Not Quite Bananas

You know how folks say "My Grandma taught me and I do it the same way she did," implying that Grandma always knew best. Well, maybe not. At least not when it came to prepping banana blossom.

Everyone I talked to told me that banana blossoms are a pain to prep and clean. That the sap stains everything it touches, and blackened fingers are an indication of a family satiated on banana blossoms. To avoid these stains, they said, you must rub oil all over your hands before you touch a banana blossom. Or, in modern times, the suggestion is to wear thin food-safe gloves.

The very first time I prepped banana blossom, I rubbed a little bit of oil on my finger tips, but only because I didn't know what to expect. The next few times I knew what I had to do and didn't bother with any oil. Yes, it's true; you don't need to oil your hands or wear gloves when you're prepping banana blossoms.

All you need is the following: a sharp knife, and a medium pot half-filled with water and the juice of half a lemon.

Prepping a Banana Blossom

1. Peel away the purple colored bracts to expose the 'hand' of florets. Cut the florets just above the point where they are joined to the axil, separate them and put them in the lemon-water. Continue doing this until the bracts are more white than purple-pink and don't peel away easily.
   
   
   A hand of florets
2. Cut the conical tip or immature inflorescence off the central stem or axil, and slice it in half lengthwise. This is the only part that will visibly ooze white sticky sap. Immerse it in the lemon-water, along with the rest of the florets. Let sit overnight or for at least 4 hours. I kept mine in the refrigerator but it's not necessary.
   
   
   Avoid the sticky sap by immersing in lemon-water
3. Drain the florets and prepare a fresh solution of water and lemon juice.
4. And here comes the most tedious part of prepping banana blossoms: removing the dark-tipped stigma from mature flowers along with the translucent calyx that covers it. But it goes by quickly if you have some good music playing.
   
   
   Four-step easy way to do this!
1. hold the florets with their inner side facing you.
2. open up the outermost petal that almost encloses the entire floret.
3. tug at the stigma (often, mistakenly called the stamen) and pull it away from the outermost petal, separating the translucent calyx from the whorl.
4. pluck the stigma and calyx from the floret and discard. Soak floret in lemon-water until you are ready to chop.
5. Chop the florets as fine as you like. I prefer to chop them into ½in pieces and add them to the fresh pot of lemon-water. Slice the conical tip into ½in thin slices and add to the lemon-water. Let sit for about an hour.
   
   
   chopped banana florets
6. Drain chopped florets and use in your cooking as you would have, had you oiled your hands or worn gloves.

Three of my cousins—all far more experienced than me—as well as my niece, all in India, were helping me figure out how to capture the flavors of my childhood, with this banana blossom. My cousins had always chopped the florets and then soaked them overnight in buttermilk. The Saraswat cooking Bible, Rasachandrika, concurred. But this inflorescence is used widely in South-East Asian cuisines and not one of them mentioned buttermilk. They did, however, suggest soaking in lemon-water. Aha! That was easier for me than soaking them in cultured buttermilk or thinned-out yogurt. And guess what? No harm done, only gains! I hate to think of the damage that oil and sticky sap on my fingers would have done to my camera!

Most recipes indicate that soaking in buttermilk or lemon-water is to prevent blackening of the florets. They wouldn't need to be soaked overnight if that were the case. I'd like to hazard a guess and suggest instead that this step is essential as the acidic solution neutralizes the sticky sap.

There are many ways to cook these banana florets. Usili is very popular in Southern Indian cuisine, as are vadas. It is used in sambars, too. I intend to try these recipes in the future but, for now, I was more focused on recreating that very kelfulachi bhaji that my mother made. I am partial to Maharashtrian cuisine, especially when it comes to vegetable sides. The veggies aren't cooked to death, and the seasoning is often a simple yet potent phodni, that allows the true flavor of the vegetables to shine through.

Banana Blossom Bhaji

Kelfulachi Bhaji

kelfulachi bhaji

• 1 medium banana blossom, prepped and chopped
• ¼ cup kale vatane (substitute with puy lentils)
• 2-3 tbsp oil
• ½ tsp black mustard seeds
• a pinch asafetida
• 2 Thai chiles, red or green, chopped
• 2-3 tsp jaggery, crumbled or brown sugar
• 1-2 tbsp lemon juice
• ⅛ cup chopped cilantro, for garnish
• ⅛ cup shredded fresh coconut, for garnish (optional)

kale vatane: soaked and dried, in a finite sum game

1. Prep the banana blossom as described above. You will need to start ahead by at least 4 hours, if not overnight. 
2. Soak kale vatane overnight or do a hot soak. Either pressure cook or cook in a pot until tender but not mushy, about an hour. (Yes, better to pressure cook them!)
   
3. Heat oil in a kadhai and when it shimmers, add black mustard seeds. 
4. When they turn grey and start to pop, add asafetida.
5. Add Thai chiles and cover.
6. Drain chopped banana flowers and add along with salt and 2 tsp jaggery. Toss until combined, and add 1/4 cup water, if required.
7. Add cooked kale vatane and mix well. Cover and cook on medium-low until the banana flowers are cooked through. They will soften as they cook and absorb the flavors and will no longer taste as astringent. About 15-20 minutes. Stir periodically and, if necessary, add some more water.
8. Once cooked, adjust seasonings and add more jaggery, if required.
9. Add lemon juice, garnish with cilantro and coconut, if using. Serve with hot rotis.

fragrant, with a delicate balance of hot, sweet and sour

Notes:

• Kale vatane may or may not be available at your Indian grocery store. I had some in stock from my last visit to India. Puy lentils are a good substitute, only because they hold their shape and do not become overly mushy like brown lentils. You could substitute with a bean of your choice, too.
• Banana flowers are quite astringent when raw and retain some of that bite even when cooked. Medha found this less astringent than baby spinach and quite liked the taste. I was rather surprised as this is mostly an acquired taste.
• Prepping banana flower is the key. I have kept the soaked flowers in my refrigerator for a couple of days without any problems before I cleaned them by removing the stigma and calyx.

I have been high on bananas. My last column for Whole Foods Market Cooking Blog was also about bananas—green bananas, often mistakenly called plantains. Again, it's a very simple recipe!

Kelyachi bhaji or Spiced Green Bananas

It's been a while since I have participated in any blogger events. For the most part, I just miss the deadline because of something called real life! But I could not resist sending these Maharashtrian flavors to Preeti's Ruchira Giveaway. I am also sending this to Manasi's very first event, I Must Make That!

Tomorrow, February 13, it will be a year since my friend Raji passed away. I plan to celebrate her life by cooking and posting something from her blog within this next week. If you enjoyed Raji's charm and quick wit, consider joining me so that together we can remember a beautiful person who touched our lives.