Vazhakkai Podimas (Raw Banana Stir Fry)

Preparation time : 10 minutes

Cooking time : 15 minutes

Ingredients : 

1. Vazakkai ( raw banana) - 2

2. Finely chopped onions - 3

3. Chopped green chillies - 3

4. Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

5. Broken urad dal - 1 teaspoon

6. Oil for seasoning - 1 tablespoon

7. Curry leaves - a few

                            

8. Freshly grated coconut - 2 tablespoon 

9. Asafoetida powder - a pinch

10. Salt - to taste

Method :

1. Cut each banana into 3 pieces.

                          

2. Place banana pieces in a pan and cook partially by adding enough water so that they are fully immersed.

3. When they are partially cooked, remove from water and cool. One can  test whether they are half cooked by pressing them. Care should be taken to avoid over cooking.

4. Deskin the pieces, grate them with a grater and keep aside.

5. Place another pan on medium heat and add oil.When oil becomes hot, add seasoning ingredients such as mustard and broken urad dal. Allow the mustard seeds to crackle and urad dal to become golden brown.

6. Then add chopped green chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida powder and sauté for a few seconds.

7. Add chopped onions and sauté till they become golden brown.

8. Add grated banana and salt. Saute for a few minutes so that they get blended with other ingredients in the pan.

9. Transfer into a container and garnish with grated coconut.

     

Homemade Gooseberry Pickle (Nellikai Oorugai)

        

 

Preparation time : 10 minutes 

Cooking time : 10 minutes

Ingredients.

1. Gooseberries - 1 cup (smaller variety)

2. Sesame oil - 1/2 cup

3. Mustard seeds - 1/4 teaspoon (for seasoning)

4. Broken red chillies - 2

5. Red chilli powder - 2 1/2 teaspoons

 

6. Salt - 1teaspoon 

For podi.

1. Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 teaspoon 

2. Mustard seeds - 1/4 teaspoon 

    

Method.

1. Wash gooseberries and wipe them dry with a cloth. 

2. Dry roast mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. When cool, grind them together in a mortar and pestle and keep aside for later use.

3. Place a cooking pan on medium flame and add 1/2 a cup of sesame oil. When oil becomes hot, add mustard seeds and broken red chillies. When mustard seeds crackle, add gooseberries and sauté. Decrease the flame and let gooseberries cook in oil.

4. When gooseberries are half done, add red chilli powder and salt. Mix thoroughly and cook for some more time till gooseberries become soft and the masala blends well with the contents in the pan. 

5. Remove pan from fire and cool. Add mustard and fenugreek podi and mix thoroughly. 

6. Start using pickle after 2 days. Refrigerate the pickle for prolonged use.

Vazhaippo Vadai (Banana Florets Vadai)

 

Preparation : 30 minutes 

Cooking Time : 20 minutes 

Serving : 6

Ingredients :  

1. Toor/arhar dal (yellow lentil) - 1 cup

2. Banana flower - 1 cup (finely chopped)

3. Onions - 2 (finely chopped)

4. Whole red chillies - 4

5. Ginger - 1 inch piece (crushed)

6. Garlic - 6 pods (crushed)

  

7. Salt - to taste

8. Oil - for deep frying 

9. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs (chopped)

Method :  

1. Soak toor dal in water for about 30 minutes. Drain water and transfer into a blender. To the dal, add whole red chillies and crushed  ginger and garlic. Grind the mixture to a coarse paste by sprinkling water. Transfer into a container.

2. Pick banana florets from the pods and remove the pistils from each floret. Chop the florets finely and add to the ground mixture.

3. Chop onions finely and add to the ground mixture.

4. To the ground dal mixture add chopped curry leaves, salt and mix thoroughly. Now the vada batter is ready to be deep fried.

                                   

5. Place a kadai on medium flame and pour oil into it.

6. Take a lemon sized ball of the batter and place it on a plastic sheet. Slightly press the ball to give it a flat round shape.

7. When oil becomes hot, transfer the round shaped vada batter into oil. Repeat the same procedure for rest of the batter. Not more than 5 or 6 vadas can be fried at a time.

8. Serve vadas hot with coconut chutney.

                                 

           

Cabbage Muthia (Steamed Cabbage Dumplings)

Preparation time  : 15 minutes

Cooking time : 30 minutes 

Number of serves : 

Ingredients.

To make Muthiya:

1. Grated Cabbage – 2 cups

2. Chick pea flour – 1/4 cup

3. Whole wheat flour – 1/4 cup

4. Semolina (sooji) – 1/4 cup

5. Yogurt – 1 tablespoon

6. Lemon juice – 1 tablespoon

7. Oil – 1/2 tablespoon

8. Coriander leaves – 1 tablespoon (chopped)

9.Mint leaves -1 tablespoon (chopped)

10. Ginger – 1 teaspoon (grated)

11. Baking Soda – 1/2 teaspoon

12. Salt – to taste

13. Sugar – 1/2 teaspoon 

14. Red chilly podwer or chopped green chilies – to taste

15. Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

16. Water – enough for kneading 

For Tempering:

1. Oil – 2 teaspoons

2. Mustard Seeds – 1/2 teaspoon

3. Sesame seeds – 1/2 teaspoon

4. Curry leaves – 1 sprig

5. Red chillies – 3 (broken)

Garnishing :

Grated coconut - 1 

Procedure.

1. In a bowl, mix shredded cabbage, chickpea flour, wheat flour, semolina, chopped green chillies, turmeric powder, grated ginger, coriander leaves, mint leaves, baking soda, yogurt, oil, sugar, lemon juice and salt. Leave the mixture aside for about 30 minutes. Cabbage will start releasing its juices, which will be good enough for binding the ingredients. If the dough is very thick, it can be softened with few spoons of water.

2. Make small dumplings and place them on a greased plate and steam them in a steamer till they are fully cooked.

3. Remove dumplings from the steamer and cool.

4. Cut dumplings into small pieces.

5. Place a pan on medium flame and add 2 tablespoons of oil.

6. When oil becomes hot, add all the tempering ingredients. When mustard and sesame seeds crackle, add the dumplings and sauté till they become light brown in colour.

7. Remove the pan from fire and garnish with grated coconut.

Avarakkai Sakkaraivalli Kizhangu Porial

Preparation  : 15 minutes

Cooking time : 20 minutes

Number of serves : 6

Ingredients .

1. Avarakkai (broad beans) - 220 grams (1/2 pound)

2. Sakkaraivalli kizhangu (sweet potato) - 3 (medium sized)

3. Chopped onions - 2 (medium sized)

4. Chopped tomatoes - 3 

5. Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon 

6. Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon 

7. Broken dry red chillies - 3

8. Curry leaves - a few

9. Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon

10. Coriander powder - 1 1/2 teaspoons

11. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon 

12. Asafoetida powder 1/4 teaspoon 

13. Salt - to taste 

14.  Oil - 1 tablespoon 

Method .

1. Place avarakkai in a colander and wash under running water. Remove the fibre on both sides and cut into 1/2” pieces.

2. Wash Sakkaraivalli kizhangu (sweet potatoe) under running water and cut them into medium rounds and immerse in water to prevent discolouration.

3. Heat a deep pan on medium flame and add oil. When oil becomes hot, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, broken red chillies, asafoetida powder and curry leaves.

4. When mustard seeds crackle, add chopped onions and sauté till they become translucent.

5. Add chopped tomatoes and sauté for a while till the mixture becomes mushy.

6. Add chopped avarakkai and mix thoroughly with the onion tomato mixture. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for about 5 minutes or till the vegetable is half tender.

7. Open the lid and add Sakkaraivalli kizhangu and mix.

8. Add chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix thoroughly. Sprinkle half a cup of water and cover with a lid and allow the vegetable mixture to cook till they become tender.

9. Open the lid and give the vegetable mixture a swirl and cook till the remaining water evaporates.

10. Transfer into a container and serve hot with rice or chapatis.