Does banana flower control sugar?

No. It is a fibre-rich vegetable and not a medicine. Blood sugar needs your doctor's plan.

Cook it fresh and eat it the same day. Cut banana flower darkens quickly.

Why is the cleaning so long?

The tough petals and the stiff centre of each floret are bitter and unpleasant, so they are removed.

Banana Flower (Vazhaipoo) Poriyal as a Fibre-Rich Side

Cleaned banana flower cooked with coconut, mustard and curry leaves as a fibre-rich side with rice or roti. A vegetable, not a remedy; cleaning it patiently matters.

A fibre-rich side from the south

Banana flower, or vazhaipoo, is a regional vegetable cooked as a dry poriyal with grated coconut, mustard seeds and curry leaves. It has plenty of fibre and a mild, slightly astringent taste. It is a food worth knowing, not a treatment for the gut, blood sugar or anything else.

The slow part is cleaning: remove the hard outer petals, the tiny florets and the stiff stamen inside each, and keep the cut pieces in buttermilk water so they do not darken. Eat it freshly cooked. If you take medicines for diabetes or are on a set diet, treat it as a normal vegetable portion.

Ingredients

1 cup chopped, cleaned banana flower
2 tablespoons grated coconut
Mustard seeds, curry leaves, a pinch of turmeric and salt

How to prepare

Clean the flower well and soak the cut pieces in buttermilk water for ten minutes, then drain.
Splutter mustard seeds, add curry leaves and the flower, cook covered with a splash of water until soft, then add coconut.

How to use

Eat a small bowl as a side with rice or roti.
A few times a month in season is plenty.

Helpful habits

Rub a little oil on your fingers while cutting to avoid stains.
Use the same day, since the cut flower darkens fast.

Precautions

Tell your doctor if you are on blood sugar medicines, since a large new portion changes the meal.
Do not eat it if it tastes unpleasantly bitter or smells off.
Not a treatment for any gut or blood sugar condition.

Frequently asked questions

Does banana flower control sugar?: No. It is a fibre-rich vegetable and not a medicine. Blood sugar needs your doctor's plan.
Can I cook it ahead?: Cook it fresh and eat it the same day. Cut banana flower darkens quickly.
Why is the cleaning so long?: The tough petals and the stiff centre of each floret are bitter and unpleasant, so they are removed.