Vazhaipoo Vadai

Vazhaipoo (banana blossom or banana flower) is one of the most celebrated ingredients in Tamil Nadu cooking, prized for its meaty texture and subtle bitter sweetness. These fritters bind the cleaned, finely shredded blossom with chana dal (split chickpeas) and a riot of spices for a snack sold at every temple town teashop in South India.

Serves: 4 (makes 12-14 fritters)

Ingredients

• 1 banana blossom (flower), about 300g (10.5 oz) cleaned and prepared (or tinned, drained)
• 200g (7 oz) chana dal (split Bengal gram), soaked 2 hours
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 dried red chilies
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, roughly chopped
• 2 green chilies, finely chopped
• 1 small red onion, finely diced
• 8 curry leaves, finely shredded
• 3 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp salt
• Oil, for deep-frying
• Coconut chutney or tamarind sauce, to serve

Instructions

1. To prepare fresh banana blossom: peel away and discard the outer dark purple leaves and the pale inner sheaths until you reach the tender core. Remove the stiff central stamens from the small florets. Chop roughly, then soak in water with a squeeze of lemon juice to prevent browning, 15 minutes. Drain and squeeze dry.
2. Drain soaked chana dal. Grind coarsely with fennel seeds, cumin seeds, dried red chilies, garlic and ginger — the mixture should be rough and slightly grainy, not a smooth paste.
3. Combine the ground dal mixture with shredded banana blossom, green chili, red onion, curry leaves, coriander, turmeric and salt. Mix well. The mixture should hold its shape when pressed.
4. Shape into flat discs, about 5cm (2 in) diameter and 1cm (½ in) thick.
5. Heat oil in a wok or deep pan to 170°C (340°F). Fry in batches of 4-5 for 3-4 minutes per side, turning once, until deep golden brown and crisp.
6. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot with coconut chutney or tamarind sauce.

Cook's Notes: Do not over-process the dal — the coarse texture is what makes these crisp. If fresh banana blossom is unavailable, tinned works well; just ensure it is very well drained and squeezed dry. Adding a small grated raw potato to the mix helps bind the fritters.