I have posted few vazhaipoo recipes and always wanted to do this detailed post on cleaning the vazhaipoo (banana blossom/ banana flower). Though cleaning vazhaipoo takes time, we cannot miss the goodness of the vegetable. I buy vazhaithandu more often than vazhaipoo. If I buy, I make poriyal most of the times, as I buy in Mustafa mostly and they stock it from Malaysia. It will have more volume than the Indian ones.
So this time I got the Indian one from Sri Murugan and before making vazhaipoo vadai with it, I wanted to do this post on how to clean vazhaipoo to use in a recipe and how to get rid of the stains from your hands after handling the banana flower.
Many of you know this trick, but this could be useful for those who doesn't know/ beginners.
Check out my vazhaipoo poriyal, vazhaipoo paruppu usili, vazhaipoo vadai.
How to clean vazhaipoo, clean hands
Category: Tips | Prep Time: 20 mins | Author: Raks anandLearn how to clean, prepare vazhaipoo (banana flower) and clean your hands without any ugly black spots. With video, step by step pictures.
Things needed
Banana blossom, Vazhaipoo - 1Sesame oil - 2 tsp
Lemon juice - 2 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Method
- First coat your hands with sesame oil everywhere, including nail gaps.
- Spread a large disposable sheet of paper/ board and start peeling off the purplish petals.
- Take off the bunch of florets and arrange as such, so that it is easy to clean.
- Repeat by taking off the petals one by one until half way down. Break off the bottom stick as it would be long by now.
- Grease the tips of your fingers every now and then when ever you feel it dry.
- Once you take out all the purple petals, now you will be handling a pale yellowish petals, bit delicate to handle.
- Continue until you are with a tiny bulb of the banana blossom at the center.
- You can eat this raw, if you want with salt, pepper. We eat as such, it tastes good.
- Take a small bunch of florets, rub the tip against your palm. This will loosen the florets and make it easy to remove the long stick with rounded ends.
- pull it off and discard, as it will not blend / get cooked in your recipe.
- As you pull it off, you will see another transparent leaflet, pull it off too.
- Repeat to finish all. The florets that are small (taken towards center) and tender need not be treated, it can be left as such.
- Chop holding each bunch and let the chopped flowers immersed in water mixed with sour buttermilk, to prevent them from turning black. Keep immersed until use.
- Now lets clean your hands. Though we applied oil, it is just a protection to avoid too much stain in your hands and oil helps to clean easily to get rid of the stains.
- Wash with regular hand soap and pat dry. Apply lemon juice all over the stains.
- Rub gently salt all over. Don't be hard as it will irritate your skin.
- wash it off in water without soap. Take an old towel/ cloth, preferable cotton and wipe the stains by rubbing against. Concentrate on the stained areas, especially the fingertips, nail gaps etc.
- Now you would see clean hands without any stains!
Step by step pictures:
- First coat your hands with sesame oil everywhere, including nail gaps. Spread a large disposable sheet of paper/ board and start peeling off the purplish petals. Take off the bunch of florets and arrange as such, so that it is easy to clean.
- Repeat by taking off the petals one by one until half way down. Break off the bottom stick as it would be long by now. Grease the tips of your fingers every now and then when ever you feel it dry. Once you take out all the purple petals, now you will be handling a pale yellowish petals, bit delicate to handle.
- Continue until you are with a tiny bulb of the banana blossom at the center. You can eat this raw, if you want with salt, pepper. We eat as such, it tastes good.
- Take a small bunch of florets, rub the tip against your palm. This will loosen the florets and make it easy to remove the long stick with rounded ends.
- pull it off and discard, as it will not blend / get cooked in your recipe.
- As you pull it off, you will see another transparent leaflet, pull it off too. Repeat to finish all. The florets that are small (taken towards center) and tender need not be treated, it can be left as such.
- Chop holding in bunch and let the chopped flowers immersed in water mixed with sour buttermilk, to prevent them from turning black. Keep immersed until use.
- Now lets clean your hands. Though we applied oil, it is just a protection to avoid too much stain in your hands and oil helps to clean easily to get rid of the stains. Wash with regular hand soap and pat dry. Apply lemon juice all over the stains. Rub gently salt all over. Don't be hard as it will irritate your skin.
- wash it off in water without soap. Take an old towel/ cloth, preferable cotton and wipe the stains by rubbing against. Concentrate on the stained areas, especially the fingertips, nail gaps etc. Now you would see clean hands without any stains!
