Tablespoon Indian Sesame Oil
1/2 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
2 Sprigs Curry Leaves
4 Dried Red Chillies
2 Green Chillies, Slit
1.5 Cups Onions, Chopped
1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Asafoetida
3/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/3 Cup Fresh Shredded Coconut

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Instructions

Here is how to make Vazhaipoo Poriyal / Valaipoo Poriyal – Banana Flower – Banana Blossom Stir-Fry.

Clean and Prep the Vazhaipoo – Banana Flower. Set aside.
Heat Indian sesame oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, red chillies and green chillies. Saute for a few seconds. Let the mustard seeds crackle. Add in the chopped onions and saute till the onions are soft. I like to add a lot of onions as the onions tend to cut the bitterness of the Vazhaipoo / Banana Flower a little and also is very tasty in this stir fry. So use a lot of onions.
Once the onions are soft, add in the turmeric powder, red chilli powder and asafoetida. Saute for a few seconds. Drain the Vazhaipoo / Banana Flower and wash once to get rid of the residual vinegar from the Vazhaipoo. Drain Completely. Add in the drained Vazhaipoo to the pan.
Saute on a low flame for 7-8 minutes. The Vazhaipoo / Banana Flower will shrink in size. Add in the salt and the fresh shredded coconut. Saute briefly for a minute.
Serve the Vazhaipoo Poriyal – Banana Flower / Blossom stir fry along with rice.

Notes

A note on salt: Always add the salt at the end while making the Vazhaipoo Poriyal recipe. Adding salt in the beginning to the Vazhaipoo makes it very bitter.

Author: Suguna Vinodh
Prep Time: 20m
Cook Time: 20m