Ginataang Puso ng Saging are banana blossoms cooked in coconut milk (or coconut cream). “Ginataan” is a Filipino term which means to cook in coconut milk or coconut cream. “Puso ng Saging”, on the otherhand, literally means Banana heart. We all know that the banana tree has no heart. The banana heart are banana blossoms. These is a bud or flower that will become banana (fruits) later on.
Cooking Ginataang Puso ng Saging using fresh banana blossoms is quite tedious. I use fresh banana blossoms everytime I make this dish, but that was when I was in the Philippines. The procedure is quite tedious considering that the banana blossoms needs to be prepared before cooking.
The preparation involves chopping the blossoms and soaking them in salt for several minutes. This is done to release the sap inside the banana blossoms. Once this has been completed, the banana blossoms are washed with water and placed inside a cloth. The cloth is squeezed later on to fully release all the sap (similar to making atchara) from the banana blossoms – only then can you start cooking.
When I went here in Chicago, I discovered that there were canned alternatives for banana blossoms. The texture might not be the same with the fresh ones, but it saves me a lot of time. What used to be over 30 minutes of preparation can now be done in matter of seconds. Using canned banana blossoms is a total relief for me.
Have you tried eating this dish? What do you like most about it?
Try this Ginataang Puso ng Saging recipe and let me know what you think.
Ginataang Puso ng Saging Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cans 15 ounce each banana blossoms (puso ng saging)
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 pieces long green chili or banana pepper
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
Instructions
- Heat a pan and pour-in cooking oil.
- Saute garlic and onion.
- When the onion becomes soft, add the banana blossoms. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add vinegar and long green chili. Let boil.
- Pour in the coconut milk. Let boil, and then simmer until the liquid reduces.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Turn the heat off, and then transfer the cooked banana blossoms on a serving plate.
- Serve with steamed rice. Share and enjoy!
JMom says
I’ll have to try out the canned stuff! BTW, love your videos and the new layout. Very nice 🙂
BroDraze says
Thanks for this one!.. Gonna Try this recipe later. 🙂