Monday, October 14, 2013

Bondi Bajo (Banana Blossom Fritters)

Bondi Bajo is a recent kitchen endeavor. Long back I had noted down this recipe in a hope to post this as I find a fresh banana flower. Unfortunately now I don't remember the source. 



Banana blossom (In Konkani we call it Bondi) is a favorite of mine. My mother makes the best upkari. Recently I found a giant, fresh banana flower in a farmer's market and bought it thinking of this recipe. Making fritters using this flower was completely new to me but I was confident that it would turn great. As expected they turned out very crispy and delicious. Do give this a try if you find a banana blossom. I am sure you will enjoy it as much as we did :-)

Ingredients:
  • Banana Blossom (Bondi)*, chopped- 4 cups
  • Besan/ Chickpea flour- 3/4 cup
  • Rice Flour - 3/4 cup
  • Green chili, chopped - 1-3
  • Red Chilli powder - To taste
  • Ginger, grated- 1/2 tsp
  • Curry leaves, chopped - Few
  • Onion, small sized - 1
  • Salt- To taste
  • Oil - For deep frying
* Substitute cabbage if you cant find banana blossom.


Procedure:

Take a banana blossom (bondi).


Now discard the first few tough layers (3-4).


Then wash it and pat dry using a paper towel or cloth. 
Now cut through the banana flower (horizontally as well as vertically) as shown  in the video below (click on it).



It looks like this.



Then chop it to get fine pieces. 



Put the chopped banana blossom in water (to avoid blackening).  Continue the same procedure until you get the desired quantity (I used half of the big flower).



In a big bowl add rice flour, besan, salt, red chilli powder, grated ginger, chopped green chilli and chopped curry leaves. Mix well.



Then add drained chopped banana blossom (bondi) and chopped onion (don't add water) to the flour mixture. Mix well until it comes together.
Now add small portions of the mixture in the pre heated oil until it turns golden brown.



Once done, drain the excess oil using a paper towel. Continue frying the rest of the mixture in batches. Bondi Bajo is ready!!



Serve it hot. Above measurement serves 3-4 people.

3 comments :

  1. Hi Manjula,
    Sorry for this random Question. I saw your video and you seem to cut the veggies effortlessly.
    What brand of knife do you use? Any recommendations for knife to cut harder veggies like Beetroot, Sweet Pumpkin uncooked?

    A big fan :)
    Thank you,
    Jaisree

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    Replies
    1. Hi Jaisree,
      I am so glad that you follow me. Thanks so much.
      Coming back to your question- I own a Regensburg knife set. It is not very sharp as you see it. Generally I don't prefer very sharp ones as I always fear cutting myself. If you really want sharp big knives then you can look for Chef Knives made of Surgical Stainless steel on Amazon. They are really sharp and helps cutting hard vegetables. But be careful while using such sharp knives. Hope this helps you. Happy Cooking :-)

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