SPICY GINATAANG PUSO NG SAGING

Banana blossom (aka Banana Flower or Banana Heart- Puso ng Saging in Tagalog) are tear-shaped maroon or purplish flowers hanging at the end of banana clusters.
My banana tree happened to have bear fruit this year. Since the bananas stopped forming,  it 's time to take the blossom. Perfect to make Ginataang Puso ng Saging.
Cooking this dish is not hard at all except extra time is needed because banana blossom takes some preparation. You have to peel and discard the outer, fibrous skin layers until you reach the lighter, softer core.  You'll probably remove about 4-6 layers of those hard and thick outer skin.

​Cut in the blossom in half and slice thinly. Soak in cold water with salt for 20 minutes then squeeze to release bitter sap. Squeeze and rinse at least 3-4 times and drain well. This step is very important so please do not skip or your dish will taste bitter. 
Where can you can find banana blossom if you don't have a tree and happened to live in another country. Banana blossom can be found in many Asian markets. It's a bit expensive sometimes, depending on the season.
​Another recipe you can make using banana blossom is Kinilaw na Puso ng Saging. It is simmered in water and vinegar. Almost the same with this dish except this is cooked in coconut milk. ​

"Ginataan" or guinataan as spelled by some, means adding coconut milk to a dish that's why this is called Ginataang Puso ng Saging. A very delicious dish with pork meat or belly. You can also use shrimp if you like. Make it spicy, the best and make sure to pair with rice and fried fish. Perfect combination! ​
Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think by leaving a comment below. Enjoy! 
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SPICY GINATAANG PUSO NG SAGING RECIPE

Ingredients:​

• 1 large or 2 medium banana blossoms
• ​​1 lb or 1/2 kilo pork belly or pork shoulder,  cut into strips
• 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1-2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 can, 13.5oz / 400ml coconut milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2-6 pieces chili pepper, siling labuyo 
• 10 cups water + 2 tbsp salt for soaking

VIDEO

Procedure:

• ​Trim off the stem of banana blossom. Peel and discard the outer, fibrous skin layers of banana blossom until you reach the lighter, softer core. Cut in half and slice thinly. Soak in cold water with salt for 20 minutes then squeeze to release bitter sap. Squeeze and rinse at least 3-4 times and drain well. Set aside.
• In a pan or wok, heat cooking oil. Saute' the garlic until fragrant.  Add onion and cook until translucent.
• Add pork and cook, stirring occasionally until color turns light brown. 
• Add fish sauce and continue to cook for about 5 minutes or until pork is tender.
• Add the banana blossom. Stir occasionally and cook until softened and release liquid, about 5-10 minutes. 
• Add the coconut milk. Cover and simmer while stirring occasionally about for 10 minutes or until sauce gets thick. Add chili pepper, salt and pepper to taste. Cook for another 1-2 minutes. 
• Serve with hot steamed rice. Enjoy! 

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PRINTABLE RECIPE

Ginataang Puso ng Saging by PinoyCookingRecipes