If you ever come across shady looking banana in the market, never get confused and assume it like a banana. It might look like a banana, but in reality, it is a plantain. 

Plantains belong to the banana family and contain starch with low sugar. Because they have excessive starch, before they ripen, they are usually cooked green, either boiled or fried, in savory dishes.

Mostly found in India and the Caribbean, plantains are used in various traditional dishes. Though being a fruit, it is considered a vegetable. 

 

Uses

 

The green plants are natural in European and Asian countries, but now they can be grown anywhere in the world where there is sufficient water. The plantain leaves are the source of various medicines. Along with the leaves, their seeds are highly medical. They have diuretic effects similar to the seed of psyllium.

 

Banana flower

 

Banana flower has exclusive health-enhancing characteristics. The uses of a plantain flower are as follows:

• By cooking and eating the plantain flower two times a week, the cholesterol easily gets vanished from the blood. Thus the blood circulation gets smooth. 
• The blood takes the necessary oxygen and iron when you eat the cooked banana flower. By this, it prevents the attack of Blood pressure and anemia. 

The rich starch plantain is very healthful and has some amazing health benefits. Let us have a look at some of the benefits of plantain. 

 

Digestive Health

 

Two agents make plantains good for digestive health. First, the immune starch serves as a prebiotic, fostering the growth of healthy bacteria in the colon. Second, plantains have an adequate amount of fiber that improves bowel function. 

 

Diabetes Control

 

Diabetes has become a common disease today, and it is important to manage and control it for living. The plantains do not digest in the small intestine, so they never increase the blood sugar. Food that digests gradually has a moderate glycemic index (GI). The standard GI is 55. Plantains have a GI of 40, and that makes them a perfect food choice for diabetic patients. 

 

Support the immune system

 

Plantains are a great source of vitamin C, and adding them as part of a different diet can help strengthen the immune system.

However, heat and light can destroy vitamin C. So, when cooking plantains, use as little boil water and cook them for a short period. 

 

Good for your heart

 

The rich potassium in the plantains is necessary for maintaining the cell. The potassium controls the heart and blood pressure rate. Moreover, the fiber lowers cholesterol and maintains the functioning of the heart. 

 

Have a look at some amazing recipes. You can buy groceries online in Canada and prepare some delicious cuisine for your friends and family.

 

Banana Chips

 

Banana chips are a deep-fried snack recipe made from plantain, also known as the kaccha kela. It is a popular South Indian snack, which is also served as a dessert. The easy to make banana chips only require banana, oil, and salt. 

 

Plantain Soup

 

The delicious plantain soup found its way from Latin American countries. The comforting soup is easy to make at home and is full of flavor. Its ingredients are basic and can easily be prepared by anyone. 

 

Raw Banana Curry

 

The raw banana curry is a simple south Indian dish that goes best with rice and chapati. The raw bananas are bustle fried and then stewed in tangy tamarind water. Lastly, the curry is seasoned with mustard seeds, curry leaves, and red chilies.

 

Plantain Cutlets

 

The delicious plantain cutlets are crunchy snacks made of raw bananas and potatoes. They get crunchy because they are coated with breadcrumbs. These are best to have during tea time or at breakfast. 

 

Banana Flower Vada

 

The unique and tasty banana flower vada is made from the ground banana blooms. Crispy from outside and soft from inside, banana flower vada is the tastiest South Indian dish. 

The uniqueness of this recipe is that the banana blossoms are crushed and added to the dough. Removing the Pistils and the Calyx from the banana blossoms will evade the bitterness from it.