Peel away purple shell called bracts. Make sure the shells are tight against each other. Discard loose petals that fall off without being plucked.
Remove rows of petals and secure them
Continue to remove the petals until you get to the yellow section of the core. This is where the younger petals are
Place the younger unopened petals aside since they do not require cleaning
Clean the petals by removing the tall skinny matchstick-like pistil and the outer facing white petal (it's different from the other petals).
Add all of the vinegar and most of the water to a container (leave half a cup of water to add to the petals when cooking them.)
Soak the flowers in the vinegar water solution overnight to help remove the bitterness
Rinse and drain
In a hot pan add all other ingredients except for banana flowers
Stir continuously
Toss in banana flowers, stir and add about ½ a cup of water
Cover and let it simmer a bit
You can add coconut milk if you'd like. For this recipe, I omitted the coconut milk
Pour it over rice and enjoy