It had been raining for some days and it brought down the banana plant in my garden. The bananas were very tender but the blossom was ready to be used.
I had never cooked or tasted banana flower before. So I thought , "why not do it now". It was raining and a perfect time to have hot crispy vadas and tea.
I began by first soaking the dal. After an hour I began cleaning the blossom. I was quite apprehensive since I had not done it before. The first step is to apply some oil on your hands.
Hold each flower in hand and pull out the stigma and the shield. They are both hard and can be easily pulled and removed. After cleaning, put the flowers in water or they will turn black.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup chana dal (bengal gram dal)
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup banana flowers
3-4 green chillies
a pinch of hing (asafoetida)
salt to taste
oil for frying
METHOD
Coarsely grind the chana dal. Add finely chopped green chillies,onions and the banana flowers. (I did not use the cone portion of the blossom). Add salt and hing and mix well. Make small balls and flatten them with your palms.
When you taste this mixture it may feel bitter. But do not worry.
Deep fry the flattened balls to a golden brown colour.
My vadas got over before they could reach the serving bowl :)
It took me half an hour to clean the blossom and my nails became black !!!. But the end product was worth all the trouble and an evening well spent.
No comments:
Post a Comment