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Banana Blossom Vegan Crab Cake Recipe

Date
Jan, 26, 2021

Our neighbor gifted me a banana blossom from his banana plant. So what is a banana blossom, you might ask? I have to admit that, before moving to San Diego, I had no idea what a banana blossom is nor that it is edible. It is the purple-skinned, tear-shaped flower that grows at the end of a cluster of bananas. These blossoms are used a lot in Asian cooking, and they also can be eaten raw. The chunky, flaky texture makes it an ideal substitute for fish in vegan cooking. I love using banana blossom in my vegan “crab” cake.

There actually are health benefits of banana blossoms — it’s an alkaline food high in dietary fiber and other vital nutrients. If you can’t find fresh banana blossoms, you can find canned ones. 

First things first: banana blossoms need to be cleaned before they can be cooked. Here is a tutorial on how to do that:

Banana Blossom “crab” cake

Rémoulade Ingredients:

  • 1 cup vegan mayonnaise
  • 1 Tbsp ketchup
  • 1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
  • 1 tsp hot sauce
  • 1 tsp vegan Worcester sauce
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp minced capers
  • 2 tsp minced shallots
  • 1 tsp minded fresh dill
  • 2 tsp minced red bell pepper

“Crab” Cake Ingredients:

  • 2 tsp nori flakes
  • 14 ounces fresh or canned banana blossoms
  • ½ cup canola oil
  • ¼ cup minced red onion
  • 1/2 cup canola oil, more if needed
  • 3 Tbsp vegan mayo
  • 2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
  • 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 1 cup Panko bread crumbs

Directions:

  1. Prepare Rémoulade: 
  2. Place all rémoulade ingredients in a food processor or blender, and blend on high for 1 minute. 
  3. Set aside or store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
  4. Prepare Crab Cakes:
  5. If using canned blossoms, drain them. Place in a food processor, pulse gently until they look like the consistency of crabmeat.
  6. Place a small sauté pan on medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of oil and heat for 30 seconds, being careful not to let it smoke. Sauté the onion until soft, 3 to 5 minutes.
  7. In a large bowl, combine the blossoms, onion, mayo, 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, nori flakes, nutritional yeast flakes, cornstarch, and salt and pepper. Mix until incorporated. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  8. Scoop with an ice cream scoop or a large spoon to portion into small cakes. Combine breadcrumbs with 1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning. Coat the small cakes with breadcrumbs. Let sit in the refrigerator for 1 hour or until firm.

    Cook Crab Cakes: 

  • Place a sauté pan on medium-high heat. Add some canola oil and heat for 2 minutes.
  • Working in batches, sauté the cakes (make certain that the oil comes about

    halfway up the sides of the cakes) until browned on both sides and heated through, 2 to 3

    minutes on each side.        

Fredrika Syren

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