Banana Flower Paruppusili

Vaazha poo (Banana flower) parupusili is a rare delicacy for me these days. Rare, not because it is hard to find, but because it is so laborious that I rarely undertake the venture.

Cleaning and extracting the edible parts of the florets from the various layers of bracts is the first task. And then, removing the hard stamen and plastic-like petal that is not edible is the next step. Oil the palms before embarking on the procedure. Have a bowl of diluted buttermilk handy to place the edible parts during the procedure.

Many YouTube videos and online instructions clearly show how to do this if this is the first time. Since I've done it a zillion times as a youngster sous-chef in my mom's kitchen, I know that only the thought of the mouth-watering paruppusili  would make me go through the task of getting the edible flowers ready for cooking.

However, this time, since my mom is visiting, she undertook the task all by herself and made this delicious vaazha poo paruppusili!

The recipe for the paruppusili is the usual one with tuvar/toor dal as before. Simply chop the banana flowers and cook them with some salt and turmeric. Then, make it into paruppusili much like tindora paruppusili.

Of course, my mom takes a short-cut sometimes and instead of steaming the lentil balls and then pan frying the crumbs to crispness, she deep fried the balls into vada and then crumbled them instead.

Vegan Pork Slices

Not that I'd know what pork should taste like, but, thịt miệng đại loạn, sold as Vegan Pork Slices, tastes just like the  flavored soy product that it is - but, quite delicious with a good texture. It is easy to make - just soak in hot water for a few minutes and then cook it up with some vegetables,  and maybe some sauce, if preferred.

One of my favorite ways to flavor it is with fiery hot Nihari masala:
Dry roast
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
5 cloves
5 green cardamom,
1 black cardamom
2-inch stick cinnamon
2 bay leaves
1 tsp fennel seeds
¼ tsp ground nutmeg (optional)

1 Tbsp black peppercorns
8 dry red chillies (fewer if preferred)
½ tsp poppy seeds

Cool a bit and grind to a fine powder. Store in an air-tight container and use as needed.

Preparation

1. Steep 1 cup of dry vegan pork slices in hot water 
2. Meanwhile slice some onions; cut a wedge of green cabbage into big chunks; slit some green chilies and slice some green bell peppers
3. Heat a tablespoon of sesame oil in a pan, add some crushed garlic and grated ginger, then the onions, green bell pepper, and chilies; saute
4. Then add the cabbage and the softened vegan pork slices, some salt, and some Nihari masala powder - taste and adjust the flavoring, adding a little of the Nihari masala at a time
5. Stir well, cover, and allow the cabbage to wilt in its own water
6. Off heat, garnish with cilantro
7. Serve warm with roti or hot brown rice

Zhima Qiu: Glutinous Rice Balls with Surprise Fillings

A popular Chinese snack, Zhima Qiu, Ma Tuan, is something we indulge in about twice a year or so. And each time, we savor it, trying to come up with different fillings.

Hot, crunchy, chewy, mildly sweet, these glutinous rice balls seem to be a staple at Dim Sum restaurants as I gather. But, neither the kids nor I are fond of the red bean paste filling.

So, we tried a couple of different fillings: sweet lemon curd, small peanut butter chocolate ball candy, peanut butter+jelly, bananas, dry cranberries.

And, since there was no outer indication of what the filling might be, it was fun to bite into one and find the surprise inside.

The recipe for the shell is a standard one available on the web. Glutinous rice powder is available in most Asian stores.

For the outer shell:
3 cups glutinous rice powder
½ cup sugar
1 cup water

Oil for deep frying.

1 cup white sesame seeds for coating

Filling as needed.

Preparation

1. Mix sugar and water until dissolved. 
2. Add the glutinous rice flour and knead to a smooth dough.
3. Roll the dough into a long roll/log and cut into 20 pieces.
4. Flatten one piece at a time, make a concave depression holding the dough in the palm of one hand.
5. Add a small amount of filling in the center of the concave well.
6. Gather the edges and pinch to close, roll into a smooth ball, making sure filling is sealed in.
7. Dip the ball in water and coat with sesame seeds.
8. Deep fry in medium heat till golden brown.
9. Drain and serve warm.