Banana Blossoms Stir Fry with Mustard and Ginger

Banana blossom (also called banana flower) isn’t something I use often in my cooking – the effort of peeling and cutting is a major deterrent. This time I found a pack of pre-peeled banana blossoms at the grocery store and decided to give it a go. I am really pleased with how this recipe finally turned out!

In this dish, banana blossoms are spiced with the strong heat of freshly ground mustard, ginger and green chilies, and cooked in mustard oil. Prepare yourself for a riot of flavors!

[Wondering what “banana blossom” is? See this Ingredient Spotlight on The Kitchn for a deep dive.]

For how to clean and cut banana blossoms, take a look at the instructions on the ever-reliable Rak’s Kitchen: she suggests dipping the blossoms in buttermilk to lessen blackening. I didn’t do that, instead dipped them in salted water. But I’m getting ahead of myself…my step-by-step recipe of banana blossoms with mustard ginger seasoning follows.

You Need:

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• Banana blossoms (plucked and cleaned) – 300 grams
• Salt – to taste
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 teaspoon [buy here]
• Green chilies – 1 (2 if you like it hot)
• Ginger – 1-inch knob
• Yellow mustard seeds – 1 tablespoon [buy here]
• Asafoetida powder – a pinch [buy here]
• Mustard oil – 1 tablespoon
• Lemon juice / lime juice – 2 teaspoons

Equipment: wet grinder

How To Make Banana Blossoms Stir Fry:

Breaking it down to 3 simple steps: one, boil the banana blossoms to reduce their bitterness; two, prepare the seasoning; and finally, cook it all together.

1. Boil banana blossoms

After banana blossoms are plucked and cleaned, slice them into thin 1-inch strips. As you slice, transfer the pieces to a pot of water (4 cups) to which a teaspoon of salt has been added.

Boil the pot of sliced banana blossoms in salted water for 20 minutes. At the end you’ll find that the banana blossoms have softened and the water has turned dark. Drain the blackened water and rinse banana blossoms with fresh water. Drain. Add salt to taste. Keep aside.

2. Make mustard-ginger paste

Grind these ingredients together to make a thick spice paste: a tablespoon of mustard seeds, a 1-inch knob of ginger, and a green chili (1, or more if you want it hotter).

3. Bring it all together

Heat mustard oil in a pan. When smoking hot, set heat to low and add asafoetida powder. Follow immediately with the ground spice paste.

Stir around for half a minute, or until the spice paste turns a deeper color.

Add turmeric powder, and then boiled, salted banana blossoms. Stir well. Cook covered on medium heat, stirring every other minute, for 6 minutes or till the seasoning has infused its flavors into the banana blossoms.

Finish with a dash of lime juice.

What this dish tastes like: the taste of banana blossoms is best described as “earthy”. The spice mix used in this recipe is intensely mustardy, sharply gingery, and is brightened by fresh lime juice. If you enjoy pungent mustard-based vegetable dishes from east India, this recipe should appeal to you!

My lunch today: chapatis, carrot onion raita, and banana blossoms with mustard ginger seasoning.

Variations:

1. For extra heat and variation in texture, add another coarsely chopped green chili into the pan when you add the freshly ground spice paste.

2. If mustard oil is not available for cooking in your region, substitute with your regular cooking oil – note that this will lessen the zing of the finished dish. To compensate, you can increase the amount of mustard seeds in the ground spice paste to 1.5x.

Serving Suggestions:

No-spill, no-mess – banana blossoms stir fry works fantastically as an on-the-go / travel-friendly dish. Pair it with buttery elliptical parathas for an offbeat lunchbox menu.

When serving on the table, place it as a side dish along with rotis / rice, dal (e.g. tomato toor dal), a simple curry to balance the sharpness of this recipe (e.g. red pumpkin curry) and some plain dahi.

Related Recipes:

If you enjoy the sharp flavors of ginger + mustard + lime, take a look at these recipes that capitalize on this combination:

For more cooking inspiration from east India, check out our Bihari recipe and Bengali recipe galleries.

Quick-reference recipe card that you can save or print:

Print Recipe

Banana Blossoms Stir Fry with Mustard and Ginger

Banana blossom side dish with the zing of freshly ground mustard, ginger and green chilies, cooked in mustard oil.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time50 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: East Indian, Indian

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: banana blossom, banana flower

Servings: 4

Author: The Steaming Pot

Ingredients

• 300 g Banana blossoms (plucked and cleaned)
• 1/2 tsp Salt (adjust to taste)
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 Green chilies (2 if you like it hot)
• 1 inch knob Ginger
• 1 tbsp Yellow mustard seeds
• 1 pinch Asafoetida powder
• 1 tbsp Mustard oil
• 2 tsp Lemon juice

Instructions

Boil banana blossoms

• After banana blossoms are plucked and cleaned, slice them into thin 1-inch strips.
• As you slice, transfer the pieces to a pot of water (4 cups) to which a teaspoon of salt has been added.
• Boil the pot of sliced banana blossoms in salted water for 20 minutes. At the end you’ll find that the banana blossoms have softened and the water has turned dark.
• Drain the blackened water and rinse banana blossoms with fresh water. Drain again.
• Add salt to taste. Keep aside.

Make mustard-ginger paste

• Grind these ingredients together to make a thick spice paste: a tablespoon of mustard seeds, a 1-inch knob of ginger, and a green chili (1, or more if you want it hotter).

Bring it all together

• Heat mustard oil in a pan. When smoking hot, set heat to low and add asafoetida powder.
• Follow immediately with the ground spice paste.
• Stir around for half a minute, or until the spice paste turns a deeper color.
• Add turmeric powder, and then boiled, salted banana blossoms. Stir well.
• Cook covered on medium heat, stirring every other minute, for 6 minutes or till the seasoning has infused its flavors into the banana blossoms.
• Finish with a dash of lime juice.

Notes

1. For extra heat and variation in texture, add another coarsely chopped green chili into the pan when you add the freshly ground spice paste.

2. If mustard oil is not available for cooking in your region, substitute with your regular cooking oil – note that this will lessen the zing of the finished dish. To compensate, you can increase the amount of mustard seeds in the ground spice paste to 1.5x.