momoese

This looks interesting!

Banana stem curry, anyone?
By MOHAMAD BAKRI DARUS


This Malay delicacy is usually served at wedding feasts in Kedah.

NOT many people are familiar with gulai batang pisang, but whenever the dish is served at wedding feasts, it is often the first one to run out.

This Malay curry is made from the edible pith found in the trunk of a young banana palm and is a speciality in the north.

Often cooked with beef as well, the curry can be considered a “rare dish” and is hard to find in restaurants, particularly in urban areas.


(Picture:Traditional-Gulai batang pisang(banana stem curry) is a rare dish that is served at Malay wedding feasts, and is more commonly eaten in villages than in urban areas.



Gulai batang pisang, together with other Malay traditional delicacies like gulai kawah, gulai nangka, gulai ikan talang masin, gulai rebung and kerabu pucuk paku, is a staple at wedding feasts held in Kedah.

“The present generation has not been exposed to this delicacy, but when they taste it, they really like it,” said Hamid Mat, 70.

He decided to serve the banana stem curry to guests at a wedding feast held for his son, Mohamad Nizam and his bride Habibah Kassim, both 28, at Kampung Paya in Kodiang recently.

The banana stems for this traditional curry are usually found in the jungle. The pokok pisang hutan normally grows in hilly areas. Unlike other banana trees, the fruit of this plant is inedible as it contains a lot of seeds.



(Picture:Hashim Awang showing how he harvests the jungle banana stem pith.)

For gulai batang pisang, only young jungle banana trees can be used, as the pith in the stems is still soft. The banana tree is felled and its stem sliced open so that the pith can be harvested.


(Picture:Yusof Abas collects banana stems from the jungle banana trees. The pith from the stems is used in cooking gulai batang pisang.)

According to Hashim Awang, 73, the jungle banana tree does not need to be cultivated.

“We don’t plant them, they grow by themselves. We simply go to the location where they grow in abundance and take as much (banana stem pith) as we want,” he said.

When the kampung folk need to go to the jungle to harvest the palms, it is usually done gotong-royong style. Despite obstacles like crossing rivers and climbing hills, the trips are worthwhile as the villagers also find plants and herbs like rebung, pucuk paku and pokok tepus which can be eaten as ulam (traditional Malay salads).

“First, the beef is boiled until half-cooked and then the banana stem pith is added with other ingredients into the boiling pot. If this is done too early, the pith will be overcooked and will become too soft, and the curry will be mushy,” said Samsudin Ismail, who supervised the team that cooked the food for the wedding feast held by Hamid. – Bernama

Link to the blog where I found this:
...to study in creative ways...

momoese

BTW, if anyone has an actual recipe I'd be interested in seeing it. I plan to remove several large Hawaiian Apples in the near future and would like to try this with them.

Bob

I think I'm going to try this in a miniature version with some store bought red/hot curry from the Asian market. I'll have to see what pup is going to get sacrificed, probably an orinoco. Probably start with some fried hard pressed tofu chunks and maybe some bok choy or whatever looks good today to add bulk. How bad could it be? Especially with a smallish pup. Of course there's a pizzaria around the block should things go awry

__________________

momoese

I think you'll need a pretty big pup to get a decent sized heart (pith) from it. It looks like the ones in the pics must have over feet of PS.

I found some recipes but need someone to translate them.

Bob

Let me and all know if you do get them translated. Unfortunately the pup I have in mind isn't all that large but I'm only making a small wok full. Just got back from the market and bought several hot curries both pre made in foil bags and the paste you reconstitute as well as powder. There is a big Malaysian aisle in the store. I took a taste of the paste in the jar and had good spicy hot flavor so I'm leaning that way for now. I'll get back on this however it turns out.
They had a ton of Manzano's again this week as well. I learned you have to let them ripen fully but a great banana when you can get them

__________________

momoese

So how was the curry dish?

Bob

aaargh.... just typed it all out and the screen went blank when I hit preview!
Short version:It came out ok but not great, needed bigger pups as you mentioned, hard tofu didn't absorb flavor quick enough and the curry was meant to cut with coconut milk I didn't have. I'll know how to do it better next tme for sure.

__________________

ewitte

I'll have to try this after I get some fruit. Also good to know if your in a bind and starving there are banana plants all over the place here.

bengtang

You can't do it after you get some fruit because the middle of the stem will then be very fibrous and it will be like eating sugar cane. To cook it you have to harvest before the plant flowers. More links:

Spicy dish made of wild banana trunks and beef - Nation | The Star Online

Zingiberales in Traditional Malay Cooking (with recipes)
http://www.heliconiasocietypr.org/HS...013%281%29.pdf

Recipe (in Malay)
Google Translate

RAINFOREZT

But you can always try different recipes.

Vashapindi means banana stem. It's used to treat kidney stone and high cholesterol.

Vazha Pindi Thoran / Banana Stem Cooked with Coconut ~ Edible Garden

Simply Spicy: Vazha Pindi Thoran - Banana Stem Stir Fry

Yummy O Yummy: Vazhapindi-Thuvaraparippu Thoran (Banana Stem-Toor Dal Poriyal)

Kambu Thoran | Banana Stem Stir Fry | Vazhapindi Thoran ~ Sankeerthanam (Reciperoll.com)|Recipes | Cake Decorations | Cup Cakes |Food Photos




All these are traditional Kerala recipes. If you google you will see a lot.

kom

Banana Stem in Malaysia called BATANG PISANG...there are many versions of banana stem curry in Malaysia....if you interested can come visit my country.... I'm Malaysian....my name Azril....feel free to visit my facebook page Batang Pisang Awareness Campaign (BANANA STEM AWARENESS CAMPAIGN) in my country.... I am promoting banana stem potential an value....
http://www.facebook.com/komgringplesbanana
and also views all my video in my youtube channel Comgreenlovesclimate..



this one of my videos...coming up next many more information about banana stem from my videos...and also may be my company;s official webpage...

__________________
KOMgringples..RocK@riSmA