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Banana Blossom Fishcakes | Vegan Fishcakes

No fish was harmed in the making of these "fishcakes" ;) These banana blossom no-fish cakes are packed with vegetables and high in real food plant protein from chickpeas, air-fried instead of deep-fried, and yet they are still addictively delicious and hearty!

We all know the dire situation our ocean is in - vastly depleted and polluted by years and years of overfishing and just selfish and irresponsible human behaviors in general, so these "fishcakes" are a healthy and yummy treat that does not come at the cost of our planet. One of the best natural replacements for fish is banana blossom, which grows at the end of the banana fruit cluster and looks like a big, fleshy, tear-shaped pod, they can grow so big, even bigger than a bunch of bananas!

Banana blossom has a flaky, tender, moist, and silky smooth texture that's very similar to fish. They are also an excellent source of fiber and minerals. To add more flavors and nutrients to our no-fish cakes, I used onions, garlic, carrot, celery, and chickpeas as a hearty base that also packs a good amount of protein.

You can coat these "fishcakes" in some batter then roll them in panko bread crumbs then deep fry them for a more traditional "western" style fishcake. I chose not to do the coating and simply air fried them for more of a Thai-style fishcake and paired them with a sweet Thai chili sauce.


Watch the video for the simple steps and if you try this recipe please tag me on Instagram and Tiktok I'd really love to see them! ^^


INGREDIENTS:

9 oz canned banana blossom

15 oz cooked chickpea

1/2 large sweet onion or 1 small one, finely diced

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

1 large carrot, finely chopped

4 rib celery, finely chopped

1 scallion

1/2 cup ground oats

1/4 cup rice flour

1 teaspoon miso paste

1 tablespoon coconut amino

1/2 lemon

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon cajun seasoning

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1 tablespoon nori flakes

1 tablespoon chopped dill

1 tablespoon chopped Thai basil, optional

1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil plus more for shaping


TO MAKE:

- Drain and rinse the chickpeas, in a large mixing bowl, coarsely mash the chickpeas with a potato masher, don't mash them completely smooth, leave some texture, set aside;

- Heat a large pan over medium-high heat, add a small drizzle of olive oil, sauté the diced onions first for 4 - 5 minutes till they're slightly caramelized;

- Add the garlic and carrot, cook till the carrots are softened a little, for three minutes;

- Meanwhile, drain the banana blossom from the can, give them a rinse if there was salt added to your canned banana blossom, then coarsely chop them;

- Add the banana blossom to the pan, together with the celery, coconut amino and miso paste, stir to dissolve the miso and mix all the ingredients well, cook for a couple of minutes till everything is well combined and soft but not mushy;

- Add the lemon juice and turn off the heat;

- Add the sautéed veggies to the chickpeas, and all the rest of the flour, spices, and olive oil, stir to mix well;

- Rub a little olive oil between your hands, then shape the mixture into small patties in the palms of your hands, you can make them into your preferred sizes, I made 12 patties;

- Air fry them at 400°F for 15 minutes, then flip them, and air fry for another 5 - 8 minutes;

- Serve hot with your preferred dipping sauce, I used sweet Thai chili sauce, a creamy tar tar sauce is also a great option, enjoy!


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