Feel like detoxifying your body? Want to improve your digestion? Then include banana stem in your diet. It helps to flush out toxins as well as helps to reduce weight! Banana stem gives several health benefits including in treatment of UTI, removal kidney stones, reduces blood pressure, cholesterol, gastric problem.

Banana stem like its fruits is rich in potassium and vitamin B. Cooked or eaten raw (like today’s recipe) the fiber content of banana stem is good for health. There are many other varieties of dishes one can prepare using banana stem – banana stem salad, fritters, sambar, varieties of curries, juice to name a few!

Learn how to make banana stem salad using simple ingredients. Cutting banana stem to small pieces is key for this salad recipe.

Ingredients:

1. Small cut banana stem -1.5 cups
2. Soaked moong dal – 2 Tbsp
3. Chenna dal- 2 tsp
4. Grated carrot -1/4 cup (optional)
5. Chopped cilantro- ¼ cup
6. Grated coconut – 2 Tbsp
7. Curry leaves – Few
8. Grated ginger – ¼ tsp
9. Mustard  seeds -1/4 tsp
10. Cumin -1 tsp
11. Urad dal – 1 tsp
12. Asafetida – a pinch
13. Salt – as per taste
14. Lime juice
15. Oil for seasoning

Preparation:

1. Apply little oil on both palms and remove out layer of banana stem. This to avoid blackening of palms. Transfer the inner portion of the stem to water.
2.  Cut inner tender portion of banana stem into very small pieces and transfer into fresh water. Add little lime juice and cover the lid. This will soften the banana stem. Leave it for 10 to 15 mins.
3. Grate carrot, slit green chillies, chop cilantro
4. In a pan, get ready with seasoning using cumin, mustard, urad dal, curry leaves, green chilies, grated ginger and asafetida.
5. Drain water from cut banana stem. Make sure there is no water left. Add soaked moong dal, grated carrot, chopped cilantro and salt. Mix well.
6. Add seasoning to the banana stem salad and mix well. Before serving add lemon juice and serve.

Image credit: Salad image: https://krvcaterers.com/sides/ ( Balepet, Bangalore: visit for side dishes and food)

Banana stem: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Posola.jpg, Footage at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons