Vazhachund thoran / Banana Flower / blossom With grated Coconut

Here is a nutritious side dish for rice, which is very tasty and healthy.
Every part of the banana plant is useful in one or the other way. The stem,fruit and flower are used in many different ways in cooking. The banana leaf is used for serving meals.

The banana flower or blossom is also called as vazha chundu, vazha khumb and so on in malayalam.  In Kerala each and every house contains atleast one or two banana plants in the backyard. I love to have the honey that comes from the flower threads of banana flower.  My mom used to make this thoran along with vanpayar /  black eyed beans and also only with banana flower.

After chopping the flower, rub your hands with coconut oil and mix well to remove the loopy, sticky fibers which can be annoying while consuming the dish. Another way of removing these sticky fiber is to put the chopped flower into a bowl of water and then stir in circles with spoon (best if the spoon is wooden). You can see the fiber sticking to the spoon. Do this for a few mins and then you are ready to go with the cooking process.

Ingredients:

1. Banana flower / Vazhachund- 1no
2. Coconut- ½ cup
3. Shallots- 2nos
4. Green chillies- 3nos
5. Oil- 1tbsp
6. mustard seeds- 1tsp
7. Turmeric powder- 1tsp
8. salt- as per taste
9. Curry Leaves- few

Method:

1. Remove all the purple coloured outer skin of the banana flower, till you get only the yellow tender part inside.
2. Finely chop the yellow tender part and add 1tbsp of coconut oil to this and rub with both hands to remove the sticky fibers and keep it aside.
3. Grind together coconut (grated), shallots, green chillies till coarse.
4. Heat oil in a pan. Splutter mustard seeds and curry leaves. Add the coarsely groun coconut mixture and saute it for a min.
5. Add the finely chopped banana flower, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well and cover it with a lid and cook it on slow flame till all the water gets evaporated.
6. Serve hot with rice.

I am sending this to Kerala Kitchen, Healing food- banana hosted by Krithi and Siri and also to My Mother’s Kitchen hosted by Kalyani.