Bananas are an ideal plant for those who believe in the “root-to-stem” philosophy—utilising an entire plant, resulting in minimal food waste. However, people usually just consume the fruit, not realising that its flowers and pseudo-stem, too, are equally nutritious. The pseudo-stem is often skipped over more, perhaps because it does not look as appetising when sold in markets. Unlike real stems, the banana stem is just a soft core wrapped inside tightly wound leaf sheaths, which explains its “pseudo” prefix.
The perennial plant belongs to the Musaceae family and is believed to be the world's oldest cultivated crop. It is found all over the world in tropical and subtropical regions. In India, it likely came from the native southwestern Pacific around 600 BC. In rural parts of the country, bananas are one of the most common plants in kitchen gardens. Its widespread cultivation is likely due to the fact that each part of the plant can be used. During harvest, the pseudo-stem is cut along with the fruits to allow young banana plants to grow. The outer leaf sheaths are discarded, and only the soft core is consumed.
But being highly fibrous, it is difficult to prepare. First, all the outer layers need to be removed to reveal the fibrous core. This core needs to be cut in thin slices, while removing the fibre— experienced cooks roll the fibre on their fingers between each cut. The pieces must then be stored in water to minimise browning.
The pseudo-stem is quite popular in traditional recipes of West Bengal and Kerala. In West Bengal, the pseudo-stem is called thor and used in many popular dishes such as thor’er ghonto, which is prepared along with potatoes flavoured with spices and fresh coconut (see recipe).
In Kerala, the pseudo-stem or vazhaithandu is used to prepare poriyal, a stir-fried or sautéed vegetable dish. Vazhaithandu poriyal also has spices and coconut, with the addition of curry leaves. One can also experiment with the pseudo-stem and make soups. The stems are best eaten fresh, but this might prove a challenge in cities such as Delhi where banana trees are not too common. Nevertheless, the abundance of nutrients in the pseudo-stem make it a worthy addition to any food plate.
In 2022, researchers from the Department of Food Technology at Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, Bengaluru, reviewed the available literature on nutritive and medicinal qualities of banana stems and published their findings in Journal of Nutritional Therapeutics. They reported that nearly half (46.58 per cent) of this fibrous stem is carbohydrate and about 7.34 per cent is protein. The total dietary fibre content in the pseudo-stem is a little over 60 per cent, of which the major chunk contains insoluble fibres, which aid in digestion. The stem is rich in vitamin B complex as well as minerals like potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and sodium. It even has micronutrients such as iron, manganese, copper and zinc.
The review notes that the pseudo-stem has several medicinal properties and works against cancer, diabetes and inflammation. It is also wound-healing, anti-oxidant, antiurolithic, anti-microbial and anti-helminthic. Its impact on diabetes is well studied. In many tropical nations, banana stem juice has traditionally been used as a therapeutic agent for diabetics. It is believed that the bioactive components in the stem extract stimulate the generation of insulin and lower blood glucose levels. The researchers conclude that to find novel approaches for treating and preventing a wide range of medical diseases, more studies into the medicinal potential of banana stem juice should be done.
Another paper, published in Bioscience Research in 2020, finds that the pseudo-stem is suitable to be developed as sports drink and functional beverages due to its high mineral content, which is comparable with that of coconut water, a natural isotonic beverage.
The pseudo-stem is also used in various industries. The inner core can be used to extract pectin, a food additive. The powdered pseudo-stem is used to boost the nutritional content of bakery products and beverages. Even the fibre removed from the stem finds use in manufacturing cardboard and food packaging materials. The stem is also used to extract heavy metals from wastewater through chelation.
The unassuming, overlooked pseudo-stem, therefore, deserves its place in the spotlight.
Ingredients
Banana stem: 30-cm piece
Potatoes (medium sized): 2
Coconut (fresh, grated): 1/2 cup
Peanuts and dal bori (dried lentil dumpling): 1 handful each
Red chillies: 2
Bay leaf: 1
Panch phoran: 1 tsp
Cinnamon: 30-cm piece
Black cardamom: 1
Cloves: 5
Cumin powder: 1 tsp
Turmeric: 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder: 1 tsp
Green chillies: 2, split lengthwise
Sugar: 2 tsp
Ghee: 1 tbsp
Garam masala: 1 tsp
Corn flour: 1 tsp
Milk: 1/2 cup
Method
Slice and julienne the banana stem and boil the pieces with salt in a pan for a few minutes until they are slightly tender. Remove the water and keep the pieces aside to cool. Chop the potatoes into small pieces. In a thick-bottomed pan, heat the oil and fry the peanuts and dal bori. Remove them and add dried red chilli, bay leaf, cardamom, clove, cinnamon and panch phoran to the oil, followed by potatoes. Add salt and fry for a few minutes. Mix cumin powder, coriander powder and turmeric with some water and add to the potatoes. Add coconut and mix well. Add ginger paste and cook for a few more minutes. Squeeze out the water from the stem pieces and mash them a little. Add them to the pan. Mix everything, with a little water if needed. Cook for 15 minutes, then add slit green chillies and sugar. Mix corn flour with milk and pour over the vegetables. Add ghee and garam masala and cover the pan for a while. Serve with rice.
This was first published in the 16-28 February, 2025 print edition of Down To Earth