Gretchen’s notes:
One of our favorite parts of experiencing world foods is discovering locally common ingredients that we almost never see at home. Banana blossom is definitely one of those! While I’ve seen it for sale, I never knew what to do with it or how to use it. This Indonesian banana blossom curry is a great option if you’re in a similar position.
Ayu does a fantastic job of demonstrating how to prepare a banana blossom in the videos she sent, so absolutely check that out if you’re not familiar with this ingredient. The recipe below also has detailed instructions on how to prepare a banana blossom for this recipe.
Lots of the ingredients Ayu uses can feel time-consuming or complicated, but they don’t need to be. Really, don’t let this recipe intimidate you; there are easy substitutes for almost every unfamiliar or challenging ingredient.
Ingredient Preparation
Banana blossom: this is the only tricky part of this recipe that you can’t really cheat with. There’s no getting around preparing the banana blossom! As I mentioned before, Ayu’s video should be super helpful. If you’re more of a reader, here are the basic instructions for how to prepare your banana blossom.
Start by peeling off and discarding the outer purple leaf. Underneath, you’ll see a row of pale yellowish stalks. Remove these. Each stalk should have a thinner stalk (pistil) inside, as well as a light purple petal-looking part around it. Remove and discard the pistils and petals. You should be left with yellow-tipped, pale-colored, thicker stalks.
Repeat this process until you’ve removed all the purple leaves and cleaned all the stalks under them. Eventually, the purple leaves will give way to paler yellow ones. At this point, stop peeling the banana blossom. Simply cut it into thin slices, cutting diagonally downward to avoid the tough core.
The parts you’ll eat are the thicker stalks you’ve cleaned and the parts you’ve just cut into slices. The purple leaves, core, pistils, and little purple petals on the inner stalks get discarded.
Coconut milk: Ayu makes her own coconut milk from scratch by grating a coconut, mixing it with water, and kneading the mixture to extract the flavor. She then strains it and uses the resulting coconut milk in the recipe.
This is actually a very satisfying activity, and we love making our own coconut milk! But it can definitely be time- and labor-intensive. If you want something faster and easier, you can absolutely just use store-bought coconut milk mixed with water to achieve the right texture.
Fried shallots: we found that it was very common in Indonesia to prepare fried shallots before many meals. It’s pretty easy once you get the hang of it, and the result is delicious! But this is another place where you can absolutely cheat if you want to. Your local Asian grocer will probably have bags of fried shallots for sale, and you may even be able to find them in a well-stocked supermarket.
Substitution Options
Banana blossom: to be fair, the banana blossom is the heart of this dish. If you substitute it, you’ll have a whole different dish. But of course, we’re all about culinary creativity, so feel free to use the basis of this recipe and swap in another ingredient if you can’t find a banana blossom! Try hearty mushrooms or cubed chicken.
Coconut: not in the mood to use a whole coconut to make your own coconut milk? No problem! Buy two cans of coconut milk (around 13.5 oz/400 ml each) and mix with 6 cups/1400 ml water.
Salam leaves: these leaves are common in Indonesia, but rare in a lot of the rest of the world. If you can’t find them, simply substitute dried bay leaves.
Zedoary root: like salam leaves, this is a common Indonesian ingredient that you may not be able to find elsewhere. Substitute galangal if you can find it, or ginger if not.
Chili peppers: Ayu uses three red chili peppers and one fresh cayenne pepper. Feel free to substitute liberally. Use whatever chilis you have available locally that will achieve your preferred heat level. You can go for ultra-spicy with hot chilis or keep it mild by using a piece of red bell pepper instead.
Ingredients
- 1 banana blossom
- 1 coconut (or substitute 2 cans of coconut milk plus 6 cups water)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 5 dried salam leaves (substitute bay leaves)
- 3 fresh lime leaves
For the fried shallots (optionally, use fried shallots from the store instead):
- 12 small shallots
- 3 garlic cloves
For the curry paste:
- 12 garlic cloves
- 4” fresh turmeric root
- 1 tablespoon shrimp paste
- 1” zedoary root (substitute galangal)
- 4 small chili peppers (adjust based on spice preference) plus more for serving (optional)
Instructions:
Fry the shallots (optionally, substitute store-bought fried shallots). Thinly slice the shallots and three garlic cloves. Heat 1 cup of neutral oil over medium heat, then add the shallots and garlic. Fry, stirring frequently, until crispy and golden.
Prepare the banana blossom. Peel back the dark outer leaves of the banana blossom and clean the stalks inside. Put the cleaned stalks in a large bowl.
Cut the inner pale part of the banana blossom into thin slices, avoiding the core, and add to the bowl with the cleaned stalks.
In a large pot, bring enough water to fully cover the banana blossom to a boil. Add the sliced banana blossom and cleaned stalks, and boil for 10 minutes. Drain.
OPTIONAL: make coconut milk. Grate the coconut, then mix thoroughly with 8 cups of water. Squeeze the grated coconut in the water to extract its flavor, then strain. (Skip this step by mixing 2 cans of coconut milk with 6 cups of water.)
Make the curry paste. Blend together the garlic cloves, shrimp paste, turmeric, zedoary root, and chilis until smooth.
Heat 1/2 cup neutral oil in a large wok over medium-high heat, and add the blended paste. Fry for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, then add 1 teaspoon each of salt and sugar. Fry for several more minutes.
Prepare the dish. Add the coconut milk, salam (or bay) leaves, and lime leaves to the pot with the curry paste, and bring to a simmer.
Add the boiled banana blossom and cook for around 5 minutes.
Top with the fried shallots, mix to combine, serve, and enjoy! Optionally, finish with thinly sliced chilis if you like heat.
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