Banana step soup recipe with step by step photos and videos. Banana stem soup recipe is a healthy and tasty peppery soup from South India .
Plantain stem is also known as Vazhaithandu in Tamil , hence in regional language it's called as Vazhaithandu soup .
Banana Stem soup is really quick and easy to make , it's simple and needs just handful ingredients. Believe me it get's ready within 30 minutes.
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About this recipe
This is a popular street style recipe from Tamilnadu . It's popular as Vazhaithandu soup in Tamil ( regional language ) and is very popular in winters.
Needless to mention soups and winters are best friends but this particular soup also helps to maintain the body temperature in winters.
Serve this soup topped with cornflakes , crunchiness from corn flakes goes really well with recipe.
For a light dinner along with banana soup serve some grilled veggies , Tandoori gobi , Panner tikka or Tandoori chicken / grilled chicken .
Ingredients
To make Banana stem soup aka vazhaithandu soup , main ingredient is obviously Banana Stem with few basic seasoning and herbs to make this soup tasty.
- Banana stem , aka Plantain stem
- Shallots , Ginger , garlic , green chillies and coriander leaves
- Spices - Pepper powder , Cumin powder , Fennel seeds powder
- Cornflour as a thickening agent.
- Water or vegetable stock
- Salt to taste
See recipe card for quantities.
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Step by step instructions
Preparation - chopping banana stem
Cut open the outer layers of Banana stem , Remove outer layers until to get soft inner stem
Now cut the inner stem into a circular disc , you get fine thread like strings ( fibers) ,remove it from hands completely.
With every cut of circular disc , you’ll find fibres , just pull it from fingers and remove completely.
Once its cleaned completely , finely chop banana stems. (If you wish to blend it , you can just chop banana stem roughly , and blend later )
To make banana stem soup
Heat 2 tablespoon of butter in a large deep pan.Add chopped green chillies, garlic , ginger and shallots.
Sauté for 2-3 minutes on medium heat until raw smell of shallots vanishes.
Now add finely chopped banana stem , pinch of turmeric powder and saute for a minute.
Add 3 cups of water or stock , salt to taste .
Cover lid and cook for good 12 to 15 minutes on medium high heat. As banana stem is rich in fibres, it takes more time to get cooked. Alternatively, you can pressure cook for 1 to 2 whistles.
Once banana stem is cooked well, it will be soft . ( At this stage , if you wish you can strain water, set aside and blend the cooked banana stem in a blender to extract juice.)
Now make slurry from 1 tablespoon cornflour and 2 tablespoon of water , mix it along with cooked banana stem .
Stir well and bring to a gentle boil until it starts to thicken.
Now add cumin powder, fennel seeds powder, black pepper powder, coriander leaves and stir well.
Turn off the stove , squeeze fresh lime juice to taste.
Top with cornflakes and serve hot.
Variations
If you don't like to eat banana stem for its more fibers , you can blend cooked banana stem and extract only its juices. Recipe remains same, once everything is cooked just put into a blender , pass through sieve and extract juice discarding banana stem fibres.
Spicy - add chili flakes while serving for extra heat into the dish.
Kid friendly - add crushed potato chips along with corn flakes for extra zing.
Recipe
Banana Stem Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Butter
- 1 green chilli - chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic chopped
- ½ teaspoon ginger grated
- 2 tablespoon shallots - chopped
- 1.5 cups banana stem - finely chopped
- 1 pinch turmeric powder
- 3 cups water or vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
- 2 tablespoon of water to mix with cornflour
- Salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds powder
- ½ tablespoon blackpepper powder - to taste
- 2 tablespoon coriander leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Instructions
Preparation -Chopping Banana stem
- Cut open the outer layers of Banana stem , Remove outer layers until to get soft inner stem
- Now cut the inner stem into a circular disc , you get fine thread like strings ( fibers) ,remove it from hands completely.
- With every cut of circular disc , you’ll find fibres , just pull it from fingers and remove completely.
- Once its cleaned completely , finely chop banana stems. (If you wish to blend it , you can just chop banana stem roughly , and blend later )
To make soup
- Heat 2 tablespoon of butter in a large deep pan.
- Add chopped green chillies, garlic , ginger and shallots. Sauté for 2-3 minutes on medium heat until raw smell of shallots vanishes.
- Now add finely chopped banana stem , pinch of turmeric powder and saute for a minute.
- Add 3 cups of water or stock , salt to taste .
- Cover lid and cook for good 12 to 15 minutes on medium high heat. As banana stem is rich in fibres, it takes more time to get cooked. Alternatively, you can pressure cook for 1 to 2 whistles.
- Once banana stem is cooked well, it will be soft . ( At this stage , if you wish you can strain water, set aside and blend the cooked banana stem in a blender to extract juice.)
- Now make slurry from 1 tablespoon cornflour and 2 tablespoon of water , mix it along with cooked banana stem .
- Stir well and bring to a gentle boil until it starts to thicken.
- Now add cumin powder, fennel seeds powder, black pepper powder, coriander leaves and stir well.
- Turn off the stove , squeeze fresh lime juice to taste.
- Top with cornflakes and serve hot.
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