Vazhaipoo Vadai | Fritters

My final recipe for the Holiday recipes category is Vazhaipoo Vadai. I rarely make this vadai. I think until now I have made it only twice. And thats because we rarely get vazhaipoo and whenever we get it, we all prefer to have it as poriyal. Cleaning and cutting vazhaipoo is a time-consuming process, so any recipes with vazhaipoo is scheduled for a holiday.

Vazhaipoo is the flower of banana. This is a very nutritious flower and contains various vitamins like Vitamin A, C, and E. It also contains potassium and fibers. I have also heard that eating this flower wards off infections, reduces blood sugar levels, Boosts Mood And Reduces Anxiety and also helps nursing mothers.

Cleaning this flower is a bit tedious and time consuming process. So lot of people avoid buying it. We will not find it in any restaurants also since getting this in bulk is also very difficult. This is truly a traditional cooking item which I believe needs to be retained. 

Vazhaipoo / Banana cleaning process:

Before you touch the flower for cleaning, either use gloves or apply oil on both of your hands thoroughly. I apply coconut oil in my hands. This prevents your fingers and nails turning black and sticky!
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 second picture below. I really don't know the reason behind this. My grandma used to say its not good for health.

Remove these 2 parts for a few layers. For rest of the layers, these 2 parts will be very tender - so no need to remove it.

At the end when the petals start turning complete white from the dark maroon/red color, we use the complete flower as shown below. The white petals will also be very thin and difficult to separate.

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. 

Ingredients:

Vazhaipoo / Banana flower - 1 (small)
Channa dal - 3/4 cup
Urad dal - 2 tblsp
Raw rice - 2 tsp
Green or red chilli - 4-5
Fennel seeds or jeera - 1 & 1/2 tsp
Onion, chopped - 1/4 cup
Asafoetida - 1/8 tsp
Coriander leaves,curry leaves,Salt - As needed
Oil - For deep frying

Method:

• Soak dals, rice together for 3 hours. In a mixer, grind chilli, jeera/fennel first and then add the dals, completely drained from water and grind coarsely.
• Add the chopped vazhaipoo and just pulse twice or thrice.
• Transfer to a mixing bowl and add the chopped onion, salt, asafoetida, coriander leaves, curry leaves. Mix well.
• Heat oil in kadai and make medium sized vadai in your palm. 
• Drop the vadai in oil and cook in medium flame. You can fry 4-5 at a time. Fry both sides until golden and crisp or until the inside gets cooked well 
• Drain to paper towel and enjoy hot.

Notes:

• Alternatively you can also immerse the chopped vazhaipoo in water mixed with turmeric powder.
• Make sure u don’t add any water while grinding, the water in dal and vazhaipoo itself will be enough 
• The rice is added to make the vadas little crisp. This can be avoided.

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