Vazhaipoo poriyal is made by cooking banana flower in south Indian spices and coconut. Step by step pictures, helping video on how to clean.
Cleaning vazhaipoo is really a time consuming process. I rarely get to see vazhaipoo in Mustafa.
And I rarely go to other little India streets. So when ever I see, I take one immediately, if its good. After I finish all my works, in my leisure time, while watching TV I do this vazhaipoo cleaning process. I know its a boring thing to do, but it's health benefits and the rare appearance make me to just do it! I cooked this recently after decades and really loved this with ghee and rice!
What to make with with vazhaipoo I choose depending upon the amount of it, if I have good volume, then I go for vazhaipoo poriyal. If we want to make vadai, then only half of the vazhaipoo is enough, so remaining half we can make vazhaipoo paruppu usili
Recipe card
Vazhaipoo poriyal recipe
Vazhaipoo poriyal is made by cooking banana flower in south Indian spices and coconut. Step by step pictures, helping video
Servings 4
Cup measurements
Ingredients
- 1 Vazhaipoo/banana flower
- 1 & ½ teaspoon Sambar powder
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- ¼ cup Coconut grated
- Salt
- 1 Onion optional
To Temper
- 2 teaspoon Oil
- ½ teaspoon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon Urad dal
- Curry leaves - A sprig
Instructions
How to clean vazhaipoo
- Before you touch the flower for cleaning, either use gloves or apply sesame oil on both of your hands thoroughly. This prevents your fingers and nails turning black.
- Separate the edible flower part by removing the petals one bye one.
- Hold a bunch and remove the two parts of the flower that is shown in the picture. They tend to not cook, so we remove it before cooking.
- Towards the middle part of the flower, they will be so tender. So no need to remove that.
- We eat this smallest remain raw, as it is very good for stomach. It's crunchy and good in taste too.
- After you are done cleaning the florets, chop them finely and immerse and keep in water mixed with sour buttermilk/or curd. This is to lessen the blackening effect.
- My mom-in-law even cuts and immerse it in the buttermilk water overnight for the next day early morning cooking.
Thuvattal method:
- Squeeze the water and take chopped vazhaipoo in a plate. Add salt, turmeric, sambar powder to it.
- Mix well and keep aside for 10 mins. In between once again give it a good mix.
- This will bring out water and soften the veggie. Easily gets cooked.
- Again squeeze the excess water and reserve it to use sprinkling over while cooking. Proceed to tempering.
Boiling method
- Drain banana blossom from water.
- In a vessel, bring water to boil and add the chopped florets along with sambar powder,turmeric and salt.
- Water just to immerse is enough, as this gets cooked quickly. After it starts boiling, hardly takes 2-3 mins to get cooked. Check by tasting/ pressing one thick part of the banana blossom.
- Drain water and press with ladle to get rid of excess water.
- Tempering:
- Heat a pan with oil and temper with mustard, urad dal and curry leaves. (If you want to add onion add now and fry till transparent.) If not, I like to add ⅛ teaspoon asafoetida at this stage.
- Add the banana blossom and stir fry for 2 minutes in medium flame till the moisture evaporates in open pan if boiling method and closed in low flame if thuvattal method. Sprinkle reserved water if it is needed. Check for doneness.
- Add the coconut and stir well for 2 more minutes. Switch off flame.
Video
Notes
- My mom makes the thuvattal way and MIL boiling method. As we are concerned about the nutrients, I have given both methods. Boiling method gives look wise best results - a dry poriyal while thuvattal may look slightly moist and need more oil.
YoutubeDo you like short videos? Subscribe now!
InstagramMention @rakskitchen or tag #rakskitchen if you have tried this recipe.
Vazhaipoo poriyal method:
- Before you touch the flower for cleaning,either use gloves or apply sesame oil on both of your hands thoroughly.
- This prevents your fingers and nails turning black and ugly! Separate the edible flower part by removing the petals one bye one.
- Hold a bunch and remove the two parts of the flower that is shown in the picture,they tend to not cook,so we remove it before cooking.
- Towards the middle part,they will be so tender, so no need to remove that,if you feel its tender!
- We eat this smallest remain raw,as it is very good for stomach,its crunchy and good in taste too !
- After you are done cleaning the florets, chop them finely and immerse and keep in water mixed with sour buttermilk/or curd,to lessen the blackening effect.
- My mom-in-law even cuts and immerse it in the buttermilk water overnight for the next day early morning cooking.
- Drain the water,in a vessel, bring water to boil and add the chopped florets along with sambar powder,turmeric and salt. Water just to immerse is enough,as this gets cooked quickly. (Other way is to directly cook in the pan by covering ,you may adopt which ever method you are convenient. ) After it gets cooked,drain the water completely and keep aside.
- Heat a pan with oil and temper with mustard, urad dal and curry leaves. (If you want to add onion add now and fry till transparent.) Add the cooked florets and stir fry for 3-4 minutes in medium flame till the moisture evaporates.
- Add the coconut and stir well for 2 minutes.
Transfer to the serving bowl and enjoy as an accompaniment for rice.
Me and my husband even love this mixed with rice and sesame oil!
Priya (Yallapantula) Mitharwal says
wow, that looks beautiful and delicious !!!
Home Cooked Oriya Food says
wow - that looks amazing... I miss this now...
Satrupa says
Hard work always pays off ...... this saying is so true for this recipe. Looks Yummilicious.
Cheers n Happy Cooking,
Satrupa
http://satrupa-foodforthought.blogspot.com
jeyashrisuresh says
i make kootu and usili out of this.but poriyal sounds very new to me.Nice explanation of peeling the flower and useful for all.nice clicks
Sush says
This is one vegetable I have not dared to buy. Though I have eaten the delicacies made with it, I get scared to buy it (just imagining the cleaning process!) We call it palya in Kannada & we make it exactly the same way 🙂
One more question.., how can I disable right click on my blog? Could you please help me on that?
notyet100 says
new for me ,..looks delicioous,..
Satya says
wow poriyal looks delicious ...very healthy n tasty too ..In chennai we used to prepare almost weekly once ..my MIL is expert to handle this veggie...missing all those moments ...thanks for sharing dear
Satya
http://www.superyummyrecipes.com
Priya says
This is exactly how my grandma makes this dish. 🙂 Thanks for sharing it. Will try it as soon as I see in the stores next time.
Sharmilee! :) says
Sounds simple n tasty....nice stepwise for cleaning...I luv valaipoo vadai too
Smitha says
That looks really yummy!! and beautiful step by step...
Smitha
Saraswathi Iyer says
Delicious. Mine is still pending in the drafts from long time. Nice photos.
Rekha shoban says
never tried dis poriyal...only i tried vada....thanks for sharing. nice click!
Mahi says
Perfect poriyal! looks very rempting!:P
aipi says
That looks fantastic..craving for some now !
US Masala
Shanthi says
Looks perfect and yesterday I thought of buying it. Very costly here. So dropped the idea. Well explained. Loved the first click and kallan click
Hamaree Rasoi says
Poriyal looks so tasty and healthy. Nice clicks.
Deepa
Hamaree Rasoi
Srimathi says
Hats off to people who clean the vazhaipoo. Its not some thing I like to do. Smiles. But, I love to eat it. Too bad even when I love it so much I still never buy it.
Priya's Feast says
Usili sounds good...we enjoy eating them,when someone makes it with so much effort..nice clicks..
Santosh Bangar says
fabulous i nver see before this .looikng delcious and tasty. metod step by step is very in good manner i will try
Sushma Mallya says
Am yet to taste this banana flower, had no clue how to clean it or to use it...This post is really helpful for me to try in future, it looks really delicious raks, very healthy too...
GEETHA ACHAL says
it looks so tempting..Me too love this poriyal to mix with rice...raji..its looks like you kept glassware for cooking it...
RAKS KITCHEN says
ya geetha,its Visions glass cookware...
Chitra says
Nice.. I make only usili. will try this once..:)
Jay says
It is my favorite cuisine...gorgeous clicks ...sounds delicious and yummy...
Tasty appetite
Jagruti જાગૃતિ says
wow..never had this..looks so yummy!
lata raja says
If it is rare in Singapore, here is non-existene....given to the fact you see vazhai growing in wild, the poo is not the variety taken and cooked. I had a hard time explaining to the gardener to pluck one for me:) I planted a tree ever since, but unfortunately, i will leave before it might yield!
My favourite kari too, but my husband loves as paruppu usli!
You have made me long for it.
Nithya says
Oh this is so yummy 🙂 I love it 🙂 I enjoy eating the center portion always too 🙂
Lovely clicks as ever.
Suja Sugathan says
Lots of hard work..but very yummy and healthy too
Vidhya says
Looks perfect Raji. Love the step wise pictures too
lissie says
poriyal sounds really tasty! healthy and nutritious dish..
I have never tried using the 'poo', but usually use the tender 'koombu' with green gram to make 'thoran'.
kothiyavunu.com says
Nice poriyal recipe..never tried anything with banana flower..love to try this..Bookmarked!
NIDHYA says
Wonderful poriyal with nice explanation and pics.
http://aaha-oho.blogspot.com/
Cham says
I love more the small remain (probably the flower heart I call it 🙂 to eat. But the pain is cleaning! Nice one!
Jyothi says
hi raks! looks amazing yaar....thanks for sharing..hey, where did you bought that glass cookware? are they available in india?
RAKS KITCHEN says
Hi jyothi, I bought this in Singapore,not sure if you could get in India,but I think you can shop online in e-bay or you can check the site here
Padhu says
My favourite vegetable.Looks yummy.I prepare it every week though it is a bit time consuming .Vazhaipoo usili and kootu also taste awesome .
Akila says
always love it.... picture is perfect....
http://akilaskitchen.blogspot.com
Aparna says
Well presented!!
Priya says
Love vazhaipoo as anything in anything, poriyal looks awesome..my fav.
Sreelekha Sumesh says
My fav Poriyal:)
Anonymous says
Hi Raji,
vazhaipoo poriyal looks good. its such a tiime consuming vegetable, else i wd really love to make it more often. I make usili with this and we really love it.
Shobha
Pari says
Hats off to u dear for all the patience. I surely get inspired seeing all the posts on banana flower but have not dared yet.
The poriyal looks appetising and perfect with hot rice and rasam.
FOODELICIOUS
Swathi says
Healthy dish, Missing them a lot. Amma used to make more often. Nice recipe.
Sarah Naveen says
one of my Fav!!! looks so delicious..nice clicks too
Soma says
I haven't had banana flours for like more than 12 years and that seriously makes me want to cry. we rarely get it here and I have never taken the effort to make it myself. I am so craving some now.
Soma -www.ecurry.com
Sanctified Spaces says
Very nice demonstration on how peel the flower.Thank you.
Pavithra says
MMMMm This is always worth the effort right ? awesome and the inside part i too love eating raw or with the tiny flowers just 2 drops coconut oil+salt+ chilli powder tastes awesome. Try this next time u will love it.
SpicedandCured says
I tried this once and it turned out bitter... do you know y?
RAKS KITCHEN says
Did you soaked in any of sour liquids before cooking it? Try that it will help reducing bitterness, some flower varieties are more bitter,but sure we can neutralize by soaking it in something sour...
kubera sampath says
why did you recalled me this.hereafter i cant sleep w/o eating this.it will be always coming in my mind.also you showed photos..yummmy.....
Mahek says
Love the step by step demo...
Raks anand says
Thanks a lot for the feedback 🙂
Renu says
Mam
Draining the water after blossom cooked.. water wil have more nutrition.. draining the water wil reduce the nutrition of vazhaipoo ( in tamil we wil say satthu poyirum ) The nutrients will go away...is it true mam?
Raks Anand says
True, some soluble vitamins will go away. You can try just mixing with salt + turmeric and keep aside for 10 mins. Again mix and keep aside for 2 mins. You will be able to get out lots of water from it. Squeeze it gently and make poriyal. Save the water and sprinkle it over to cook. This process softens the flower and gets cooked easily.
Renu says
Thanks mam