A perfect snack to go with your coffee/tea – Vazhaipoo Vadai recipe with step-wise pictures. These fritters made with banana flower/banana blossom are so delicious and a must try for this cold winter weather.
Some things are so nostalgic and especially food memories are hard to put up in words. This recipe for Vazhaipoo Vadai or Banana Flower Fritters is one such thing for me. I have always loved Masala Vadai more than Ulundu Vadai and for really special occasions, amma used to make Vazhaipoo Vadai – a specialty from Tamilnadu. It is labor intensive, especially cleaning up the banana blossom but the vadai turns out super delicious that it is a must try.
In South India, every part of Banana plant is used in cooking and has major health benefits. Banana Stem, Banana Flower, Raw Banana, Ripe Banana and of course the Banana Leaf used for serving food – it is one plant that truly gives! When we built our first house, we lovingly planted some banana saplings and in no time, we had a bunch of banana plants. We waited with bated breath to see it flower and then yield fruits. The joy of making your own produce knows no bounds, I tell you. Anyway, I digress.
Now coming back to Banana Blossom, cleaning it is crucial and time consuming. Open up every petal, remove the bunch of pale yellow flowers out and separate them. Open up each flower in turn and remove the longest stem, the stamen and discard the tiny petal at the bottom. This should be done for all mature flowers and very tender ones can be used as it is. Store the cleaned flowers in ziplock pouch and they should be good for a week, chop them when necessary. Not an entire banana blossom is needed to make these Vazhaipoo Vadai, use the left over for making a quick stir-fry.
How to make Vazhaipoo Vadai | Banana Flower Vada
📖 Recipe
Vazhaipoo Vadai | Banana Blossom Fritters
MEASUREMENT
1 cup = 250ml, 1 tablespoon = 15ml, 1 teaspoon = 5ml
Ingredients
- â…“ cup Chana Dal
- â…“ cup Vazhaipoo Cleaned and Finely Chopped
- ¼ cup Finely Chopped Onions
- 1 Green Chilli
- Few Curry Leaves
- ½ teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste
- Salt as needed
- Oil for deep frying
Instructions
- Soak the chana dal in enough water for 1-2hrs. Drain extra water, reserve 1 tablespoon of soaked chana dal and grind the rest into a coarse paste. Don’t add any water.
- Add finely chopped onions, green chillies, curry leaves along with salt and chana dal. Mix well.
- Next add the ground coarse chana dal , ginger garlic paste and banana blossom. Mix well, the mixture should form a lump easily.
- Meanwhile heat oil for deep frying. Make equal sized balls of the vadai mixture.
- Pat into medium sized patti/vadai on your palm. Drop gently into oil.
- Cook on medium heat until it is golden brown and crisp. Drain off excess oil. Repeat the same with rest of the mixture.
- Serve hot with tea/coffee or even as side dish for rice.
Detailed step by step picture recipe of making Vazhaipoo Vadai | Banana Blossom Fritters
1. Soak the chana dal in enough water for 1-2hrs. Drain extra water, reserve 1 tablespoon of soaked chana dal and grind the rest into a coarse paste. Don’t add any water.
2. Add finely chopped onions, green chillies, curry leaves along with salt and chana dal. Mix well.
3. Next add the ground coarse chana dal, ginger garlic paste and banana blossom. Mix well, the mixture should form a lump easily.
4. Meanwhile heat oil for deep frying. Make equal sized balls of the vadai mixture.
5. Pat into medium sized patti/vadai on your palm. Drop gently into oil.
6. Cook on medium heat until it is golden brown and crisp. Drain off excess oil. Repeat the same with rest of the mixture.
7. Serve hot with tea/coffee or even as side dish for rice.
Recipe Notes
- Don’t add any extra water while grinding as the water from banana flower, onions is enough to pat the vadais.
- It is important to cook these on medium heat. On high heat, they turn brown way too fast and on low heat, absorb more oil and disintegrate easily.
- Adjust the number of green chillies as per spice preference.
I would be delighted to know if you have tried this recipe, don’t forget to share your feedback and comments below. If you have any questions, you can e-mail me! I am also available on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter 🙂
Vidya Narayan
Great share.. So delicious and crunchy they look!
chcooks
Thank you Vidya 🙂
Jhuls
I am not sure if I have eaten something with banana flower. We had banana tree behind our old house and we stayed there until 6th grade, but I can’t remember if my Mom had prepared something with banana flower. These look absolutely crisp and yummy! Thanks for joining Fiesta Friday this week and for bringing these.
chcooks
Thanks Jhuls 🙂
Rafeeda - The Big Sweet Tooth
I enjoy banana blossom to my heart's content when back home, we cook it with cherupayar like a thoran for lunch time and it is one of the best stir fries ever! Cleaning it is a pain though... these masala vadas are making me drool... I love masala vada and this addition of banana blossom just ups the nutrition quotient...
chcooks
Thanks Rafeeda 🙂 This vada is common at both my in-laws and parents. But as you said, cleaning is a pain 🙂 Thanks for dropping by!
Shwetha
I tried it it was so tasty thank you
chcooks
Thanks for giving it a try 🙂