Last updated on June 12th, 2025 at 12:31 pm
Vazhai poo vadai / Banana Blossom Fritters - these fritters are most common in South India. An excellent alternative to meat, these fritters make an amazing burger patty!
Hello there!
I was a picky eater while growing up, I could say I still am. I hated most veggies like most of the children. But the same veggies became my favorite when it was deep-fried. Again, obviously like most children out there I love(d) fried food even if it had veggies. Sure I liked bondas (potato/mixed veggie fritters) and such, but also did like this Banana Blossom fritters or as it is known in Tamil - Vazhai Poo Vadai (Vazhai - Banana, Poo - Flower/Blossom, Vadai - Fritters)
I have been eating this since I was a kid but this lesser-known way of using Banana blossoms can be a bit of an acquired taste. I mean when eaten raw, the florets can taste strong, weird and slightly bitter. But of course it is delicious when cooked, plus it has its multiple nutritional benefits. You can check out the details of its nutritional value here.
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India must be the only country to make use of entire Banana Tree; from the leaves right down to the stem, for edible and other purposes. The leaves in place of disposable plastic plates, the banana as a fruit, the banana's stem as a great medicine for kidney stones; it is pure genius! I'm personally thankful for the invention of these Banana blossom fritters/ Vazhai poo vadai because I love them.
Vazhai Poo Vadai / Banana Blossom Fritters:
Things to love about this vazhaipoo vadai/ Banana blossom fritters are it is super easy to make, really nutritious and delicious (especially for vegans). You can use them in burgers just like any other party, top them with mayo or tzatziki sauce with some lettuce and you're good to go!
These Vazhai poo fritters make amazing burger patties giving way to the most guilt-free burgers we all need in our life!
Not to mention, these fritters don't need any breadcrumbs, flour or corn starch; really fuss-free and gluten free fritters. First things first, before we move on to how to make this, I'm gonna talk about how to prep the flowers.
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How to prep Banana Blossoms / Cooking with Banana blossoms:
Don't you just love this picture above? The milk flowing out of the sliced Banana Flower? The picture is beautiful, if I say so myself. BUT that milk is gonna stain whatever it comes in contact with and normal soap won't remove it. Its not that scary, it stains but goes off in a few days. Okay if you plan to stay at home till it goes off LOL. I suggest you use gloves or simply oil your hands before handling this.
You can peel the petals individually to get to the florets or cut them in half before peeling them. As you keep peeling, you get to the tiny baby florets, peel as many petals as you can. Once it gets difficult, you can use that without peeling them; simply chop them up with the petals.
Once the florets have been separated from the petals, next step is to remove the pistils. These pistils are hard on our stomachs and aren't easy to digest. However as the baby florets have baby pistils which are digestible. You can check this by trying to cut it with your fingernails. The mature pistils are hard and don't cut easily. However the baby pistils inside the baby florets cut easily. This is why we use the whole baby florets.
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To remove the pistils, gently open the florets and you can see the pistil stand out from others. Just pull it out swiftly and it will come out easily. Repeat for all the florets, this should be cumbersome which is why I do it while watching TV. Once it's all done, throw out the pistils and the petals. Soak the florets in water to avoid coloration; the florets are ready to be cooked now into delicious Vazhaipoo vadai.
How to make these Banana Blossom Fritters?
Chop the florets roughly and add it to a saucepan. Pour enough water just until the florets are covered. Add ยฝ teaspoon of turmeric and boil it for 10 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. If there's still water, drain it.
In a food processor, add 4 medium sized green chillies along with 4 tablespoon of roasted Bengal gram. Alternatively, you can also use 3 tablespoon of Bengal gram and 1 tablespoon rice flour. If you don't have Bengal gram, you can use 2 tablespoon gram flour.
Blend the chillies and Bengal gram to a coarse powder. Add 15-20 shallots, 3 sprigs of curry leaves, 1 tablespoon of fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon salt. Next add the cooked and drained florets. Blend them all together to a coarse mixture.
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The final mixture shouldn't be too wet or dry. If you shaped them into a ball, it should be able to hold the shape. This is because, too dry and it will split while cooking and too wet it is gonna pull in lot more oil. Essentially we want a crispy layer with a soft inside.
Shape them into balls, flatten it, and neat the edges to give a party style shape. You can also make mini balls out of it and fry them.
Heat oil in a frying pan, once it's hot enough fry them in batches until golden brown. Ensure to cook in low to medium flame.
Serve these Vazhai Poo Vadai immediately during lunch or during snack time.
Recipe Source: This is my mother's recipe. She has been making this vazhaipoo vadai ever since I was a kid while she was trying to get some veggies in me.
Notes:
- Instead of blending the shallots, you can also chop them up into rough bits and add to the processed mixture.
- If you want a crispier Vazhai poo vadais / fritters, you can flatten them as thinly as they hold.
- These fritters taste best when immediately served.
- Make great burger patties.
- Goes really well with rice and rasam during lunch or can just be eaten during snacktime.
Vazhai Poo Vadai | Banana Blossom Fritters
Equipment
- Frying Pan
- Food processor
- Mixing Bowls
Ingredients
- 200 g Banana Blossom Florets , pistil removed and cleaned (approx. 1 medium banana flower)
- ยฝ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 4 tablespoon Split, roasted Bengal Gram
- 4 medium Green Chillies
- 1 tablespoon Fennel Seeds
- 15 Shallots / Pearl Onions
- 3 sprigs Curry Leaves
- 1 teaspoon Salt , or as required
- Oil , for frying
Instructions
- Chop the Banana Blossom Florets roughly. Add to a pan of boiling water and cook for 10 minutes. Drain water.
- In a food processor, blend together the green chillies and bengal gram.
- Add the cooked florets, shallots, fennel seeds, salt, and curry leaves to the food processor. Blend to a coarse mixture.
- Heat oil in a deep frying pan.
- Make even sized balls from the processed mixture. Flatten the balls to about ยฝ inch height. and shape the edges neatly.
- Fry them in batches and over low-medium flame until golden brown.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Instead of blending the shallots, you can also chop them up into rough bits and add to the processed mixture.
- If you want a crispier vadais / fritters, you can flatten them as thinly as they hold.
- These fritters taste best when immediately served.
- Make great burger patties.
- Goes really well with rice and rasam during lunch or can just be eaten during snacktime.ย
Made this? Got doubts? Let me know what you think in the comments below!
nive says
loved these vadais!