Vazhaipoo Poriyal | Banana Flower Stir Fry Recipe

Today I'm sharing my second recipe on vazhaipoo. Previously i have shared a recipe for vazhaipoo vadai which you can see by clicking the link. Vazhaipoo is a healthy vegetable which is included in south indian cooking. Let us see how vazhaipoo is used for poriyal in my hometown. This is my amma's version of vazhaipoo poriyal.

 

Try this healthy recipe and post your feedback.

Vazhaipoo Poriyal

Recipe Cuisine: Indian | Recipe Category:  Side dish / Accompaniment

Prep Time:  20 mins | Cooking Time: 30 mins | Serves:  4

Ingredients:

Vazhaipoo - 1

Small Onion - 1 cup

Green chilli - 1

Red chilli - 5

Coconut - 1/2 cup

Cumin - 1 tsp

Fennel seeds / Perunjeeragam - 1 tsp

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Oil - 2 tsp

Method:

Apply little oil in  your hand in order to avoid turning your hand black and sticky.

Peel the petals of banana flower until the inner part is seen. Once all the petals are removed, you will see a yellow floret and a white cone shaped part which is called as kuruthu. This is edible one, so you include this in you poriyal.

Start by finely chopping the kuruthu part. Then, hold 4 or 5 yellow florets together and remove the edges with a knife. You can see a thin layer as shown in the step by step picture below. This part is called as kallan as it is hidden inside the floret. This part makes the very poriyal bitter. So this should be removed before cooking. Once kallan is removed, finely chop the remaining floret. Soak the chopped flower in either water or buttermilk.

Chop the onion and green chillies. Take coconut, cumin, fennel seed and turmeric in a blender and grind it coarsely without adding water.

Heat oil in a pan, add in mustard seeds. Once it begins to crackle, add the chopped onion, green chilli and curry leaves.

Once the onion becomes soft, add the chopped flower and stir fry for few minutes. Cover it with a lid. Stir fry for 15 to 15 minutes.

Once vazhipoo is cooked, add the ground masala, turmeric and salt. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes.

Switch off the flame once raw smell of masala is gone. Serve with rice and curry of your choice.

Pictorial:

Keep all your ingredients ready

Chop small onions

Apply little oil in your hand in order to avoid turning your hand black and sticky. Peel the petals of banana flower until the inner part is seen. Once all the petals are removed, you will see a yellow floret and a white cone shaped part which is called as kuruthu. This is edible one, so you include this in you poriyal.

Hold 4 or 5 yellow florets together and remove the edges with a knife. 

You can see a thin layer as shown in the picture. This part is called as kallan as it is hidden inside the floret. This part makes the very poriyal bitter. So this should be removed before cooking.

Finely chop the floret.

Remove kallan for remaining flowers in the same way.

Start by finely chopping the kuruthu part.  Once kallan is removed, finely chop the remaining floret. Soak the chopped flower in either water or buttermilk.

chopped the florets looks like this

Remove the unwanted part as shown above and do the same procedure for all the florets

Soak the chooped flower in water or butter milk

Take coconut, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, red chilli in a blender

Grind it to coarse paste without adding water

Heat oil in a pan, add in mustard seeds and curry leaves

Once it begins to crackle, add the chopped onion and green chilli

Saute for 2 to 3 minutes

Once the onion becomes soft, add the chopped flower and stir fry for few minutes.

Cover it with a lid. Stir fry for 15 to 15 minutes.

Once vazhipoo is cooked, add the ground masala, turmeric and salt.

Saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Switch off the flame once raw smell of masala is gone.

Serve!