Vazhaipoo Vadai Recipe, a popular South Indian snack recipe. This crispy snack is commonly known as banana flower vadai or banana flower fritters. Banana flower is consumed more in Asian countries for their health benefits and this vadai is one of the most popular method of cooking it. You can enjoy vazhaipoo vada hot with some coconut chutney and masala chai. Learn how to clean vazhaipoo (banana flower) easily and turn them into crispy vazhaipoo vadai with step by step pictures and video.
Take a whole vazhaipoo or banana flower. Peel the outer skin of petals one by one. You will find small bunches of florals inside the petals. Remove them one by one. Make sure you put them immediately in the vinegar water to prevent oxidation. You will fine a tall stiff stigma and transparent petal like. You have to remove the calyx and stigma and discard that. You need the banana floral alone. Discard the stigma and calyx.
Soak chana dal for 2 to 3 hours. Strain it completely and set aside.
Take cleaned banana flower in a blender. Grind coarse without adding water. Add it to a bowl. Take soaked chana dal and grind them coarse without adding any water. Take it in the same bowl.
Grind the ingredients given for grinding like dry chilli, garlic, fennel seeds, curry leaves and coriander leaves to a coarse mix. Don't add any water when grinding. Add it to the ground chana dal and banana flower mix.
Add in onions, green chillies, asafoetida and salt. Mix well. This is your banana flower vadai mixture.
Take small portion from it and flatten it slightly. Drop in hot oil and fry for 1 to 2 mins. Drain and serve.
Video
Notes
Instead of grinding banana flower, you can chop them into small pieces and add it to the vadai mixture.
Don't soak chana dal over 3 hours which will make them mushy.
Make sure you strain chana dal and banana flower completely before grinding.
Don't grind chana dal to a smooth paste. Grind them coarse and mix with the other ingredients.
Storage
This vadai mixture cannot be stored as it is. Since the banana flower may leave some water. So for longer storage, fry the banana flower vadai and store them in fridge. You can refry again or reheat in air fryer for few minutes before serving.