{"product_id":"banana-flower","title":"Banana Flower (Sri Lanka)","description":"\u003cp\u003eBanana flower, or banana blossom, is the large, teardrop shaped bud from the end of a bunch of bananas, wrapped in deep maroon bracts. Between the bracts sit rows of pale, slender florets, and these are what you cook, along with the tender cream coloured heart. South Indian and Sri Lankan kitchens make it into vazhaipoo poriyal, vadai and kootu, and Bengali cooks into mochar ghonto.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eHow to use it\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eOil your hands or wear gloves, as the sap stains. Peel away the outer bracts one by one, collecting the florets beneath, and pull out the hard stigma and the papery sheath from each floret. Drop the cleaned florets into water with buttermilk or turmeric so they do not darken. Chop finely and stir fry with mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves and grated coconut for poriyal, or mix with soaked chana dal for crisp vazhaipoo vadai. Slice the pale inner heart and cook it the same way.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eGood to know\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCalled vazhaipoo in Tamil and mocha in Bengali\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOil your hands before cleaning; the sap stains\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKeep cut florets in buttermilk or turmeric water\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSold loose\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Chandra Stores","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55577695387987,"sku":null,"price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1101\/7433\/9411\/files\/banana-flower-front.png?v=1792780855","url":"https:\/\/chandrastores.co.uk\/products\/banana-flower","provider":"Chandra Stores","version":"1.0","type":"link"}