Vazhaipoo Podimas | Banana Flower Recipes

Vazhaipoo is one of the healthiest veggie and I often buy it. Except for the cleaning part, I love cooking this veggie either as a simple poriyal(with moong dal) or as vazhaipoo vadai. I found this recipe in Chef Jacobs cookbook,made it yesterday for lunch and the taste was unique and very flavourful that I couldnt wait to share it :)

Vazhaipoo Podimas Recipe - Ingredients

Cleaned Vazhaipoo - 1 floret(comes to 2 cups)
Buttermilk - 1/4 cup
Big Onion - 1
Garlic - 6 cloves
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Turmeric powder - a generous pinch
Coconut - 1 tbsp grated
Salt - taste
Oil - 2 to 3 tsp

To roast and grind:

Cashews - 10 to 15
Peanuts - 1/2 tbsp
Cinnamon - 1/2 inch piece
Cloves - 2
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp

Method:

Clean vazhaipoo, chop them finely and soak in buttermilk till use to avoid darkening.Dry roast all the ingredients listed under 'to roast and grind' till golden brown. Vazhaipoo Podimas Recipe - Step1

Cool down and Transfer the roasted ingredients to a mixer. Then grind it to a semi fine powder , set aside.Heat oil in a pan add curry leaves once it splutters - add onion and ginger garlic paste and saute till golden brown. Vazhaipoo Podimas Recipe - Step2

Add salt, red chilli powder and turmeric powder and mix well.Then drain buttermilk water and add the veggie. Vazhaipoo Podimas Recipe - Step3

Add little water till immersing level and keep covered and cook till the veggie becomes soft.Once the moisture is gone add the roasted powder, give a quick stir and keep cooking for 2mins. Then finally add coconut and switch off. Vazhaipoo Podimas Recipe - Step4

Serve hot with rice and sambar!
Vazhaipoo Podimas Recipe

My Notes:

You can skip red chilli powder and add green chillies instead while tempering.
You can plus or minus the ingredients for roast and grind' as per your taste preference.
Keep covered while cooking the veggie this will ensure cooking faster.