A mildly spiced cutlets made with Banana blossom or vazhaipoo, potatoes and seasonings.
The banana flower adds a unique texture and taste to this cutlets, which made it irresistible for both vegetarians and/or non vegetarian foodies.
I grew up eating this delicious cutlets as snacks and appetizers and we call this Vazhakoombu cutlet.
The outer layer has a crispy texture, because of the breadcrumb coating. The inside is soft and is delectable with the combination of potatoes and spices in vazhaipoo. So whenever I see a banana flower, this is the first dish comes to my mind. But cleaning vazhakoombu or vazhaipoo is not an easy task; still its worth the effort.
Let’s see how to make Vazhaipoo/Vazhakoombu Cutlet.
How to Make Banana flower cutlet :
Cleaning the Vazhaipoo/ Banana Flower –
I have used a medium sized banana flower for this recipe. Cleaning the vazhaipoo/ Banana flower may stain your hands and fingers. So always begin with rubbing coconut oil to your hands and fingertips. The outer petals of banana flower is thick and has maroon color. We usually don’t take these petals because of its thick texture.
Remove the outer thick petals until it reveals a mild colored white petals. When we remove each petals, you will also see yellow tipped florets. We can use this, if the florets is not dry or withered. Some of the florets need cleaning because the pistil inside is hard and inedible.
The remaining white part of the vazhaipoo is tender and florets are soft and young. They can be chopped and used as such. Banana flower has a sticky sap which leads to discoloration once it is cut or chopped and comes in contact with air.
Preventing Banana Flower from Discoloring –
Method 1: Take a teaspoon of salt to a bowl. Finely chop the cleaned florets and banana blossom; discard the thick bottom stem. Rub the chopped flower with salt and keep aside. Then squeeze out the water from the flower. This helps to remove the sap and prevents it from becoming bitter and discolored.
Please refer the recipe video for Banana flower cutlet to see the step by step process of chopping and cleaning of Vazhaipoo. A Food processor can also be used to chop the flower.
Method 2: In a bowl take some water. Add a teaspoon of salt or vinegar and dissolve it with water. Immediately add the chopped banana flower into this water and soak for few minutes. After soaking for 5 to 10 minutes, drain the water and rinse the flower in running water. Squeeze out the excess water and set it aside.
Method 3 : Instead of using salt water (method 2), soak the chopped vazhaipoo in buttermilk. Drain the buttermilk and rinse the banana flower in running water; press out the remaining water.
Preparing Banana Flower Cutlet Mixture –
Take 2 medium sized potatoes (or 1 large). Wash and boil until it is cooked. Once it is cooled, remove the skin. Mash them well and set aside.
Finely chop green chilies, ginger, curry leaves and red onion. Remove the seeds from green chilies to reduce its heat.
Take a heavy bottom pan and add 1 tbsp of coconut oil. Once the oil is hot, splutter some mustard seeds. Add finely chopped green chilies, ginger, curry leaves and red onion along with a teaspoon of salt and sauté until the onion turns soft and light brown in color.
Add the chopped and cleaned banana flower into it and sauté well. Turn the heat to medium. Cover the pan with a lid and cook the vazhaipoo mixture for 5 minutes, or until it is half cooked. Then mix it with the mashed potatoes.
Finally, add black pepper powder and garam masala and mix. Cover with the lid and let it cook for a minute on medium heat. Give it a final stir and turn off the heat. Allow the mixture to cool off before making the cutlet balls.
Storing the prepared mixture:
We can refrigerate this vazhaipoo mixture in an air tight container for up to 4 days. Make cutlet balls from the mixture. Layer an air tight container with butter paper or parchment paper. Place the cutlet balls over the paper and again layer the top with another butter paper and place the rest of the cutlet balls. This way, the cutlet balls will not stick together and will be easier to make cutlets the next day.
Making Banana Flower Cutlet:
Take a bowl and beat an egg with a dash of milk. Set it aside.
You can use the whole egg. Or separate the yolk from the white and beat the egg white with milk. Beat the egg yolk and mix with the prepared banana flower mixture. It serves as a binder and hold the cutlets from breaking apart. This step is completely optional.
Instead of eggs, you can use maida batter. Mix a tablespoon of maida with some water to make a thick batter.
Take a cup of bread crumbs in another bowl.
You can use store bought or can make your own by grinding a few slices of bread in a mixie or blender.
Instead of bread crumbs, semolina or rava can also use.
Take around 2 tbsp full of banana flower mixture. Make round balls from it and roll it into an oval or other desired shapes. If the mixture crumbles and hard to form the desired shape, add a little extra mashed potatoes. Potatoes work as a perfect binder and helps with forming the shape.
Dip the cutlet balls in egg mixture and then roll it in bread crumps.
You can frozen the cutlets at this stage and keep them for future use. Remember to thaw the frozen cutlets before frying.
Heat oil in a deep frying pan or kadai. Gently lower the prepared cutlets in to the hot oil.
Fry the cutlets on medium heat and in small batches to get it well cooked and crispy. Fry each side for few minutes or until the sides become golden brown in color.
Once it is done, remove from oil and drain the excess oil in a paper towel or napkin.
Serve hot with your favorite sauce or ketchup.
If You Like This Recipe, Please Try it. Don’t Forget to Leave a Comment and Rate the Recipe for Banana Flower Cutlet .
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BANANA FLOWER CUTLET (VAZHACHUNDU/ VAZHAKOOMBU CUTLET)
Equipment
- 2 Mixing bowl 1 medium, 1 small
- 1 Saute pan
- 1 Chopping Board
- 1 Frying Pan
Ingredients
- 1 Banana flower/ vazhaipoo/ Vazhachunde medium size
- 1 large Potato
- 2 tsp Salt or as per taste
- 1 medium Red Onion (finely chopped)
- 2 Green chilies (thinly sliced)
- 2 tsp Ginger (diced finely)
- 1 stem Curry leaves (chopped)
- 1 tbsp Coconut Oil + ½ tsp
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1 tsp Black Pepper Powder or according to heat
- 1 tsp Garam Masala Powder
- 1 Egg optional
- A dash of Milk
- 1 cup Bread Crumbs / Semolina (Rava)
- Oil to fry
Instructions
Making the Cutlet mixture
- Wash and boil 2 medium or 1 large potato. Remove the skin of the boiled potatoes. Mash them well and set aside.
- Take half a teaspoon of coconut oil and rub gently on to the hands and fingertips to avoid getting stained by the sap of banana flower.
- Remove the thick outer layers or petals of banana flower until it reveals the white inner part. (Refer the recipe video Banana Flower Cutlet)
- In a bowl add 1 – 2 tsp of salt (Refer Note 1) and finely chop the banana flower by hand into the bowl (Refer the video Banana Flower Cutlet). A Food processor can also be used to chop the flower. Chop up the entire flower; discard the thick bottom stem.
- Mix and rub the chopped banana flower with salt and keep aside for few minutes. Squeeze out the water from the flower. This helps to remove the sap in it. (Refer Note 1)
- In a heavy bottom pan, add 1 tbsp coconut oil. Once the oil is hot, splutter some mustard seeds.
- Add finely chopped green chilies, ginger, curry leaves and red onion. Add a teaspoon of salt and sauté until the onion turns soft and changes color.
- Add the chopped and cleaned banana flower into it and sauté it well. Cover it with a lid and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat.
- Once the banana flower is half cooked, add the mashed potatoes and mix well.
- Add black pepper powder and garam masala into it. Mix all together, cover and let it cook for a minute on medium heat.
- Turn off the heat. Allow the mixture to cool down a bit. (Refer Note 2)
Making the banana flower cutlets
- Beat an egg in a bowl with a dash of milk (Refer Note 3). In another bowl, take a cup of bread crumbs (Refer Note 4).
- Make round balls from the banana flower mixture (take around 2 tbsp full of mixture), and roll it into an oval or other desired shapes. Dip this in egg mixture and roll it in bread crumps.
- Heat oil in a fry pan. Fry the cutlet on each side for few minutes or until the sides become golden brown in color ( Refer Note 5). (This mixture makes 12 – 15 cutlets.)
- Place the fried cutlets in a plate and drain the excess oil using a paper towel or napkin. Serve hot with your favorite sauce or ketchup.
Video
Notes
- Banana flower has a sticky sap which leads to discoloration once it is cut or chopped, and comes in contact with air. Mixing or rubbing the chopped banana flower with salt helps it from changing color. Or chop the flower in to a bowl of water with dissolved salt or vinegar and soak it for 5 to 10 minutes. Rinse it in running water. Squeeze out the excess water and set it aside. (Refer How to Make Banana flower cutlet section in the blog for detailed instructions.)
- We can refrigerate the prepared cutlet mixture in an air tight container for up to 5 days. Refer How to Make Banana flower cutlet section in the blog for detailed instructions.
- Use the whole egg or you can separate the white and yolk. Beat the egg yolk and mix with the prepared banana flower mixture. It serves as a binder and hold the cutlets from breaking apart. This step is completely optional.
- Instead of bread crumbs, semolina or rava can also use.
- Fry the cutlets on medium heat and in small batches to get it cooked and crispy.
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