Banana Blossom Vegan Fish Recipe | Elephantastic Vegan (2024)

FAQs

How to make vegan fish taste like fish? ›

You can add seaweed, which really gives you the taste of the ocean, by adding kelp flakes, dulce flakes, or crumbled up pieces of seaweed. Lemon zest and juice, whether in the recipe or added at the end, is also reminiscent of many seafood dishes.

Banana blossom has “quite a neutral flavour, so it absorbs flavours really well. We've been soaking it in kombu and wrapping it in nori, to put that fishy flavour through it, and created a battered cod-esque fillet,” she said. As banana blossom is fibrous, it can stand a lot of seasoning.

If you enjoy eating jackfruit like BBQ pulled pork, your mind is about to be blown by the next big plant-based meat alternative for fish: banana blossoms.

Banana blossoms are an edible flower that grow at the end of a bunch of bananas. Their petals are layered, and many liken the tender, flaky texture to that of cooked fish. If you've ever cooked with young green jackfruit, the texture is a bit similar!

Seitan is a good basis for plant-based fish fillets and fish burgers. Due to its fibrous consistency, jackfruit is another ideal fish alternative. Depending on the seasoning, it can be used to prepare vegan fish cakes or fish fillets.

The benefits of being a pescatarian might get you hooked. Pescatarians have a lot in common with vegetarians. They eat fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, whole grains, beans, eggs, and dairy, and stay away from meat and poultry. But there's one way they part company from vegetarians: Pescatarians eat fish and other seafood.

You must peel off the outer layers to reveal the edible portion of this beautiful flower, which consists of the florets and the core (heart). You can then use the outer petals, which typically aren't eaten, as serving plates. This delicious bloom is also known as banana blossom or banana heart.

The inner peach-pink core of the blossom is what's typically cooked. Since it's quick to oxidize and turn brown, raw banana blossom should be placed in cold water with a bit of salt or vinegar after chopping or shredding. (If you're using canned blossoms, they will come pre-cut or pre-shredded.).

Digestive Health: Banana flowers are rich in dietary fiber, promoting healthy digestion, preventing constipation, and supporting overall gut health.

Ingredients: Water, textured soy protein concentrate (16%), wheat flour, rapeseed oil, potato starch, flavouring, sea salt, linseed oil, thickener: methyl cellulose; spices, salt, yeast, dextrose, flaxseed flour, cornflour.

Is banana blossom healthy? ›

Banana blossoms contain significant potassium, calcium, as well as vitamins A, C, and E apart from powerful flavonoids like quercetin and catechin. These can alleviate joint discomfort, increases bone mineral density, and reduce osteocalcin levels thus preventing chances of osteoporosis.

The flower itself does not taste bitter. The bitterness comes from the sap between the petals. Clean the flower thoroughly. If sap remains use a dilute lemon water solution to remove the rest.

If you can't find any Banana Blossom, I recommend using jackfruit or chickpeas. Sesame seed oil: this adds so much flavour to Asian cuisines, but you can use olive or coconut oil. Onion: the base for most recipes. Fresh garlic and ginger: for a good punch of flavour.

Unlike the sweet banana fruit, the flowers offer a mild to neutral taste, making them an ideal vegetarian alternative to fish, absorbing flavors from other ingredients in the recipe and mimicking the flaky texture of some fish.

Many fish dishes are topped with Old Bay seasoning, so adding this to your vegan seafood will similarly ignite your taste buds. If you don't have the can in your cupboard, you can make your own version with celery seed, salt, red and black pepper, and paprika.

Seaweed and Kelp.

Wakame seaweed (or undaria) or dulse seaweed are both good options for this recipe (I use wakame). I also use dashima or dried kelp to intensify the fishy flavor of this vegan fish sauce.

That's how fresh fish should taste like. The two things that works best for me are buttermilk and lemon juice. Marinade the fish in buttermilk overnight, or in lemon juice for 20–30 mins before cooking, then sprinkling some more on once served.