Banana Flower Curry

The Banana Flower Curry is an Indonesian dish, replete with banana flower, lemons, coconut milk, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, bay leaves, salt, and oil. For the curry paste that’s added to the concoction, one will also need shallots, garlic, turmeric, galangal, macadamia nuts, red chilli, and salt. If the banana flower is too bitter, boil it in water with some baking soda. And the same curry paste can be used in different dishes, even with eggs, as practised in Indonesia.

Besides this curry, the versatile banana flowers can also be added to salads, soups, sliced and added in stir fries, and eaten in a whole variety of ways. They cook quickly and much like spinach, lose some of their volume during the process. They can also be steamed, peeled apart, and served with dips. Also called banana hearts, banana flowers or blossoms, if left on trees, would grow into bananas. The blossoms however are also edible and a common ingredient across much of Asia.

An underused ingredient in India, the banana flower is packed with nutrients, offering fiber, antioxidants, and minerals in high quantities. Although more research is needed, banana flower may lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels, aid gut health, prevent joint discomfort, and aid overall health and strength of the body.