Vegan Banana Blossom Curry

This vegan banana blossom curry is so rich in flavour! If you are looking for a nice dish to make with banana blossoms, you’ve come to the right place!

Maybe you already know what banana blossoms taste like or you’ve only just briefly heard about this awesome vegan fish (and meat) alternative and are curious!

Contents

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Storage
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Like me, when I first discovered it in a supermarket in Western Australia! I bought a tin right away to try it (because I was curious!) and only later googled what I could use it for. But not many recipes came up.

So then I thought, oh well, I just make them like battered, traditional fish with French fries (recipe will follow soon!) and I loved it!

Banana blossom is quite neutral in flavour and when you choose the right brand (my favourite is “Honest To Goodness” (Australian)), they don’t have that yucky and acidic brine flavour (you know what I mean…?).

A white fish curry recipe inspires this delicious banana blossom curry because I find that the different flavours of the vegetables and spices complement each other and make the perfect sauce for the neutral banana blossom!

Alright, enough with the blah, blah, blah, let’s get cookin’!

Ingredients

• canned banana blossoms
• sweetcorn
• ginger, garlic, red chilli
• spices: mustard seeds, garam masala, cinnamon stick, cumin seeds (optional)
• veggie stock
• green beans
• cherry tomatoes
• baby spinach
• coconut milk or plant-based yoghurt

(see recipe card below for quantities)

Banana Blossom:  Banana blossom, also known as a “banana heart” or "banana flower", is the edible flower of banana trees. It is a deep purple tear-shaped flower that grows at the end of a banana fruit cluster^[1].

Fresh banana blossom is used traditionally in Southeast Asian and Indian cooking where it's prepared as a curry, used in salads or even eaten raw. Its chunky, meaty texture makes it perfect for a vegan fish recipe.

Where to get Banana Blossoms?: I use them from a can of banana blossoms because I don’t have access to fresh ones (and you probably do not). You may need to try a few different brands until you find the right one for you.

You should be able to get banana blossoms in supermarkets or maybe in Indian shops or an Asian market too. Ideally, you choose organic because bananas get sprayed a lot.

Sweetcorn: You can use a small (200g) or half of a normal tin. I just blended half of mine and added the other half when cooking the curry for more colour.

Veggie Stock: I always use my homemade vegetable stock paste to season my meals. Alternatively, you can use any veggie stock you usually take because we need the liquid anyway.

Coconut Milk or Yoghurt: This is up to you. Yoghurt will add a bit of tartness to the recipe whereas coconut milk adds more sweetness. I like using both.

Instructions

Step One. Carefully take the banana blossom pieces out of the tin, drain and rinse them. I like to leave the blossoms as they are, even if there are bigger pieces. However, you can also chop them all up into smaller pieces.

Drain the sweetcorn. Peel ginger and garlic, and cut into small pieces. Slice/mince the chilli. Cut the green beans into bite-size pieces and the cherry tomatoes in half.

If you like some rice with it, start cooking it now.

Step Two. Add half of the tin of sweetcorn, garlic and ginger to a small food processor (or use a hand blender) and blend until smooth.

Step Three. Heat some coconut oil in a large cooking pan or wok. Once hot, add the mustard seeds, cinnamon stick and cumin seeds (if using). Fry for about 1-2 minutes until you hear the seeds pop.

Step Four. Add the sweetcorn mixture, chilli and garam masala and stir frequently. Tip in the veggie broth and bring it to a boil.

Step Five. Stir through the green beans and tomatoes and cook for about 5-7 minutes. Place the banana blossom "fish" on top so it heats up (the chunks don’t need to be cooked, just warmed).

Step Six. Add in coconut milk (if using yoghurt, add at the very end), the rest of the sweetcorn and spinach. Cook for 1-2 minutes.

If the sauce appears to be too runny, cook for a tiny bit longer or add more coconut milk. Unless you’re using yoghurt, then, you don’t have to worry about that because the sauce will thicken once you add it!

Step Seven. Season your vegan banana blossom curry with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve hot with rice and garnish with fresh coriander, if you like.

Substitutions

Vegetables: Feel free to use different vegetables! I just like this combination. Zucchini, carrots and cauliflower would taste great as well, I think, though haven’t tried that yet!

Sweetcorn: If you don’t want to make the sauce based on sweetcorn, you can leave it out, as well as the veggie stock. Replace it with half a tin of coconut milk for example. Maybe add a tablespoon of tomato paste.

Variations

More Banana Blossom Recipe Ideas: Banana Blossoms are a great fish alternative when on a plant-based diet due to their flaky texture. You may like to try them in a crispy vegan fish & chip recipe, vegan fish tacos or a banana blossom salad! (new recipes follow soon!)

Your next curry?: How about this vegan cauliflower korma or this quick tomato curry for busy weeknights? OR this vegan jackfruit butter chicken curry??

Storage

Keep this vegan banana blossom curry in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days. You may also freeze it for several months.

📖 Recipe