banana flower - what to do with it
Monika Adamczyk
dept, had today in its produce section (among other exotic things!), a
banana flower. It was about 20 cm long, conical in shape and purple. I
touched it and it was firm. And the price was rather attractive -
$1.19/lb, which made 1 flower to cost about $1.00.
I couldn't resist and bought it because I suspect this wild array of
unusual fruit and vegetables is only temporary. Now of course I need to
know what I can do with it to have a tasteful meal.
Anyone cares to share its favorite recipe for a banana flower?
Monika
Monika Adamczyk
>
> Hi, Monika!
>
> ( smiles ) It just depends upon where you live, I guess : ) If you don't
> mind, whereabouts roughly do *you* live that you found this neat, exotic
> flower? Although, I can tell you, I've not the vaguest idea what you can do
> with it .... just enjoy having it, I guess : )
>
I live in Boston area which by itself is very diverse city, full of
different foods. However this particular supermarket (Market Basket in
Burlington if anybody cares) is rather very unimaginative. Not today. In
addition to the banana flower (see
http://web0.tiac.net/users/slaundon/StillLife/BananaFlower.html for
picture), I saw today japanese cucumbers and a whole bunch of other
stuff which right now of course I can't remember. :-(
Anyway, I still haven't found any recipe for it and I want to use it if
I can.
Monika
Geeta Bharathan
: My local supermarket, which normally is not very adventurous in the food
: dept, had today in its produce section (among other exotic things!), a
: banana flower. It was about 20 cm long, conical in shape and purple. I
: touched it and it was firm. And the price was rather attractive -
: $1.19/lb, which made 1 flower to cost about $1.00.
: Anyone cares to share its favorite recipe for a banana flower?
Wow! I'd give anything to have that now!
Having said that, I'll also say, careful! The sap of said "flower"
(actually an inflorescence) will stain everything--hands, clothes, etc.
Getting to the flowers is the major task. The way we do it in S. India
is to keep a small container of oil into which you dip your fingers as
you dismantle the inflorescence; this prevents staining.
The purple cover is a large modified leaf ("bract" in botanical terms).
You will need to peel away this bract; this will reveal the rows of
flowers, which you pluck away, and this is what you will use.
I just noticed in rec.food.veg.cooking a recipe for "paruppu usili" to be
made using green beans; you can substitute banana flowers for the beans.
Or, perhaps that poster will give you a more detailed procedure.
Have fun...
--Geeta
Shankar Bhattacharyya
Monika Adamczyk <mon...@mediaone.net> wrote:
>My local supermarket, which normally is not very adventurous in the food
>dept, had today in its produce section (among other exotic things!), a
>banana flower. It was about 20 cm long, conical in shape and purple. I
>touched it and it was firm. And the price was rather attractive -
>$1.19/lb, which made 1 flower to cost about $1.00.
After you have discarded the leaves that is not going to seem very
cheap.
The leaves are not useless, by the way. You can sail them down your
neighbourhood stream. Given that this is barely past Divali, the Indian
festival of lights, you can even stick a little lamp in the nifty
little boats and send them downstream at dusk.
- Shankar
Monika Adamczyk
>
> Monika Adamczyk (mon...@mediaone.net) wrote:
> : My local supermarket, which normally is not very adventurous in the food
> : dept, had today in its produce section (among other exotic things!), a
> : banana flower. It was about 20 cm long, conical in shape and purple. I
> : touched it and it was firm. And the price was rather attractive -
> : $1.19/lb, which made 1 flower to cost about $1.00.
>
>
> Wow! I'd give anything to have that now!
>
Geeta,
If you happen to live in Boston area, go to the Market Basket in
Burlington.
If you don't and you want me to send one, just give me a shout. Although
I am not 100% sure it would survive shipping.
> Having said that, I'll also say, careful! The sap of said "flower"
> (actually an inflorescence) will stain everything--hands, clothes, etc.
> Getting to the flowers is the major task. The way we do it in S. India
> is to keep a small container of oil into which you dip your fingers as
> you dismantle the inflorescence; this prevents staining.
>
Thanks for the warning and instructions how to use it. Luckily I haven't
touched it yet.
Now it is clear to me why the supermarket carry this and other more
unusual (at least for me) items. Burlington has grew a fairly large
Indian population over the last few years due to many software companies
which are located there. I in fact always wondered why this store didn't
carry more Indian food. Maybe they finally got a hint and realized there
is a customer base for it.
Monika
Monika Adamczyk
>
> I found a recipe for pad thai that uses banana flower bud (sounds like
> what you got) as a garnish:
> http://www.kk.iij4u.or.jp/~showtime/dish1.htm
>
... rest of the links snipped.
Sue,
You are really good. I searched web using Ala Vista and found only the
first link. I will certainly take a look at others Thanks a lot for your
work.
Monika
GrumpyDog
>
> My local supermarket, which normally is not very adventurous in the food
> dept, had today in its produce section (among other exotic things!), a
> banana flower. It was about 20 cm long, conical in shape and purple. I
> touched it and it was firm. And the price was rather attractive -
> $1.19/lb, which made 1 flower to cost about $1.00.
>
> unusual fruit and vegetables is only temporary. Now of course I need to
> know what I can do with it to have a tasteful meal.
>
>
Hi Monica,
Here's a recipe from the following site:
http://tribungpinoy.simplenet.com/vegetarian/blossom.html
Banana Blossom Ginataan
2 banana blossoms, 1 cup pure coconut milk, 2 tbsp vinegar (if using 5
acidity vinegar, try 1:1 vinegar/water), 1/4 cup sliced tomatoes, 1/4
cup sliced onion, 2 cloves garlic crushed, 1 tbsp veg oil 2 dried red
chillies (optional if you want this slightly spicy), salt and pepper to
taste.
If using fresh puso ng saging (banana blossoms):
remove the tough covering of the blossoms. Slice thin
crosswise. Add 2 tbsp salt and squeeze off bitter juice.
Rinse in water and squeeze dry. Set aside.
If using canned puso ng saging: drain, rinse then
drain again. Slice thin crosswise. Set aside.
Heat oil in skillet, if using dried red chillies, add them
when the oil is hot but not smoking and let the skins
darken somewhat before you add the garlic. Saute garlic
until light brown. Add onion, fry till translucent, then add
tomatoes. Cook for around 3 minutes. Add banana
blossoms and vinegar/water mixture and then bring to
boil without stirring. Simmer for around 3 minutes. Add
salt and pepper to taste and stir. Continue to cook until
banana blossom is tender. Add pure coconut cream and
remove from heat. Let stand for a few minutes to help
develop the flavours.
(Adapted from "Recipes of the Philippines" by Enriqueta
David-Perez, Mandaluyong, MM: Cacho Hermanos,
Inc., 1973)
G.B.
sQuidgey Whitworth
Monika Adamczyk wrote in message <363E4E1A...@mediaone.net>...
>My local supermarket, which normally is not very adventurous in the food
>dept, had today in its produce section (among other exotic things!), a
>banana flower. It was about 20 cm long, conical in shape and purple. I
>touched it and it was firm. And the price was rather attractive -
>$1.19/lb, which made 1 flower to cost about $1.00.
>I couldn't resist and bought it because I suspect this wild array of
>unusual fruit and vegetables is only temporary.
Hi, Monika!
Wow, that's *neat*! I never heard of one! I'm just like that, though, I buy
the strangest things at the market because I think they're neat, and then
just sort of keep them around and enjoy them until they go bad. I bought a
starfruit, once, and that was awfully neat, though I didn't have any idea
what to do with it! Just sort of enjoyed looking at it, and where it might
have come from until it went bad : ) They have the most peculiar things here
in England, but you'd be surprised what *they* think is exotic! Our market,
the Sainsbury's, put out a little booklet about exotic fruits and
vegetables, and I picked one up. Among other things, they thought okra was
exotic! Imagine that! I'm from Alabama!
I used to go to the International Farmer's Market when I lived in Atlanta,
and boy, you can get some cool stuff there - from all over! Once I bought
chips made from taro root, and they were bloo chips! I also got some ...
they were sea chips, deep fried plant things from the sea, and they *were*
tastee, and *most* unusual looking, really pretty! You can get a piece of
sugar cane there, just for chewing on, a whole cane!
( smiles ) It just depends upon where you live, I guess : ) If you don't
mind, whereabouts roughly do *you* live that you found this neat, exotic
flower? Although, I can tell you, I've not the vaguest idea what you can do
with it .... just enjoy having it, I guess : )
Your phrugal and sillie pal,
~ sQuidgey!
Curly Sue
>My local supermarket, which normally is not very adventurous in the food
>dept, had today in its produce section (among other exotic things!), a
>banana flower. It was about 20 cm long, conical in shape and purple. I
>touched it and it was firm. And the price was rather attractive -
>$1.19/lb, which made 1 flower to cost about $1.00.
An interesting find! I looked on the WWW and found a few things.
For the rest of us, here's a photo of one opened:
http://www.fantasyisle.com/s005.htm
and a still-life that sounds like what you described.
http://web0.tiac.net/users/slaundon/StillLife/BananaFlower.html
The open one reminds me of the bird-of-paradise flower (?).
>I couldn't resist and bought it because I suspect this wild array of
>unusual fruit and vegetables is only temporary. Now of course I need to
>know what I can do with it to have a tasteful meal.
>Anyone cares to share its favorite recipe for a banana flower?
I found a recipe for pad thai that uses banana flower bud (sounds like
what you got) as a garnish:
http://www.kk.iij4u.or.jp/~showtime/dish1.htm
Colonel Philpot also left a recipe for pad thai with banana flower as
a garnish.
http://soar.berkeley.edu/recipes/ethnic/thai/pad-thai01.html
Another Thai recipe to look for is Yam Hua Plie - Banana Flower Salad
(I found the reference but no recipe)
An Indian recipe (you've got the banana flower, how many of the other
ingredients do you have? :>)
http://abulafia.st.hmc.edu/~kkalafus/recipes/indian/BANANA.FLOWER
A reference to use in Vietnam (no recipe):
http://ftp.ust.hk/pub/faq/travel/vietnam-guide/part4
I wonder if you couldn't just cook it like zucchini blossoms (when
open)?
Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!
sue at interport net
PENMART10
>My local supermarket, which normally is not very adventurous in the food
>dept, had today in its produce section (among other exotic things!), a
>banana flower. It was about 20 cm long, conical in shape and purple. I
>touched it and it was firm. And the price was rather attractive -
>$1.19/lb, which made 1 flower to cost about $1.00.
>
>I couldn't resist and bought it because I suspect this wild array of
>unusual fruit and vegetables is only temporary. Now of course I need to
>know what I can do with it to have a tasteful meal.
>
>Anyone cares to share its favorite recipe for a banana flower?
>
>Monika
Hang it over your bed, it has powerful aphrodasiacal properties. If you live
alone, all is not lost... turn it over and look for the slot where it says
"Insert two Eveready D cells".
Sheldon
````````````
On a recent Night Court rerun, Judge Harry Stone had a wonderful line:
"I try to keep an open mind, but not so open that my brains fall out."
Curly Sue
>Curly Sue wrote:
>>
>> I found a recipe for pad thai that uses banana flower bud (sounds like
>> what you got) as a garnish:
>> http://www.kk.iij4u.or.jp/~showtime/dish1.htm
>>
>... rest of the links snipped.
>Sue,
>You are really good.
It has to do with the little curl right in the middle of my forehead
;>
> I searched web using Ala Vista and found only the
>first link. I will certainly take a look at others Thanks a lot for your
>work.
Try Hotbot (www.hotbot.com) when Alta Vista fails.
sQuidgey Whitworth
>Anyway, I still haven't found any recipe for it and I want to use it if
>I can.
>
>Monika
Would you believe, dear Monika ... of all things ... I found you a recipe
for your exotic banana flower? ( Wasn't easy, I'll tell you *that*! ) I'll
just paste in the whole thing ... it's *interesting*! Here you go:
KELEY KE PHOOL KA KOFTA
(An Andhra delicacy. Almost every element of the plantain, even the flower,
is used in cooking.)
J. Inder Singh Kalra and Pushpesh Pant
Serves: Four
Time required: One hour 20 minutes plus cooling time
For the koftas:
450 g. banana flower
3 (200 g.) potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashed
1/2 cup (100 g.) chana dal, washed and soaked for 30 minutes
10 g. ginger, julienned
10 g. coriander leaves, chopped fine
2 green chillies, chopped fine
salt to taste
oil for deep frying the koftas
For the filling :
90 g. button mushrooms
4 tbs. (60 g.) paneer, grated
1 tbs. (15 g.) roasted groundnuts, coarsely chopped
3/4 tsp. (4 g.) black pepper powder
5 g. mint leaves, chopped
salt to taste
For the gravy:
60 g. desi ghee or clarified butter
4 (200 g.) onions, chopped fine
2 tbs. (30 g.) ginger paste
1 tbs. (15 g.) garlic paste
1 tsp. (5 g.) chilli powder
3 cups (720 ml.) tomato puree
salt to taste
10 g. coriander leaves, chopped fine
1/2 tsp. (2 g.) cardamom powder
a pinch of black cardamom powder
a pinch of cinnamon powder
For the garnish:
4 sprigs mint leaves
The banana flower mixture:
WASH the banana flower, grate and squeeze between napkins to drain excess
moisture. Add 480 ml. water to the chana dal and bring to a boil. Lower the
heat and simmer until almost dry. When cool, grind to a coarse paste. Mix
all the kofta ingredients, except oil, well. Divide the mixture into 16
portions and roll into balls.
The filling:
Coarsely mince the mushrooms and blanch in boiling water (with two tsp.
lemon juice) for two minutes. Drain and keep aside. Mix all the ingredients
for the filling well and divide into 16 portions. Flatten the balls of
banana flower mixture slightly, place a portion of the filling in the middle
of each and roll into oval shaped koftas. Heat oil in a kadai and deep fry
the koftas over medium heat until golden brown. Drain excess fat off on
absorbent paper.
The gravy:
Heat ghee in a pan and fry the onions until translucent and glossy. Dissolve
ginger paste and garlic paste in 100 ml. water and add to the pan. Stir-fry
until the moisture has evaporated. Add tomato puree, chilli powder and salt.
Stir-fry until the ghee floats on top. Add two cups water and bring to a
boil. Add coriander leaves, lower the heat and simmer for three minutes. Add
the koftas and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for three minutes.
Sprinkle on cardamom powder, black cardamom powder and cinnamon powder. Stir
carefully and remove from heat.
Remove to a bowl, garnish with mint leaves and serve with roomali roti or
puris.
Let me know how that comes out : )
Your sillie pal,
~ sQuidgey!
steve knight
>
>Hang it over your bed, it has powerful aphrodasiacal properties. If you live
>alone, all is not lost... turn it over and look for the slot where it says
>"Insert two Eveready D cells".
>
Are you speaking from experience? or hope.?
- Sure you can trust the government! Just ask an Indian!
Roger Neaves
>
> An interesting find! I looked on the WWW and found a few things.
>
> For the rest of us, here's a photo of one opened:
> http://www.fantasyisle.com/s005.htm
>
>
>
>
>
I took a look at that photo and it is a heliconia, which may or may not
be called a banana flower. The actual banana flower do not look at all
like that.
PeepuffNoSpam
Heliconias are from the ginger family and as far I as know, not generally
consumed.
amanda
Ingredients
Banana flower - 1
Tur dal - 1/2 cup
Coconut gratings - 4 tbsp
Red chillies - 3 to 4
Tamarind pulp - 2 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Salt - to taste
Seasoning:
Oil - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - a few
Method:
Remove each whorl of the banana flower. Remove the centre firm stem from
each flower and chop the flowers.
Heat 1 teaspoon of oil; add tur dal, red chillies and asafoetida and fry
till light brown. Add the chopped flowers and saute for five minutes till
tender. Allow to cool.
Mix with coconut gratings, salt and tamarind and grind to a coarse paste.
Season with the mentioned ingredients and pour over the chutney.
Serve with rice, puris or chapathis.
The Hindu
http://www.webpage.com/hindu/daily/970316/09/0916031b.htm
***
Monika Adamczyk wrote in message <363E4E1A...@mediaone.net>...
Roger Neaves
writes:
>.
>>
>> An interesting find! I looked on the WWW and found a few things.
>>
>> For the rest of us, here's a photo of one opened:
>> http://www.fantasyisle.com/s005.htm
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>I took a look at that photo and it is a heliconia, which may or may
not
>be called a banana flower. The actual banana flower do not look at
all
>like that.
Ooops! I took another look at the other web site posted and there's
that banana flower I'm familiar with. Sorry to sound so obnoxious. I
forget that people can't see my expression over the internet.