Vazhaipoo/Banana flower is one of the commonly used items in Tamilnadu for cooking. It has lot of health benefits and tastes better than normal vadai.Vazhaipoo vadai is one of the favorite snacks in our family. I have tried this recipe many times and every time I got good comments from my friends and family.

Ingredients:

• 1 no – Vazhaipoo/Banana flower (chopped finely)
• 1 cup – Bengal gram (kadalai paruppu)
• 1 no – Onion (chopped finely)
• 2 nos – Green chilies (chopped)
• 1 tsp – Ginger garlic (crushed)
• 1 tsp – Cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp – Fennel seeds (perunjeeragam)
• 1/4 tsp – Turmeric powder
• 2 pinches – Asafoetida
• 4 or 5 nos – Curry leaves (chopped)
• 2 tbsp – Coriander leaves (chopped)
• Salt as needed
• Oil for deep frying

Preparation method:

How to clean banana flower:

1. Apply oil on both hands to avoid sticking.Take off the purple outer cover and remove the bunch of florets inside. Repeat the process until you reach the center.
2. The tricky part is to remove the stamen which is nothing but a hard pink layer found in each florets.
3. Separate each flower from the bunch and remove the stamen from each flower. Chop the florets and soak them in buttermilk with a pinch of salt to avoid discoloration.

Making of vadai:

1. Wash and soak bengal gram for at least 2 hours.Drain water completely and coarsely  grind it along with turmeric powder, and fennel seeds.
2. Take a wide bowl, add ground items,onion,chopped banana flowers,green chilies,ginger garlic, cumin seeds,asafoetida,curry and coriander leaves with salt and mix everything well to form a thick dough.
3. Heat oil in a pan, make small balls out of the dough and press it in the center. Deep fry in the oil until golden brown.
4. Serve hot with any chutney.

Notes:

• You can directly use chopped banana flower/vazhaipoo instead of soaking them in buttermilk.