Plantain Flower Stir Fry and sweet memories unwrapped
 
 
Ingredients
  • Plantain flower, chopped- 1 flower
  • Mung bean, cooked- 1 cup
  • Mustard seeds- 1tsp
  • Chana dal- 1 handful
  • Urad dal- 1 handful
  • Curry leaves- 1 sprig
  • Dry whole red chili- 3
  • Onion, chopped- 1
  • Salt- to taste
  • Oil- 2tbsp
To grind
  • Coconut grated- ½ cup
  • Cumin seeds- ½ tsp
  • Garlic, chopped- 1tsp
  • Chili powder- ½ tsp
  • Turmeric powder- ¼ tsp
  • Water- 1 tbsp or so
Instructions
  1. Chop the separated floret and the inner ivory colored bulb and put them into a bowl of water drizzled with lemon juice.
  2. Wash Mung bean taken in a strainer under running water and cook it in a pressure cooker with enough water and salt until it's cooked well. keep aside.
  3. In a blender, grind the above mentioned to grind ingredients to a paste.
  4. Heat oil in a non-stick pan, add mustard seeds and let it splutter, add dry red chili.
  5. Then add chana dal and when it turns golden, add urad dal and saute till it turns golden brown.
  6. Add curry leaves, onions, little salt and saute till onions turn tender.
  7. Drain the water from the chopped flowers and add to the onions and saute.
  8. Add little more salt and saute the flowers till it turns tender and cooked.
  9. At this point, add the cooked, drained mung bean and combine with the cooked flowers.
  10. Now, add the ground coconut mixture and saute for few minutes.
  11. Combine everything well and remove from the heat.
  12. Serve this on the red leaves you have saved from the flower for a fancy plating.
  13. This makes a perfect side dish for rice or with any other flat breads.
Notes
In the US, I've seen banana flowers in Asian super markets and in some Indian stores.
You could find mung bean, chana dal, urad dal in any Indian stores.
Adding mung bean to this dish makes this even more delicious and rich, so don't skip this.
Recipe by Cooking with Thas - Wholesome Homemade Recipes at https://thasneen.com/cooking/banana-flower-stir-fry-vazha-poo-thoran/