Vazhaipoo is an excellent source of fiber. /this is one of the recipe which i have been missing after coming to US. Because we rarely get it here. Even if it is available , it will be very old, shrinked or darkened one. But i will get that too to satisfy my craving. My mom used to make this every week as a poriyal or kootu or vadai or in paruppu urundai kolambu. I love to eat this with rasam rice.

It has many health benefits. Especially for women in treating excessive menstruation bleeding. . Cleaning banana flower can be quite time consuming  and most of us are now opting this vegetable just for the cleaning job. But it is worth the effort. Let me quickly share the recipe and also the cleaning process.

• Prep time – 20 to 30mins
• Cook time – 10 mins
• Serves – 2

Ingredients needed:

• Banana flowers / Florets – 1 medium size
• Onions chopped (as you wish)
• Grated coconut – 1 cup
• Coconut oil – 2 tsp
• Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Urad dal – 1/2 tsp
• Green chili – 2
• Curry leaves
• Salt to taste
• Turmeric powder
• Water to cook

How to Clean?

• Remove the outer big petals, so that you can see the bunch of florets
• Take one flower/floret: remove the stamen (long stem with big head) and the thick skin like cover at the bottom (pictures shown below)

• Similarly, clean all the florets by removing these two parts
• Cut the florets and drop them in a bowl of diluted butter milk, to prevent it from discoloration

Now we are ready to make the stir fry / Poriyal.

Method:

• Heat coconut oil in a pan; Splutter mustard seeds and Urad dal
• Saute onion, green chilies, salt and curry leaves, until onion turns little golden brown in color
• Squeeze the water and add in chopped vazhaipoo / banana flower, add turmeric powder and saute for 2 to 3 mins
• Add little water and cook on a medium flame until the banana flower gets cooked soft and all the water evaporates.
• Now add a cup of grated coconut and a tsp of lemon juice
• Stir well and switch off the flame

Note:

• Optionally you can also cook the dal (toor dal or moong dal or chana dal) and add to avoid bitter taste. But i prefer to have it like this to avoid extra carbs