Ginataang Puso ng Saging made with banana heart, diced pork, and chili peppers in a spicy coconut sauce. It’s creamy, tasty, and the perfect side dish to grilled meat or fish.
Puso ng saging, or banana blossom, is one of my favorite things to cook. In fact, you’ll find a good few recipes on the blog made with this vegetable and each one is as delicious as the other.
In the mood for juicy burgers? Banana heart makes a fantastic meatless option. Want a new twist on lumpia? This lumpiang puso ng saging is addicting! Looking for a delicious vegetable dish? Kilawing puso ng saging is a must-try!
To add to our list of banana blossom recipes, here’s my newest obsession, ginataang puso ng saging. With succulent pork belly, a creamy coconut sauce, and a kick of spice from chili peppers, it’s the perfect vegetable side dish for your favorite grilled meat or fish!
This vegetable dish is quick and easy to make, most of the work involved is preparing the banana heart which needs to be salted to rid of its acrid sap.
How to Prepare Banana Heart:
- Remove and discard the fibrous outer layers and the yellow flowers (“baby bananas”) until you reach the pale, softer core.
- Using a knife, cut and discard the stem portion.
- Cut vertically into two halves.
- Slice each half thinly.
- In a bowl, place shredded banana heart and about 2 tablespoons rock salt. Let sit for about 10 to 15 minutes. Squeeze well to dispel liquid and rinse a few times under cold, running water to remove saltiness.
- Place in a bowl of cold water until ready to use to keep from discoloring.
Four pounds of banana heart may sound a lot, but once you peel the outer layer and get to the edible core, you’ll yield roughly four to five cups of shredded puso. I used two Thai chili peppers (sili labuyo) to spice things up but feel free to use more or less according to taste.
Make sure to have steamed rice ready. You’ll need it 🙂
Ginataang Puso ng Saging made with banana heart, diced pork, and chili peppers in a spicy coconut sauce. It's creamy, tasty, and the perfect side dish to grilled meat or fish.
- 2 large banana hearts (about 4 pounds)
- 2 tablespoons rock salt
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1/2 pound pork belly, diced
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 14.5 ounces coconut milk
- 2 Thai chili peppers, stemmed and minced
- salt and pepper to taste
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Peel and discard the outer, fibrous skin layers of banana heart until you reach the lighter, softer core.
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Trim off the stem and discard. Cut into half and slice thinly.
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In a large bowl, place the shredded banana heart and rock salt. Let stand for about 10 to 15 minutes or until it begins to release liquid. Using hands, squeeze to release bitter sap. Rinse very well with cold water and drain.
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In a wide pan over medium heat, heat oil. Add onions and garlic and cook until softened.
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Add pork and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.
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Add fish sauce and continue to cook for about 1 to 2 minutes.
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Add banana heart. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 to 5 minutes or until releases liquid.
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Add coconut milk and chili peppers. Lower heat, cover, and continue to cook until vegetable is tender, pork is cooked through, and sauce is thickened.
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Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.
Hi Tita Lalaine,
My husband and I were raised here in Canada not knowing how to cook any Filipino food. So we reply on your recipes a lot.
What can I substitute the pork belly with? We don’t eat pork in my family.
Thank you!
Hello Katrina,
Thank you so much. I am glad you find the recipes here helpful.
If you don’t like pork, you use tinapa flakes. Just pan-fry them lightly to heat up, debone and then flake the meat. Add during the last 10 minutes of cook time. So yummy!
Thank you for this recipe ,this is indeed helpful.I just cook this dish for dinner and they love it.
I am glad everyone enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Hi, Lalaine. I can’t find puso ng saging in Pittsburgh. What do you think would be a good sub for it? Btw, made Sinantomas a couple of nights ago. Didn’t have peas, added bell peppers instead. Still turned out good. Your website is one of my faves. Thanks for sharing your recipes!
Hi Cynthia,
Thank you so much for your feedback. I am glad you enjoyed the sinantomas. Love the idea of bell peppers, will definitely try that next time I make the dish.
Regarding a good substitute for banana heart, I guess any vegetable you can cook in coconut milk? I saw a recipe before using kale leaves cooked a la ginataan or like “laing”. I haven’t personally tried it but it’s on my to-cook list.
Wow! i always see those in the Asian markets but i get intimidated by it. Maybe with your instructions, i’ll try it 🙂 this looks so good!
Give this vegetable a try. It’s really easy to make, just follow the prep instructions and it will turn out delicious 🙂
want to cook better with new dishes for my family
I hope the recipes here will be helpful 🙂