Banana Flower Chutney, Tambli (Bondi Chutney)

Banana flowers are used to make yummy chutney and tambli. Makes a heavenly lunch, when the chutney, tambli is had with a bowl of steaming hot rice and with congee. 

They aid removal of kidney stones they say. Banana flowers/blossoms are called bondi in Konkani. The chutney is hence called bondi chutney and the tambli made from the banana blossoms is called as bondi tambli. 

Banana flowers:

Bananas are formed from the banana flowers that look like this:

As the flower blooms layer by layer they get pollinated and form bananas. 

After the bananas are formed a part of the flower still remains at the tip of the banana bunch. That is called bondi in Konkani and is used in cooking.

Ingredients:

For making chutney:

• 1 banana flower
• 1/2 cup grated coconut
• 1 tablespoon of tamarind
• 1/2 teaspoon of peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds
• 2 dried red chillies
• 1 green chilli
• 1 tablespoon of ghee
• Salt to taste

For making tambli:

• 1/4 cup curds for making tambli
• 1 tablespoon of ghee/oil
• 1 dried red chilli
• 1 leaflet of curry leaves

Serves: 2

Preparation Time: 25 minutes

Preparation Method:

Prepping the banana flower:

1. Remove the outer peels of the banana flower one by one until you get the completely white inner portion of the banana flower.

2. Finely chop the white portion of the banana flower. Add the pieces into a bowl with salt/turmeric to remove any bitterness it has.

You can use all the completely white peels too. Finely chop them and use them too to make chutney.

The hard outer layers of the banana flower aren't used in cooking. The inner soft layers are used.

Once chopped the pieces oxidise and turn brown in colour.

3. Allow it to stand in the water for 10 minutes. Decant all the water and keep the pieces aside.

Preparing the chutney:

1. Heat a wok, add in ghee, cumin seeds, peppercorns and let them sizzle.

2. Once the cumin seeds start to splutter add in green chilli broken into pieces, dried red chillies broken into pieces and saute them for few minutes.

3. Then add in the chopped banana flower and saute for a minute.

4. Add salt, 1/2 cup of water and cook closed on a medium flame.

5. Once the banana flowers are cooked through, remove off heat.

6. Let it cool completely.

7. Once cooled, grind all the cooked ingredients with grated coconut, tamarind into a smooth paste, using only as much water as required. We want the chutney to be thick.

8. Transfer the ground chutney into a bowl.

Serving suggestions:

Enjoy the chutney with a bowl of hot steaming rice or conjee.

You can also enjoy the chutney with curd rice. 

You can serve this chutney with idli, dosas.

Preparing bondi tambli/ banana flower tambli:

1. To the chuntey, add about 1/4 cup of curds or sour buttermilk and mix well. 

2. Dilute the tambli if required to the desired consistency.

3. Season the tambli if required. Heat a tadka pan, add in ghee, mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add in dried red chilli broken into pieces, curry leaves and let them sizzle for few seconds. Add this seasoning to the tambli and mix well. 

4. Enjoy with rice.

Other tamblis:

Tora Leaves Tambli (Taikile Palle Tambali)

Spring onions Tambli (Onion Tambli, Piyava Tambali)

Tags: bondi tambli, bondi chutney, banana flower chutney, banana blossom tambli, Konkani cuisine, Konkani food, Konkani recipe, Udupi cuisine, Mangalore food.