Vazhaipoo vadai (banana blossom fritters )

Vazhai poo vadai is fried Lentil fritters made with Banana blossoms or banana hearts. Vazhaipoo is a common vegetable in the kitchens of most traditional tamil homes. It grew in the backyard of our patti's home and is easily available in traditional markets and  selected supermarkets. Conical and purple in color, the petals mature into plaintain fruits. The  purple bracts cover the petals. It has astringency property which is one of the 6 tastes(Aru suvai in tamil) required for wellness of our health. Chopping the petals is an art. The petals in bunch has to be removed from the bract, the pistil removed and then chopped. The hands that trim has to be smeared with oil to avoid the sap sticking to your fingers. It should then be soaked in water to which a ladle ful of buttermilk is added. Worth the effort, cause it has amazing health benefits. 

Ingredients:
Channa dal – 1 cup

Dry Red chillies – 2 or 3no.

Asafetida powder – ¼ teaspoon

Green chilli  - 1/2

Banana flowers chopped – 1 cup

Curry leaf – 1 sprig chopped

Salt to taste

Cooking oil of your choice for frying. 

Method:

Soak the channa dal for less than an hour.  Drain the water. Keep  aside a small soaked spoon of  channa dal.

Grind coarsely the remaining channa dal with dry red chilli, green chilli and curry leaf without adding water.

Transfer the thick ground mixture to a  shallow bowl.

Mix the asafoetida powder, curry leaf, banana flower and salt in the mixture.

Take a golf ball sized blob and pat them into  small roundels.

Meanwhile heat a kadai and add the cooking oil. When it starts smoking, add the patted roundels.

Fry them till done on both sides.

It tastes good without any accompaniment. But still if you think, you require accompaniment, it tastes good only with ground coconut chutney. Avoid  sauce to retain the nativity of the dish. 

                                  The ground channa mixture to which vazhaipoo is added

                                                                      Patted and fried in oil

                                      The roasted and fried flowers are dark brown in color , the green color is curryleaf