Greetings!

Cooking and eating your own harvest is one of the most satisfying feelings in the world, isn't it? In this blog, I am proud to share a dish where the main ingredient came from my vegetable garden. The dish is called "Okoy" in our language. Okoy has many variants and "Okoy na Puso ng Saging" is one of them.

This is actually my first time that I cooked this dish in my entire life. I do see my sisters cook this dish once a while I just followed what they usually do. This is also the first time that my wife has tasted this dish (and I am glad she likes it).

So, with further ado, here's how I cooked this dish...

• Banana blossom (Puso ng Saging)
• Egg
• Salt
• Flour
• Cooking oil
• Powdered black pepper
• Vinegar (to be used to remove the bitterness or acrid taste of the banana blossom)

Remove the outer layers of the banana blossom until you see the lightest color possible (see the photo below)

Do not throw these flowers (left photo below), split the flowers and look for this part (right photo below) then remove it

Slice the flowers

Slice the banana blossom into half then put some vinegar on the sliced side (the vinegar will git rid of the bitter or acrid taste of the banana blossom)

Prepare the flour

Prepare the egg (you can use two eggs)

Slice the banana blossom

Add some vinegar again to the sliced banana blossom

Prepare the powdered black pepper

Combine the sliced banana blossom and the flowers

Mash them until they become soft

If you see this consistency, the mashing is done

Get a handful then squeeze as possible as you can

After squeezing let it rest for two minutes

Wash it with water three times after two minutes

In another bowl put the flour

Add the powdered black pepper

Add the salt

Add the egg

Mix using a spoon or fork, add water if needed

If you got this consistency then it is done

Add the washed banana blossom and flowers

If you arrived at this consistency mixing is done

1. Heat the frying pan until see you see smoke coming out

2. Add some cooking oil, when you see little smoke coming from the cooking oil turn the heat to low

3. Using a ladle get some mixture then fry

4. It cooks fast so you need to check the bottom of the mixture once in a while

5. When the bottom turns golden brown flip it, do the same on the remaining mixture and it is done