Vazhappoo Thoran / Banana Flower Dry Curry

I hadn't seen any one used vazhappoo for cooking in our place during my child hood.Though they know it is edible, no one attempted to use it.Only use of it was for drinking honey from the small flowers inside the purple colored petals.We were not allowed to cut the banana flower from the banana tree, there may be some reasons for that, like it may affect the growth of fruit...Anyway we used plenty of banana stems in various forms.When I made banana flower cutlets for the first time, no one could find out what was it.Every one said it was chicken! If it is cutlet or vada or thoran, vazhappoo tastes great in any form! You can prepare this dish in gravy or dried form.



Ingredients for making this tasty thoran
Chana dal 1/2 cup
banana flower 1
onion 1 or small onions 10
coconut grated 2 Tbsp
turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
cumin seeds powder 2 pinches
chilly powder 1 tsp or crushed dry chillies 2
crushed garlic cloves 2
curry leaves few
mustard seeds 1 tsp
uzhunnu parippu / black gram dal 1 tsp
salt
coconut oil enough for seasoning



How to cook this
Cook chana dal in enough water with salt. Remove outer parts of banana flower and chop the inner part. Cook this using enough salt and water.
Mix coconut, chilli powder, chopped onion, cumin powder, curry leaves and salt, crush them together using hand.
Heat oil splutter mustard seeds and uzhunnuparippu.Fry crushed garlic in this, and when it turns slightly brown add the crushed mixture.
Saute for a while until it becomes dry and add cooked chana dal and banana flower into this. Mix well , check salt.

Snacks prepared using banana flower,