The discussion stemmed from the episode of MasterChef India’s latest season, where contestant Nazia Sultana’s nargisi kofta made with eggs wrapped in banana flowers was commended by the judges for creative choice of ingredients. Banana blossom or banana heart is the fleshy, purple-skinned, tear-shaped flower at the end of a bunch of the fruit. It is popular in south-east Asian cuisine, and can also be consumed raw. The texture is compared to that of fish; Tanvi Shah of The Millennial Kitchen, a vegetarian, compares it to that of a jackfruit or an artichoke.

Banana flower asian salad

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“Banana blossoms can also be cut and used in stir-fries or soups,” she says, and are an excellent replacement for fish in vegan recipes. They cook fast and lose volume. They can also be steamed and served with dips. Pocket-friendly, banana flowers have different flavours depending on the region and soil they are grown in. I find the ones available in Mumbai slightly bitter so I treat them with lemon and salt before cooking. Those found in other Asian countries are also fresh and delicious. I like the flavours of the blossoms from Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Bengal. Peeling and prepping them is tedious, so one can use canned banana blossoms—available at speciality stores.”

 
Chef Tanvi Shah says the prepping of banana flower is the only difficult part. Once that’s done, it’s an easy ingredient to work with. PIC/ANURAG AHIRE

Lulla finds the banana flower to be soothing for PMS cravings, cramps and bloating. “The hormonal health during the luteal phase can be reparented by the humble banana flower,” she says. “Menstrual bleeding is also regulated. For best results, the sabzi should be eaten with dahi. It is best for lactating mothers as it is a galactagogue and rich in iron, which helps improve milk secretion and prevents postpartum hair fall, and fatigue too. Its extract promotes uptake of blood sugars making it an anti-diabetic potion. Safe to say, we can call her mother banana flower for looking out for all of a woman’s hormonal and life phases.”

Maharashtrian-style sabzi

Ingredients
 1 banana flower
 5 gm turmeric
 2 gm mustard seeds
 5 gm red chilli powder
 5 gm goda masala
 5 gm chickpea/chana dal soaked
 3 gm cumin
 3 gm asafoetida
 2-3 gm jaggery
 20 ml oil
 50 gm freshly grated coconut
 200 ml buttermilk
 Salt as per taste

Method
Clean the flower and chop it fine. Soak in buttermilk for 15 to 20 minutes, and strain. In a pressure cooker, heat oil, and add mustard and cumin seeds. When they splutter, add turmeric and asafoetida. Put in chopped banana flower and soaked chickpea. Add salt, jaggery and goda masala as per taste. Cook for up to three whistles, and then cook on low flame for 10 minutes. Garnish with grated coconut and serve.

Fancy it up

Chef Aniruddha Patil, Head Chef of Origin Restaurants, finds banana blossoms very versatile and uses them in the vegan version of the very British fish-and-chips. “This superfood with complex carbohydrates—hence, low glycaemic index—has several micronutrients,” says Patil, “just not enough protein though. It is relatively cheap and easily accessible. The only downside is it takes a lot of time to prep and process, up to the cooking stage, and tends to leave awful stains. One of the ways of minimising this is to use rags or paper towels, and rub coconut oil on your hands to prevent staining.

Vegan fish and chips

Ingredients
500 gm fresh banana blossom 
Oil for frying 

For flour mixture
 1 cup all-purpose flour
 1/2 tsp salt
 1 tsp dill
 11/2 tbsp crushed nori

For batter
 1 cup flour
 1/2 tsp salt
 1 pinch of turmeric 

Garnish
 2 tbsp lemon juice
 1 tsp fresh dill

Rinse and clean the banana blossoms. In a separate bowl, mix ingredients for flour mixture. Separately, whisk together the ingredients for the batter, adding sufficient water to create a thick consistency that coats the back of a spoon. In a pot, heat oil for frying. Dip the blossoms in the flour mixture, then the batter. Carefully lower them into the heated oil. Fry for about four to five minutes until golden brown, flipping once. Transfer them onto a kitchen paper to drain excess oil. Serve with fries and mashed peas. Add fresh dill on top and squeeze with lemon juice.

Pro tip
Soak the flowers in a bowl of water, and add several tablespoons of lemon juice or vinegar (about 1 tablespoon for every two cups of water) to mitigate the bitterness. Soaking also helps avoid browning that can occur once the innermost parts of the flower are exposed to air.

Banana flower soup

Ingredients
 150 gm firm tofu or poached chicken or white fish
 1 banana flower cleaned and peeled, fully soaked in water with vinegar, drain before adding to recipe
 1-2 bird’s eye chilly julienned (optional)
 50 gm fresh lemon grass
 50 gm basil
 50 gm galangal, sliced
 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
 2 tsp rice vinegar
 200 ml coconut milk
 A few kafir leaves
 A cup of veggies of choice
1000 ml veggie broth or chicken broth

Method
Steep the 1,000 ml broth or water in the fresh herbs (lemongrass, basil, kafir leaves) and galangal. Steep covered on medium flame without the water boiled over so use a deep utensil. Once steeped well and the liquid has absorbed all flavours, remove the herbs and keep aside. The add the protein, mushrooms and drained banana blossoms, Thai chilly to cook inside the broth (we did not use chillies here as we already used the chillies for salad and we plan to serve the salad and soup as a meal). Cook covered on low flame for 6-8 minutes. Before serving add coconut milk stirring continuously so the milk does not tear. Garnish with cilantro before serving.

Bunch of benefits

>> High content of Vitamin C and ethanol keep infections at bay
>> Cooked blossoms can soothe abdominal discomfort and lessen menstrual bleeding 
>> When consumed with curd or yoghurt, they stimulate the progesterone and prevent bleeding
>> According to a research, these flowers enhance glucose absorption, which lowers blood sugar levels
>> Antidepressant properties that enhance mood and reduce anxiety
>> Vitamin C deaccelerates ageing process
>> Improves kidney function, increases iron levels

Prepping banana blossoms

Stack about five tender banana leaves and cut crosswise into thin, long strips.
>>Fill a large bowl with water, and squeeze the juice of one lemon or white vinegar
>>Place the strips in the citric water.
>>It is tedious work to remove the inedible stigma and small petals from each blossom. Simply pinch off the tips of the tiny ones and discard the tips. 
>>Add about two tablespoons salt and massage the leaves and blossoms under water, pressing them between your fingers for a few minutes. The water should discolour; this process removes bitterness.
>>Drain the water; fill the bowl with fresh water, lemon juice (or vinegar), and salt. Repeat massaging and pressing under the water for a few minutes more. Drain off the water, pat the leaves and let the blossoms dry.