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BANANA BLOSSOM VEGAN FISH

Published: October 30, 2018 / Last Updated: July 19, 2019 / 40 Comments

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This Vegan Fish made with Banana Blossoms is life-changing – especially if you thought that you
would never eat anything tastes like fish again! The soft and flaky texture of the banana flowers is
perfect as the base!
I’ve seen a couple of fishy recipes with banana blossoms on Pinterest and immediately knew that
I wanted to give them a try. But I’ve never seen banana blossoms in the stores, so I thought it
was one of the ingredients I would never get my hands on. You can probably guess how excited I
was when I found a can of banana blossoms in brine at my local Asian grocery store. I almost
freaked out.

For the preparation, I kind of followed the process of making tofish (fish made with tofu). The
banana blossoms are tossed in a flour mixture, then dipped in a batter, and fried until golden
brown. I’ve served them with Oven Baked Potato Slices and Tartar Sauce.
This is fishy dream come true! I’ve never had anything that tasted THAT MUCH like fish. The
banana blossoms are the perfect base because they are soft and flaky.

Nori, lemon juice, and dill in the flour mixture and batter add the typical fishy flavors. I highly
recommend making a tartar sauce to serve with this vegan fish. It’s so good!

W H AT A R E B A N A N A B L O S S O M S ?
Bananas on trees grow in clusters and at the end of the cluster, there’s a purple flower growing –
this is known as the banana blossom (or banana blower or banana heart).

The petals are fleshy and soft and therefore PERFECT for vegan fish! For the recipe, we are using
canned banana blossoms in brine.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

 Banana Blossoms in brine

WHERE TO BUY BANANA BLOSSOMS?

I’ve found these canned Banana Blossoms in an Asian grocery store, but not all of them carry
them. Most owners are really nice and stock up on them when there’s a demand, so it’s worth
asking for them!

Until now, I’ve found canned banana blossoms in brine from two brands: AROY-D and
CHAOKOH. I’ve found that the banana blossoms from AROY-D are in better shape (bigger pieces)
and therefore better for making vegan fish but if you can only find the CHAOKOH ones, that’s
okay, they will work too!

You can also order banana blossoms on Amazon.

HOW TO MAKE VEGAN FISH OUT OF BANANA

BLOSSOMS
You’ll need:

banana blossoms

for the flour mixture: flour, salt, nori, dill

for the batter: flour, salt, turmeric, pickle juice, caper brine (or more pickle juice), water,
lemon juice

frying oil
Step 1: Rinse and drain the banana blossoms. Prepare the flour mixture and batter.
Step 2: Coat the banana blossoms in the flour mixture.
Step 3: Dip the banana blossoms in the batter.
Step 4: Fry until golden. Place it on a kitchen paper to remove excess oil.
See the different layers? Banana Blossoms are perfect to make vegan fish! But if you can’t find
banana blossoms, this Tofish recipe is a good alternative.

S E RV E T H E B A N A N A B L O S S O M V E G A N F I S H
WITH…
vegan tartar sauce

oven-baked potato slices

MORE VEGAN FISH RECIPES
Artichoke Fish

Tofish and Chips

Vegan Fish Burger

15+ Vegan Fish and Seafood Recipes

I hope you will enjoy this ‘fish’ as much as I did! Let me know if you give it a try!

And don’t forget to rate the recipe if you like it, this helps other users figure out if it’s worth a try!

If you don’t want to miss out on any new recipes, subscribe to my newsletter, follow me on
Instagram and Facebook!

Cheers, Bianca

BANANA BLOSSOM VEGAN FISH

This Vegan Fish made with Banana Blossoms is life-changing - especially if you
thought that you would never eat anything tastes like fish again! The soft and flaky
texture of the banana flowers is perfect as the base!

4.38 from 58 votes

Print Pin Rate

 Course: Main Course Cuisine: Vegan

Prep Time:
10 minutes

Cook Time:
10 minutes

Total Time:
20 minutes

Servings: 8 fish* Author: Bianca Haun | Elephantastic Vegan

Ingredients
1 can banana blossoms in brine (20 oz)
frying oil

Flour Mixture
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dill
1 1/2 tablespoons crushed nori

Batter
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pinch turmeric
1 tablespoon pickle juice
1 tablespoon caper brine (or sub with more pickle juice)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 cup sparkling water
US Customary - Metric

Instructions
1. Rinse and drain the banana blossoms.
2. In separate bowls, combine the ingredients for the flour mixture and whisk
together the ingredients for the batter.
3. In a pot or wok, heat the frying oil. You'll want enough so that the battered
banana blossoms can swim in the oil but make sure you leave enough space
in the pot/wok so that it doesn't spill over.
4. Coat the banana blossoms in the flour mixture. Then dip them in the batter.
Carefully lower them in the oil. Let them fry for about 4-5 minutes until golden
 brown, flipping them once.
5. Transfer the fried banana blossoms onto a kitchen paper to remove excess
oil. Serve with tartar sauce, fries, and mashed peas, for example. Add fresh
dill on top and squeeze with lemon juice.

Notes
*With how many vegan fish pieces you will end up, depends on how many banana
blossoms are in the can. I've had 4 large ones, 2 smaller ones, and then used
parts of the banana blossoms that fell off during the process to make 2 additional
pieces.

Tips:
The vegan fish will taste a lot fishier if you add dill and lemon juice on top,
and when it's served with typical sides for fish e.g. tartar sauce, potatoes or
mashed peas.
You can re-use the frying oil. Let it cool off completely, then pour it through
a strainer to remove small bits and crumbs. Fill it in a bottle and store it at
room temperature. You can use it for approx. 3 times!

Estimated Nutrition Info

Calories: 160 kcal | Carbohydrates: 24 g | Protein: 3 g | Fat: 5 g | Saturated Fat: 4 g |
Sodium: 325 mg | Potassium: 33 mg | Vitamin A: 50 IU | Vitamin C: 0.8 mg | Calcium:
6 mg | Iron: 1.5 mg

Tried this recipe?

Mention @elephantasticvegan or tag #elephantasticvegan!

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Please leave a good rating, if you like the recipe!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hi, I’m Bianca! When I went vegan in 2012, I fell in

love with food all over again.

You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,

Pinterest, and YouTube.

Check out my first cookbook: The Veginner’s

Cookbook!

« 10+ Vegan Pumpkin Recipes to Try Oven Baked Potato Slices »

This Fall!

COMMENTS

Valerie
November 1, 2018 at 6:25 pm

I’ve had fresh banana blossoms as a fritter, in Vietnam. I would love to make this, but am
hesitant, because I never know what to do with the oil once the food has been fried in it. Can it
be reused? If not, how do I throw it out?

R E P LY
 Bianca
November 2, 2018 at 10:41 am

You can absolutely reuse the frying oil! That’s what I do: After frying, let the oil cool off
completely. Then strain it (to remove small pieces) and pour it in a bottle to use it the next
time. I usually use the oil 4-5 times if it’s not too dark.

R E P LY

MarkMelbourne
April 25, 2020 at 1:45 am

We have something like this next to our stove. It is all metal so you can carefully pour in the
oil when hot as well. The fine top strainer is the essential bit, and that goes in the
dishwasher occasionally. https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/Teflon-Select-DZ-0709-Double-
Mouth/dp/B002GKB4N4/ref=pd_lpo_201_t_0/358-2234049-0638528

R E P LY

Valerie
November 2, 2018 at 4:52 pm

Thank you, Bianca.

R E P LY
Jenjen
November 26, 2018 at 3:58 am

Hi Bianca, just wondering if you have a recipe or suggestions for a gluten free batter that would
work for this fysh please ?
I have just bought a can of blossoms , just to try this recipe out
Thank you , Jenjen

R E P LY

Bianca
November 26, 2018 at 11:16 am

Hi Jenjen, you can use chickpea flour or rice flour instead! Works just as fine!

R E P LY

Lily Cirstoiu
December 26, 2018 at 4:47 am

Hi Bianca,
have you tried baking the fish I want to cut down on the oil. I tried your recipe and it’s the simplest
and easy to make and I like the sparkling water, since others use beer.
If I can bake this it would be a better health benefit. Thank you for this recipe.

R E P LY

Bianca
 January 13, 2019 at 5:50 pm

I haven’t tried it yet. I’m wondering if the batter would stick to the banana blossom during
baking – maybe if the batter would be a bit thicker, it could work!

R E P LY

DivineOrator
June 8, 2020 at 4:43 pm

Too bad you gave up on it. But seems your problem is overly simple. Drain 24 hours
before and soak in water or seasoned/spiced water mixture.

R E P LY

Lori
January 16, 2019 at 11:52 pm

I made two batches of this today, both air-fried because we’re “clean” (oil-free) vegans. For more
seafood flavor I added Dulse to the 2nd batch. Without the grease factor that generally
accompanies fried fish the brine flavor came through, even with the extra spices. Overall the
recipe is a great idea for those who miss seafood and consume oil, but it’s not “make again”
worthy for us.

R E P LY

donna
February 4, 2019 at 10:47 pm

Are you in the New York area? I can’t find the banana blossom.

R E P LY

Beth
February 13, 2019 at 1:22 pm

I made this a few weeks ago, and my meat-obsessed boyfriend said it was better than real fish
and chips! Will definitely be making this again :)

R E P LY

Bianca
February 20, 2019 at 9:37 pm

Wow! What a compliment!

R E P LY

Emilie
February 20, 2019 at 1:30 am

This recipe is not bad I had Chaokoh brand and it didn’t go well with this one. The pieces were
falling apart maybe I will try to find the other brand next time. The batter was good.

R E P LY
Breanna
March 8, 2019 at 5:06 am

Hi! Do you know if I could freeze leftover pieces to reheat later? My daughter is transitioning into a
vegan diet and loved her some fish. So I was hoping to make a big batch then freeze it to reheat
for later.

R E P LY

David
March 10, 2019 at 10:28 am

There is next to no protein in this recipe so it should not be considered a main meal

R E P LY

Josh
April 9, 2019 at 10:35 pm

You don’t need protein for it to be considered a main meal.

R E P LY

Nancy
January 19, 2020 at 1:24 am

How about serving it with a side of soybean or edemame spaghetti?

R E P LY
Bianca
January 20, 2020 at 4:18 pm

sounds delicious!

R E P LY

Helen
February 12, 2020 at 3:31 pm

Mushy peas or baked beans would be traditional protein based sides- so its really not
an issue.

R E P LY

Charlotte
May 5, 2020 at 8:09 pm

Hi Bianca, I stumbled across your recipe tonight after having a banana blossom tin in
the kitchen for a while! I boldly just went for it and it turned out great! The BF loved it
too. We re newish vegans and have only had this in the local vegan fish and chip shop
and this was just as good if not a bit cleaner. I used soda water instead as that’s all I
had in & that worked great too. Will be trying this again. For others making it it helps
to really pack it down with the flour when coating, and keeping the batter thick helps it
to coat and stay on! Cooked for a little longer because our peices were fairly large.
Thankyou!!!

R E P LY
 Bianca
May 7, 2020 at 2:54 pm

local vegan fish and chip shop? I am so jealous!! I’m really happy they turned out
great for you :)

R E P LY

Kerry-Rose
May 4, 2019 at 4:27 am

Made this for the first time tonight, and I have to say, so far as a homemade fake fish goes, it’s
really good! Personally, I think I’d add a touch more salt next time. I did also have a little trouble
getting the batter to stick to the banana blossoms after dipping them in the flour mixture. It kept
wanting to just “peel off” if that makes sense? I made it work, and just kind of held it on until it
was in the oil, but it still came out alright. If anyone has any tips to help this, please let me know!
Otherwise, this was a delicious and unique recipe that I’ll definitely be making again in the future!

R E P LY

niesha
April 9, 2020 at 7:26 am

try double battering it. dipping it in the wet mix, then into flour, then putting it in oil.

R E P LY
Sharyn Turner
May 19, 2019 at 10:37 pm

I made this tonight and we really loved it. Having been vegan for 11 years, this was a real surprise
as it was so realistic! Although I rarely eat any fried food, I just had to try this as a treat and I am
glad I did. Thank you so much, Biana x

R E P LY

JB
June 24, 2019 at 8:11 pm

Excited to try this! Do you buy the nori already crushed or do you crush sheets yourself?

R E P LY

Bianca
June 25, 2019 at 3:10 pm

I crush them myself. I usually just use a scissor to cut them into fine shreds.

R E P LY

Nicola Powell
July 2, 2019 at 7:12 am

Awesome recipe.
R E P LY

Lorna
August 5, 2019 at 10:40 pm

We’ve recently gotten banana blossom in the UK, but it is in water not brine. Do you think this
would significantly alter the flavour?

R E P LY

Bianca
August 7, 2019 at 2:41 pm

banana blossom in water will work just fine! :)

The inside will probably be a bit blander.. if you want you can soak the banana blossoms in
a water-a tiny bit of vinegar-mixture for a few minutes before dipping them into the batter.

R E P LY

Alison
August 7, 2019 at 7:17 pm

Just found canned Banana Blossom in our local Asda – excited to try these :-)

R E P LY

JoJo
October 7, 2019 at 3:09 am
I’ve just bought all the tins of banana blossom up from my local Asda store as I thought they will
definitely reorder if they see they sell. SO excited to see what all the different recipes are like I’ve
found on the net. .

R E P LY

Anita Sørheim
October 14, 2019 at 6:36 pm

Genious!!

R E P LY

Cristina
November 4, 2019 at 5:36 am

I was really excited to try this recipe and found myself disappointed when it didn’t turn out how I
thought it would. The batter mixture came out waaay too thick and I ended up adding more
sparkling water just to make it usable. I didn’t realize until later that I should’ve just added more
lemon juice and pickle juice because it seemed like the “fish” didn’t have as much flavor as I
thought it should. Both the flour and the batter mixture made way too much – I used a 20 oz. can
of banana blossoms like the recipe says, but it only had 3 large blossoms and 1 smaller one so I
ended up throwing away half of the mixtures which is frustrating. Also, 4-5 minutes is not enough
time for the blossoms to cook properly. My sister had the smaller blossom and she said that one
was fine, but the larger blossoms were nowhere near as tender as they should’ve been. I like the
idea of using banana blossoms for vegan fish, but this recipe didn’t work for me. I’ll definitely have
to make adjustments if I make it again in the future.

R E P LY
 Bianca
November 19, 2019 at 2:07 pm

Your can of banana blossoms was very different than mine. I usually have 10+ pieces of
banana blossoms that I can use. As you can see in the second photo, the banana blossoms
I use are usually cut in thirds or so. That explains why you ended up with much more
leftover batter. You could cut the banana blossoms into smaller pieces. Then you will end up
with more vegan fish; will need more of the batter; and they won’t need to cook that long.

R E P LY

Susie Janov
November 18, 2019 at 4:07 pm

I’m curious how I could use fresh banana blossoms to make this. We actually have banana trees
and I have a blossom hanging on one bunch right now. Would I cut it & brine it for a while first?
Just a salt & water brine? Maybe if I’m starting from scratch like that, I could infuse the brine with
some nori to really permeate it with the fishy taste?

R E P LY

RAMECA
December 2, 2019 at 10:08 pm

https://snapguide.com/guides/clean-a-banana-blossom-flower/

You have to clean the fresh ones here a guide on how to clean.. then yes probably soak
then follow her guide for the fish recipe

R E P LY
Susie
May 18, 2020 at 12:01 am

Loved it! I found half the amounts for the flour and batter were enough and it was still tasty
leaving out the caper brine and pickle juice!

R E P LY

Eszter
May 24, 2020 at 12:45 pm

Hi! I love the look of this recipe, but am finding it difficult to source nori near me. Would I be able
to replace it with some spirulina powder?

R E P LY

Bianca
May 25, 2020 at 5:40 pm

I’m not sure about this replacement. Nori sheets shouldn’t be too hard to get, though. I’m
pretty sure you can find them in any supermarket in the ‘ethnic food’ aisle or in a health
food store or Asian market.

R E P LY
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