BANANA & PLANTAIN
Arati Puvvu Kura (Banana Flower Curry)
2 cups banana flower (crushed or chopped)
2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp rice
3 red chilies
2 tsp tamarind pulp
A pinch of turmeric powder
a pinch of asafetida
2 tbsp ghee
salt to taste
1 tsp black gram dal
2 red chilis (broken into pieces)
sprig of curry leaves
Clean the banana flower well. First remove the outer leaves, then from each flowerette remove the hard stamen and hard covering at the base. Cut the flowers finely. Prepare banana flower previous night and keep it in the refrigerator. Put chopped banana flower in a bowl, pour water and salt and turmeric powder over it and bring it to boil, Cook until soft. Remove from the heat and drain the water and set aside. Soak rice and mustard seeds in the water 15 minutes. Grind them with red chilis into a coarse paste. Heat ghee in a pan and fry 1 tsp black gram dal, broken red chilis, curry leaves and asofoetida for 2 minutes, then add cooked banana flower. Stir well then add ground to a paste, mixing well. Add tamarind paste and little water to it. Cover and allow it to cook for few minutes. Remove from heat and let it sit uncovered for a minute before offering.
Aratikaya (Plantain) Pesara Pappu Curry
arati kayalu (plantains) 3
pesara pappu (split mung dal) 8 tbsp.
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chilli powder
For seasoning:
ginger 1 inch
1 tsp cumin (jeera)
1 tsp mustard seeds
red chillis 2
sprig curry leaves
ghee for frying
Boil or pressure cook the aratikaya and pesara pappu. In a little hot ghee fry the seasoning ingrediants until lightly browned, then add the aratikaya and pesara pappu, salt, turmeric, and chilli powder Stir and cook for about 10 minutes then remove from heat and offer.
Aratikaya (Raw Banana) Curry
3 green plantains
1 tsp black gram
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
4 green chilies, chopped
1/2 inch ginger
a pinch of turmeric powder
1 tsp asofoetida
few curry leaves
4 tsp ghee
salt to taste
Make a paste of ginger. Peel and cut the plantain into small pieces. Heat 4 tsp ghee in a pan and add black gram, cumin seeds, and curry leaves and fry for a short while Add chopped chili pieces and fry until light brown. Add ginger paste and fry for a second. Add salt and turmeric and fry until light brown. Add the plantain pieces, fry for 10 minutes, adding a little water as needed. Let it simmer until the plantain pieces are cooked.
Banana Skin and Cow Pea
Peels from 3 or 4 bananas
Black eyed cow peas - 1/2 cup
Grated coconut - 2 tbsp
Ghee - 2 tsp
Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Cook the cow peas till tender. Chop the banana peel finely and place in boiling water with turmeric and salt until tender. Drain off excess water and set aside. Heat ghee in a frying pan, add mustard seeds till they splutter, then add the cooked banana peel and cow peas and mix well. Garnish with grated coconut and serve.
Bengali Kanchkolar Dom (Green Banana Curry)
4 green bananas
2 chopped green chilli
2 potatoes
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
4 Tsp soyabean oil
1/4 tsp ground cardamon
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
Salt to taste
Peel banana and cut into 1/2 inch thick pieces. In a sauce pan add two cups of water, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp turmeric. Add banana, boil for tree minutes. Drain water. In a little ghee, fry banana slices until both sides are brown. Peel and cube potatoes. Boil in salt water and drain. In a frying pan, heat a little ghee and fry the cumin seeds, then add green chilli, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom and 1/2 cup of water. Stir and fry until oil separates from spices. Add potatoes and fry 2 minutes. Add banana, salt, sugar, lemon juice and 1/2 cup of water. Cover cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Offer hot.
Bengali Mocha Ghanto
Banana flower 1 whole
Wheat flour 1 tsp
Red chilli 3 whole
Kalonji seeds 1/4 tsp
Cumin powder 1 tsp
Chilli powder 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Garam masala 1/2 tsp
Fresh coconut 1/2
Oil 2 tbsp
Ghee 2 tsp
Water 1-1/2 cups
Salt to taste
Clean the banana flower well. First remove the outer leaves, then from each flowerette remove the hard stamen and hard covering at the base. Cut the flowers finely. Grate coconut. Boil in a pressure cooker with 1 cup of water, and when cooked remove water. Heat oil in a pan. Add whole Red chilli, Kalonji seeds, Cumin seeds, Turmeric powder and Chilli powder. Fry lightly. Add Banana flower and grated Coconut. Mix well and add salt. Add 1/2 cup hot water and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1 tsp Wheat flour, pure Ghee and Garam masala. Mix well and offer hot.
Kerala Erissery
Green bananas or plantains (nenthrakkay) - cubed
turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
mustard seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
urad dal - 1/4 teaspoon
coconut, grated - 1/2 cup
coconut for garnish - 1 tablespoon
black pepper - 1/4 teaspoon
curry leaves - a few
salt to taste
ghee - 1 teaspoon
Soak the cut plantains in warm water mixed with half teaspoon turmeric for ten minutes. Drain and cook the plantains with the remaining turmeric and salt. Grind the coconut well with cumin and add to the cooked plantains. Let it simmer. Meanwhile, heat the ghee and pop the mustard seeds. Add the urad dal and the coconut reserved for garnish and stir till browned. Add this mixture to the erisserry and mix in the curry leaves.
Kerala Plantain Errisery
1 pound plantain
Salt as per taste
1 tbsp ghee
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
Make a paste of:
3 red chillies
8-10 black pepper
1 cardamom
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1 cup grated coconut
1 tsp of ghee
Peel and diced the plantain and cook with salt in the water. After plantains are cooked, add the paste. Cook till the gravy thickens. Heat 1 tbsp ghee. Add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add to the plantain curry. Cook for 5 minutes and offer.
Mocha-r Ghonto
Whole banana flower 1
Potato 1
Turmeric 1 tsp
Garam masala 1/2 tsp
Green chilies 4
whole red chilies 4
Coconut, grated 1 cup
Oil to cook
Ginger paste 1 tsp
Sugar 1 tsp
Chili powder 1 tsp
Ghee 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Clean the banana flower well. First remove the outer leaves, then from each flowerette remove the hard stamen and hard covering at the base. Cut the flowers finely. Soak in water over night with salt and 1/2 tsp turmeric. Peel the potato and cut into small pieces. Pressure cook the banana flower in 1 cup water for 7 minutes and strain. Heat ghee in a pan and fry potato a little. Drain and set aside. Add red chili to the ghee and fry, then add ginger paste. In a few minutes add banana flower, potato, salt, and sugar. Cover pan and let it boil. When potato is properly boiled add ghee fried garam masala and the grated coconut. Mix well and offer.
Nendran Banana Curry
Banana fruit - 2
Curd - 1 cup
Coconut - 1/2 cup
Green Chillies - 2
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Method
Clean the banana flower well. First remove the outer leaves, then from each flowerette remove the hard stamen and hard covering at the base. Cut the flowers finely. In half cup water boil the fruit with salt and turmeric powder till well cooked. Mash well. Grind coconut and chilli to a paste. Mix with curd and add to the fruit pulp, mix well. Season with mustard.
Tamil Mor Koottu
Slightly sour buttermilk - 1 1/2 cups
Dry Red Chilly - 2
Jeeragam (cumin seeds) - 1/2 tsp
Grated Coconut - 3 tsp
Turmeric Powder - a pinch
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Vaazhai Thandu (the inner stem of the Banana tree)
Remove the outer skin of the Thandu and cut into round slices. Cut each slice further into long pieces. Cook the cut pieces in water with the turmeric powder and 1/4 tsp salt. After the vegetable has cooked, drain off the excess water. Make a paste with the chilly, coconut and jeeragam and add to the buttermilk. Add the remaining salt and the cooked vegetable and heat it up for 3 minutes. Garnish with spluttered mustard seeds.
Tamil Paruppu Usili
Channa Dhal - 2 tsp
Thoor Dhal - 2 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Urad Dhal - 1/2 tsp
Dry Red Chilly - 2
Asafetida - a pinch
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Ghee - 3 tbsp
Raw Plantain or Banana Florets
Soak the Channa Dhal and the Thoor Dhal in hot water for at least an hour before preparation. Cut the vegetable into small pieces. If using Banana Florets prepare and boil in the usual way. Make a thick paste out of the soaked dhals, salt, chilly and asafetida. Be careful not to add too much water. Heat up about 1 tbsp of ghee in a deep pan and add the mustard seeds and urad dhal. After the mustard has cracked, add the paste and keep stirring for some time. Add the remaining ghee a little at a time and stir until the entire paste has loosened up. Use up the last of the ghee, if any. Add the cooked vegetable and continue mixing for another 5 minutes. If using rRaw Plantain, cut it into small pieces and after grinding the paste, mix the vegetable with it and continue as above. Keep stirring until the vegetable has been cooked completely.
Teluga Patolli
Medium size raw green bananas - 2
moong dal - 1 cup
red chillies - 2
green chillies - 3
Ginger 1 inch
For Seasoning:
¼ cup Ghee
1 tablespoon of Urad dal
Sprig curry leaves
1 tablespoon of mustard
Soak Moong dal in water for 1/2 hour to 1 hour. Cut ginger and green chillis into small pieces and mix them with red chillis and soaked Moong dal. Grind them to a paste and mix sufficient salt. Set this paste aside. In a little hot ghee fry all the seasoning ingredients. When they turn golden brown add the small pieces of green raw banana. Fry them till they also turn golden brown and then add the grinded mixture of toor dal paste and fry that for 30 minutes on a medium flame. Serve hot.
