Vazhaipoo Vadai Recipe aka Banana Flower Vadai with step by step pics and a short Youtube video. If you like my video, please share it and don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to my channel. A super tempting, yummy vada perfect for lunch or had with a cup of coffee. The recipe is similar to the Masal / Paruppu Vadai just altered by adding banana flower or blossom. I have published a separate post on How To clean Banana Flower with video, do read and watch before trying this vada, as the banana flower should be cleaned properly else it will create indigestion problems. Even kids will love this vada and it tastes too good and different from the regular ones. It has a soft inside and crispy outside texture but should be eaten when it is hot itself, as it loses it crispiness by time. If interested, check my Tamil New year / Vishu recipes here…
Check my other Vadai Recipes like

Banana Flower Vadai

Vazhaipoo Vadai Recipe | Banana Flower Vadai
Equipment
- Stovetop
Ingredients
1 Cup = 250 ML, 1 tsp = 5 ML
- 1½ Cup Banana Flower / வாழைப்பூ
- ¾ Cup Channa Dal / கடலைப்பருப்பு
- 4 to 5 Red Chilli / வரமிளகாய்
- 3 Flakes Garlic / பூண்டு
- 1 tsp Fennel Seeds / சோம்பு
- 1 tbsp Rice Flour / அரிசிமாவு
- 1 Green Chilli / பச்சைமிளகாய்
- 1 Onion / பெரிய வெங்காயம்
- 1 Sprig Curry Leaves / கருவேப்பில்லை
- 1 tbsp Coriander Leaves / கொத்தமல்லி இலை
- Salt / உப்பு As Required
- Oil / எண்ணெய் For Deep Frying
Instructions
- Soak the chana dal in water for a minimum time of 2 hours. Then, chop the garlic, green chilli, curry leaves and coriander leaves finely.
- Chop the banana blossom finely and keep it immersed in water till use, to avoid de-colouration. Check my post on (How to clean banana blossom post here and video here). Drain the water completely from both the chana dal and banana blossom.
- To a mixer, add the chana dal (reserve little), garlic flakes, red chilli, fennel seeds and grind it coarsely without adding any water. Then, add the chopped banana flower (reserve a handful, to add at last).
- Give only one pulse, don't grind it smoothly, else it tastes bitter. Add the reserved chana dal and banana flower to a bowl. Then add the ground ingredients.
- Now add the green chilli, coriander leaves, curry leaves, rice flour, hing, required salt and finely chopped onion. Mix everything well.
- Wet your hands, then pinch even sized balls from the dough, and flatten them with your palms. Heat oil in a Kadai, and drop the vada one by one carefully.
- Flip it on both sides and fry it in medium flame till crispy. Don’t over crowd the oil and fry it in batches only. Drain it in a kitchen towel.Enjoy this Banana Flower Vadai with Sukku Kaapi.
Video
Notes
Tips for Banana Flower Vadai
- Soak the chana dal for a minimum time of 2 to 3 hours, else the Banana Flower Vadai turns hard.
- For a different taste, equal quantity of chana dal and toor dal can be used.
- Adjust chilli as per spiciness required. You can use either green or red chilli alone.
- Always drain the water completely from the chana dal and banana flower and then grind. Otherwise, the dough becomes watery and the vada cannot be shaped.
- I reserved a handful of banana flower, then ground the remaining to avoid the banana flower spreading in the oil.
- Never pour water and grind the dal, the dough should be coarse only, else the vada drinks a lot of oil.
- First grind the dal coarsely and after adding banana flower just give 1 pulse only, otherwise it tastes bitter.
- Raw rice/rice flour/sooji any one of these can be used for crispiness. If using raw rice, soak and grind it along with dal.
- If the batter turns watery, add little more rice flour for binding. But don’t add more, as it turns the Vazhaipoo Vadai Recipe hard.
- Also don’t make the vada too thick (medium thickness only) as it wont get cooked inside.
- Always fry the vada in medium flame only, so it will be cooked evenly both outside and inside.
- Add salt and onion just before frying the vada, otherwise it oozes out water and the batter becomes little watery.
- This dough can be stored in refrigerator for a day, but add onion and salt before frying only.

Vazhaipoo Vadai Recipe
Method for Vazhaipoo Vada Recipe
1. Soak the chana dal in water for a minimum time of 2 hours. Then, chop the garlic, green chilli, curry leaves and coriander leaves finely.
2. Chop the banana blossom into medium sized and keep it immersed in water till use, to avoid de-coluration. Check my post on (How to clean banana blossom post here and video here). Drain the water completely from both the chana dal and banana blossom.
3. To a mixer, add the chana dal (reserve little), garlic flakes, red chilli, fennel seeds and grind it coarsely without adding any water. Then, add the chopped banana flower (reserve a handful, to add at last)
4. Give only one pulse, don’t grind it smoothly, else it tastes bitter. Add the reserved chana dal and banana flower to a bowl. Then add the ground ingredients.
5. Now add the green chilli, coriander leaves, curry leaves, rice flour, hing, required salt and finely chopped onion. Mix everything well.
6. Wet your hands, then pinch even sized balls from the dough, and flatten them with your palms. Heat oil in a kadai, and drop the vadai one by one carefully.
7. Flip it on both sides and fry it in medium flame till crispy. Don’t overcrowd the oil and fry it in batches only. Drain it in a kitchen towel.
Enjoy this Banana Flower Vadai with Sukku Kaapi.

Valaipoo Vadai Recipe
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