Banana Blossom : The Vegan Fish Dish ?

Banana Blossom : The Vegan Fish Dish ?

We are hoping this blog will encourage you to try one of our latest products – Natures Charm Banana Blossom in brine – succulent and well seasoned it provides an excellent vegan fish substitute as well as a tasty addition to salads, curries and soups giving a South- Eastern Asian flavour to them.

Bananas are one of the most widely consumed fruits in the world because of their taste, nutritional value and potential health benefits and people in the Tropics have long known the benefits of the flower making the Banana Tree a good example of “no wastage” given all the parts can serve some purpose, either as food or non food purposes.

The Banana Blossom also known as the flower or heart is comprised of a purple tear -shaped construction found at the base of the banana cluster and containing a wide variety of vitamins and other nutrients including magnesium, iron, potassium, calcium, vitamin C, B6 and other antioxidants. Banana Blossom has a distinctive taste and has long been a popular ingredient in South East Asian cooking and is often likened to the taste of artichoke. Since the cleaning and preparation of the blossom can seem like a very cumbersome process as well as not always being readily available in this country the canned variety are becoming increasingly popular.

It has been claimed that regular consumption of banana blossom for a month or more can help stabilise blood sugar levels and raise haemoglobin levels as well as assisting with constipation due to fibre content. Over the years it has also been associated with reduction of menstrual bleeding, boosting milk production in lactating mothers and reducing blood pressure due to high Potassium content. Finally there is thought to be antimicrobial activity making it useful in treating infections the natural way.

Do let us know what you think and share any comments, recipes, experiences you may have.

Not the healthiest of recipes as it involves deep fat frying but we all deserve a treat once in a while !

Banana Blossom Vegan Fish ‘n ‘Chips to serve 4-6 people:

• 2 Tins Banana Blossom
• 2 Tblsp. Seaweed flakes plus extra for dusting
• 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• 500ml Vegetable Stock
• 200ml White Wine (optional)
• 2 tsp Salt
• Hot Water
• Small bowl of Plain Flour.

Batter:

• 400g Plain Flour – put in freezer for 15mins before using.
• 3 tsp Baking Powder
• 550 ml Vegan Beer (very cold)
• 2 tsp Salt
• Vegetable Oil for Deep Frying

Drain and discard liquid from Banana Blossom tin and rinse gently. Carefully take out whole pieces of Banana Blossom and place in large bowl with stock, lemon juice, salt, seaweed flakes, white wine and top up with hot water until just covered and set aside for a minimum of 1 hour.

Heat large pan half full of vegetable oil on a medium heat (about 180C). Mix Baking Powder and salt into chilled flour just before frying and whisk in cold beer to form a thick paste.

Squeeze out liquid from Banana Blossom pieces carefully, dip in extra seaweed flakes and flour and cover each piece with batter before lowering into hot oil.

Cook for a few minutes until brown and crispy, remove with slotted spoon ans allow excess oil to drain on kitchen paper.

Serve with sides of choice chips, mushy peas, tartare sauce and ENJOY !!!!!