Daeyounfa

A lot of flowers are both beautiful and nutritious and can be used to make interesting dishes. If you have a banana tree, you can for instance try this mouth-watering Banana Flower Soup recipe from Thailand. There are however many flowers that should never be utilized for human consumption and it is important to consult the national institute of health in your country or a similar reputable source before you start integrating a flower in your diet. The beautiful and commonly kept Calla lilies can for instance cause diarrhoea, vomiting, and swelling of the mouth and eyes.

Start by cleaning 1 banana tree flower and removing the outer layers. Cover the banana with warp and microwave on high for roughly 3 minutes. (You can also boil it in water on the stove; this will take roughly 15 minutes.) Let the flower cool off a bit and then cut it in in quarters lengthways, then across until you have fairly thin slices. Slice 2 stems of fresh lemon grass and chop garlic until you have 2 teaspoons of garlic. Place the banana flower slices in a large enough saucepan and add 1.5 litres of water, the lemongrass and the garlic. Also add 4 slices of galangal, 4 kaffir lime leaves, 3 fresh chillies, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, cover the saucepan, and leave to simmer until the banana flower is tender. This will normally take around 20 minutes. Chop fresh coriander and spring onions until you have 3 tablespoons of each. Add 250 ml of thick coconut milk, 3 tablespoons of lime juice, and 2 tablespoons of fish sauce to the saucepan and stir. Sprinkle the fresh coriander and spring onions over the soup right before serving.

Filed under: Foods by LiNuX