Sri Lankan banana flower(kesel muwa)curry.
A banana flower(banana heart)recipe made with Sri Lankan spices.
This easy banana flower curry is also a unique vegan and vegetarian recipe you have to try.
Other names for Banana flower.
Banana blossom, banana heart these are some names used in reference to what we more commonly call the banana flower.
What are banana flowers?
If you are wondering what a banana flower is,
Well, it’s the first stage of the banana you consume.
The banana flower left to grow through its natural stages would ultimately turn into these fruits that we love.
When you first come across the banana flower you might find it confusing as to which part of the fruit is to be cooked.
I’ll be making it easy for you to cook the banana heart(blossom, flower whatever you like to call it)by giving you a step-by-step guide on how to clean, prepare and make this Sri Lankan recipe.
It’s like unwrapping a gift, layers of it have to be removed to get to the part that’s cooked.
Meal ideas to use with banana flower stir-fry.
You can include the Sri Lankan banana flower curry with any of the meal plans mentioned here.
meal plan 3 or come up with your own rice and curry menu.
Utensils and appliances needed.
Chopping board/ knife
Large bowl.
Large strainer(you can also use your hands to squeeze out excess water).
Skillet or frying pan.
Where to find banana flowers?
If you live in an Asian country finding banana flowers is easy as most supermarkets, open vegetable markets sell them and they are very cheap.
Check all the Asian stores, especially the Sri Lankan, Indian and Thai store. you might also be able to find the canned version.
Storing, freezing and reheating- this banana flower curry is best eaten within a few hours of cooking. avoid freezing, reheating or refrigeration.
This banana blossom(banana flower)recipe is rated as “little care needed” for the following reasons.
- The cleaning and chopping of the banana flower take a little time.
- Although the chopping and cleaning of the banana flower taking time the recipe cooking it is a relatively easy process with minimum ingredients.
- Ingredients to make the banana flower recipe are easy to find except for the main ingredient, the banana flower itself, especially if you are not living in the Asian region.
Workflow to make banana flower stir-fry.
- Clean, remove and discard the parts of the banana flower that you won’t use.
- Chop the banana flower to fine pieces.
- Soak in water for 5 minutes, strain, squeeze out the liquid.
- Cook the banana as per the instruction below.
Cooking time to make the banana flower curry.
Preparing the banana blossom to make the curry is where most of your time would be spent.
If you are not familiar with the preparing process of the banana flower it would take you about 10-15 minutes. cooking time will take you roughly another 15-20 minutes.
How to cook Banana
flower curry.
Please make sure to read the recipe instructions carefully to avoid mistakes.
Ingredients
Ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons.
2-3 cups of water
1 teaspoon of turmeric powder(1/2 teaspoon for soaking the chopped banana flower/ 1/2 a teaspoon used for tempering)
4 tablespoons of Oil(extra 2 tablespoons of oil needed later in the cooking)
5-6 curry leaves(substitute with a bay leaf)
1 onion, sliced fine
1/2 tsp red chilli powder (reduce or increase as per your need)
1/2 tsp red Chilie flecks (reduce or increase as per your need)
1 tbsp Maldive Fish (optional)
1 green chillie sliced
1 banana flower cleaned and chopped as per instructions given.
1 tablespoon of tamarind juice(not paste which is much more concentrated and needs to be diluted with water. you can substitute with a tablespoon of lime juice)
Salt to taste
Method.
The first step of making the banana flower recipe is cleaning and chopping it for the Kesel muwa curry.
How to clean the
Banana flower.
Wash the banana flower.
Remove the darker outer layers of the banana flower, including the flowers at the bottom which later turn into bananas.
You can actually add these flowers to the curry by removing the stigma within it but I usually discard them.
A little too much work considering how small and how time-consuming it is.
Continue to remove the layers.
Until you come across the part which doesn’t have flowers attached to it.
As you chop the flower, you’ll notice a sap sticking to your hands so make sure to rub some oil before you start chopping the banana flower.
Cut off the stem(bottom)and chop the banana flower into smaller, thinner strips. 
How to cut the
banana flower for
the recipe.
Have a bowl ready with water, salt and turmeric(1/2 tsp)added to it.
Place the washed and cleaned(as directed above)on a chopping board.
Cut the top and bottom part of the banana flower. cut them into thin rounds, stack them and then chop them into small thinner pieces.
Please be careful as you chop them as your fingers will probably be a little too close to the sharp knife as you try to slice them thin.
As you chop, add the banana flower pieces immediately into the turmeric water to avoid discoloration.
Soak for 5 minutes.
Once you’ve chopped the banana blossoms,
Use a large strainer to strain all the flower blossoms from the water.
Squeeze any excess water and transfer the chopped banana blossoms to a bowl.
You might find, getting all the tiny pieces out of your hand a bit tricky but with a little patience, you can do it.
How to prepare
Sri Lankan
banana flower
curry.
Have all the ingredients needed ready.
Place a pan over medium heat.
Pour in oil(2 tbs), then temper curry leaves(5-6), onions(1)until they turn golden in color.
Reduce heat to low add chilli powder(1/2tsp), turmeric(1/2 tsp), chilli flecks(1/2 tsp), green chillie(1), cook for 3 minutes.
Turn heat to low and add the banana flowers to the pan, combine and cook for 5 minutes or until the banana flower is cooked.
Add 2 tablespoons of oil only if needed and further cook the chopped banana flowers.
Pour in the tamarind(1 tbs) and cook for a few minutes(3-5 minutes).
Taste and season with salt if necessary.
Serve warm with your favorite rice and curry menu.
A banana flower(banana heart)recipe made with Sri Lankan spices, this easy vegan stir-fry is also one of a kind, unique vegan recipes you have to try. The first step of making the banana flower recipe is cleaning and chopping it for the Kesel muwa curry. Wash the banana flower. Remove the darker outer layers of the banana flower, including the flowers at the bottom which later turn into bananas. You can actually add these flowers to the curry by removing the stigma within it but I usually discard them. A little too much work considering how small and how time-consuming it is. Continue to remove the layers. Until you come across the part which doesn’t have flowers attached to it. As you chop the flower, you’ll notice a sap sticking to your hands so make sure to rub some oil before you start chopping the banana flower. Cut off the stem(bottom)and chop the banana flower into smaller, thinner strips. Have a bowl ready with water, salt and turmeric(1/2 tsp)added to it. Place the washed and cleaned(as directed above)on a chopping board. Cut the top and bottom part of the banana flower. cut them into thin rounds, stack them and then chop them into small thinner pieces. Please be careful as you chop them as your fingers will probably be a little too close to the sharp knife as you try to slice them thin. As you chop, add the banana flower pieces immediately into the turmeric water to avoid discoloration. Soak for 5 minutes. Once you’ve chopped the banana blossoms, Use a large strainer to strain all the flower blossoms from the water. Squeeze any excess water and transfer the chopped banana blossoms to a bowl. You might find, getting all the tiny pieces out of your hand a bit tricky but with a little patience, you can do it. Have all the ingredients needed ready. Place a pan over medium heat. Pour in oil(2 tbs), then temper curry leaves(5-6), onions(1)until they turn golden in color. Reduce heat to low add chilli powder(1/2tsp), turmeric(1/2 tsp), chilli flecks(1/2 tsp), green chillie(1), cook for 3 minutes. Turn heat to low and add the banana flowers to the pan, combine and cook for 5 minutes or until the banana flower is cooked. Add 2 tablespoons of oil only if needed and further cook the chopped banana flowers. Pour in the tamarind(1 tbs) and cook for a few minutes(3-5 minutes). Taste and season with salt if necessary. Serve warm with your favorite rice and curry menu. Please don’t forget to rate the recipe on the recipe card so other readers find it helpful and show me your recipe by tagging me #islandsmile178 on Instagram. Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.Sri Lankan banana flower(kesel muwa)stir-fry.
Ingredients
Instructions
HOW TO CLEAN THE
BANANA FLOWER.
HOW TO CUT THE
BANANA FLOWER FOR
THE RECIPE.
How to the
Sri Lankan banana flower
curry.
Made this recipe?
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 173Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 220mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 3g
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This turned out very delicious! You didn’t mention how much tamarind to put or in what form, but I guessed and it worked ok. Thank you!
Thank you for letting me know, I will make sure to add the amount.
Still no tamarind info! 🙂
Hi,
Apologies, I went through the recipe and haven’t mentioned using tamarind at any point. confused, please do let me know so I can rectify if I’ve mentioned tamarind but not the quantity. thanks.
5. Add 2 tablespoons of oil and further cook the chopped banana flowers, pour in the tamarind and cook for a few minutes(3-5 minutes)
Thank you for this, just added the amount of tamarind 1 tablespoon.