Spicy Vazhakkai Curry

Raw bananas/plantains/vazhakkai/Kaccha Kela is a very versatile veggie. It can be used to make anything ranging from an appetizer, snack, gravies, dry curries etc. We generally use this veggie in molagootal, mulagushyam , mezhukkuperatti, puli kutthi upperi, thoran, kalan, mor Kootan etc.  But my favorite is this spicy curry which I learnt recently. This goes very well with plain rice and rasam and also with curd rice.  So let’s get to recipe without further ado.

Serves: 4

What you’ll need

1.       Raw Banana/Vazhakkai – 4 Medium

2.       Turmeric Powder – a pinch

3.       Salt to taste

Dry roast and grind

1.       Bengal Gram Dal/ Channa Dal – 2 tsps

2.       Urad Dal – 1 tsp

3.       Coriander Seeds – 1 tsp

4.       Red Chillies – 2 or 3

5.       Black Peppercorns – 5 or 6

For Tempering

1.       Coconut Oil/ Refined oil – 2 tbsp

2.       Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp

3.       Curry Leaves – few

4.       Hing – a pinch

Method

1.       Wash, peel and chop the raw bananas into small cubes. Keep them immersed in a mixture of water and buttermilk/ curd till further use. Wash again before use.

2.       Heat a kadai, dry roast channa dal, urad dal, coriander seeds, red chillies, and black pepper till good aroma comes out and the dals have turned a nice golden brown. Cool and grind to a fine powder.

3.       Heat the same Kadai, with oil. Temper with mustard seeds, curry leaves and a pinch of hing/asafetida.

4.       Now add the chopped raw banana cubes, turmeric powder and salt to taste. Stir well. Sprinkle little water, cover and cook in low heat till the vegetable is cooked. Keep stirring in between.

5.       Once vegetable is cooked, remove lid and let it roast for about 5 to 6 minutes on medium flame.

6.       Now add the spice powder and mix well. Remove from flame after a minute or two.

That’s it! Hot and tasty vazhakkai curry is ready. Serve it with some plain rice and rasam for a comforting and fulfilling meal.

Note:  

If you have a steamer, you could steam cook the raw banana pieces until done.

You could also add a little bit of tamarind paste for a slightly tangy taste, but I prefer it without it.

Linking this to Veggie/Fruit of the month - raw bananas hosted by Archana originally started by Priya

Also to Only Curries hosted by Kamalika started by Pari.

And to the Winter Carnival happening at Tickling Palates

And to the Kerala Kitchen hosted by Fajeeda.