Raw Banana Stir Fry/Vazhakkai Podimas (Raw Banana dry curry with very less oil)

Here is an interesting easy recipe prepared using raw banana /Vazhakkai / Balekayi. This is an traditional recipe of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. This looks very simple at the same time its very tasty. Grated half cooked banana will be seasoned with few spices and coconut ... Using minimal oil makes this dish very healthy.Serve this yummy dry curry along with hot rasam and rice....

Here we go with the detailed recipe.

Recipe Source: My Mother In Law !

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:
2 medium size raw bananas
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilly powder
salt to taste

for seasoning:
 2-3 tbsp of coconut oil/any cooking oil of your choice
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp channa dal
8-10 curry leaves
1-2 dry red chilly split into halves

for grinding:
6-7 tbsp fresh grated coconut
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 green chilly


How To Prepare ?

• Grind all the ingredients mentioned under "for grinding" into a coarse mixture without adding water. Keep the ground mixture aside. Remove the ends of washed bananas and chop them into halves.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
                                   

• Drop these chopped bananas into boiling water. Continue to cook until it is half cooked. Don't ever cook it completely, because you will have tough time when       you grate it if it is cooked completely.Peel the outer skin after it cools down.Grate the peeled bananas and keep it aside.[Tip here is .... Stop cooking as soon as it starts changing color of outer skin . Use the side of large hole of a grater not the small one.]
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Time to prepare the seasoning.Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. After the mustard seed pops out,add channa dal and urad dal. After dal turns golden brown add curry leaves, dry red chilly to it. Fry for few seconds. Now add in grated raw banana, turmeric powder, red chilly powder(optional) and salt to it. Mix it well and saute it for 2-3 minutes.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Now add coarse  ground mixture to it . Mix it well so that all the spices gets combined well with grated banana. Keep the flame in low and cook  for one more minute and switch off the flame.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Tips/Alternative:

• Increase the number of green chilly according to your spice level.
• You can increase the amount of coconut too.
• You can add in  1 tbsp lemon juice at the end.

Thanks so much for going through my recipe.Kindly get back to me with your comments. .Please do share it with your friends and family if you like the recipe :-)