Tortang Puso Ng Saging only requires basic ingredients, so it can be considered as a dish that a lot of people can afford.
The banana blossom (or literally the heart of the banana) is an ingredient that is sold at cheap prices, it is also abundant in the Philippines. Banana trees are one of the most useful trees to ever exist.
The more well-known ways to cook banana blossom is by making them into adobo (a traditional Filipino style of cooking) and ginataan or gata (cooking in a coconut-milk based sauce).
But kids are not too fond of those styles of cooking, they would rather eat something that is fried and can be dipped in ketchup. This leads to Filipino parents thinking of ways to make their children eat healthily and enjoy the food at the same time.
For this torta dish, it is nothing new for the Filipinos. They are already aware of possibly using vegetables for the method of cooking. The banana heart just happened to be the next healthy and affordable ingredient they have thought of.
Tips How to Make Tortang Puso ng Saging
- Before preparing the banana blossom, rub some oil into your palm and chopping board to avoid it from getting stained.
- Peel off and discard 3-4 layers of the maroon or purple bracts from the banana blossom. Underneath you will see small florets attached on the top, remove that as well.
- Once you see the white or pale-colored heart, you can start chopping the banana blossom. For this recipe, it needs to be finely chopped.
- Immediately put the chopped banana blossom in a bowl of cold water to avoid it from getting dark.
- Drain and add some table salt then squeeze them by hand.
The recipe is really one of the best ones that can be cooked for both children and adults. The main ingredient is very famous for its nutrition profile. It is packed with vitamins and minerals that are very essential for a lot of body functions. It is also reported to contain antioxidants and have certain properties that may help avoid or relieve illnesses.
If you prefer going healthy, you may give the kids tortang puso ng saging for their next packed lunch. It is healthy, delicious, and affordable all at the same time. Just be sure to give them ketchup as a dipping sauce to make their meal yummier and memorable.
Recipe
Tortang Puso ng Saging Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 whole banana blossom
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 small onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 small red bell pepper finely chopped
- 1 tbsp flour
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup cooking oil for frying
Instructions
- Clean the banana blossom and finely chop. See the tips above on how to clean them.
- Add 1 tbsp of salt to the banana blossom and let it stand for 5 minutes. Squeeze it by hand to remove excess liquid. It should now be a little bit soft.
- In a bowl, combine the banana blossom, onion, garlic, pepper, red bell pepper, flour and egg. Mix until well combined.
- Heat a pan over medium heat, add the cooking oil. Scoop the banana blossom mixture and pan-fry for 3-5 minutes on each side or until brown. Remove from the pan, drain excess oil with paper towel.
- Serve with hot steamed rice and ketchup for dipping sauce.
Lee says
I will try to make,