Name: Ginataang Puso Ng Saging
Ingredients: 2 banana blossoms (I just used the ones in the can, 10 oz drained); 1 cup pure coconut milk; 2 tbsp vinegar (if using 5% acidity vinegar, try 1:1 vinegar/water); 1/4 cup sliced tomatoes; 1/4 cup sliced onion; 2 cloves garlic, crushed; 1 tbsp veg oil; 2 dried red chillies (optional if you want this slightly spicy); salt and pepper to taste

Why it works: Onion and garlic match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 29,058 recipes. Both carry furaneol, which smells caramel, strawberry. The science ↓

Ginataang Puso Ng Saging

Ingredients

2 banana blossoms (I just used the ones in the can, 10 oz drained)
1 cup pure coconut milk
2 tbsp vinegar (if using 5% acidity vinegar, try 1:1 vinegar/water)
1/4 cup sliced tomatoes
1/4 cup sliced onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp veg oil
2 dried red chillies (optional if you want this slightly spicy)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Prepare the banana blossoms

If using fresh banana blossoms, remove the tough covering of the blossoms.
Slice the fresh banana blossoms thin crosswise. Add 2 tablespoons of salt to the sliced blossoms and squeeze out the bitter juice. Rinse the blossoms in water and squeeze dry. Set the prepared fresh banana blossoms aside.
If using canned banana blossoms, drain them. Rinse the canned banana blossoms and drain again. Slice the canned banana blossoms thin crosswise. Set the prepared canned banana blossoms aside.

Cook

Heat vegetable oil in a skillet. If using dried red chillies, add them to the hot oil (but not smoking) and let the skins darken somewhat before adding garlic.
Saute the crushed garlic until light brown. Add the sliced onion and fry until translucent. Add the sliced tomatoes and cook for about 3 minutes.
Add the banana blossoms and the vinegar and bring to a boil without stirring. Simmer for about 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and stir. Continue cooking until the banana blossoms are tender.
Add the pure coconut milk and remove from heat. Let the dish stand for a few minutes to develop the flavours.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

586Calories

7 gProtein

41 gFat

54 gCarbs

Counts 9 of 10 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 9 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Coconut	1/2 cup shredded (40g)	283
Olive Oil	1 tbsp (14g)	119
Banana	1 medium (118g)	105
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Tomato	1 medium (123g)	22
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Garlic	1 clove (3g)	4
Vinegar	1 tbsp (15ml) distilled	3
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0
Water	not in our table	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Onion + garlictop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together29,058 recipes

Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
Banana + coconuttop 3% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together549 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).
Tomato + garlictop 3% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together14,076 recipes

Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
Tomato + oniontop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together20,633 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Coconut + clovetop 10% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together458 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Banana blossoms: Form the main body of the dish, becoming tender as they simmer in the sauce.
Pure coconut milk: Adds richness and creamy body to the sauce.
Vinegar: Adds acidity that brightens the coconut sauce and balances its richness.
Onion: Softens and sweetens as it cooks, building the savoury base.
Garlic: Adds aroma and savoury depth when browned in the oil.

The step that matters

Bring to a boil without stirring. Stirring the banana blossoms once the vinegar is added can break them up and make the dish mushy; letting them settle keeps their texture intact while they cook through.

Swap the banana

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (coconut, milk, vinegar, tomato, onion, clove, garlic):

Avocadofits better
Mangofits better
Cherryfits better
Bananathe original

Fit is the average pairing score against coconut, milk, vinegar, tomato, onion, clove, garlic. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

Tomato Soup526 recipes

Cream of Tomato Soup107 recipes

Tomato Bisque61 recipes

Cream Tomato Soup28 recipes

Like knowing why a recipe works?

The free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.

Ginataang Puso Ng Saging