Podi Vazhakkai Poriyal (Spicy Plantain Poriyal)

With plantain we try fritters/bhajji, Vazhakkai poriyal or Vazhakkai puttu. But this is a very different, simple and delicious poriyal by adding ground roasted powder to this plantain. It tastes great with sambar and also goes very well with curd rice too.

Ingredients:

Plantain/Raw Banana - 2
Tamarind water - 1/4 cup (very thin)
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste

For ground powder:

Bengal gram - 1 tbsp
Urad dal - 1 tbsp
Corriander seeds/Dhania - 1 tbsp
Red chilli - 2 or 3

Method:

1) In a pan, dry roast all ingredients for making ground powder.

2) Once it cools, make a coarse powder of it.

3) Then peel off the plantain skin and cut to small cubes. (Cut the plantain once you are ready to cook, else it will become dark)

4) Then in a pan, add the oil. Once it is hot, add the mustard seeds. Let it splutter and add the urad dal. Then add the cut plantain.

5) Saute it for few mins. Then add tamarind water and turmeric powder. Also add salt to it and let it cook. (do not add too much of tamarind water, as it will be so tangy and gets over cooked)

6) Once it is almost done, about 3/4 cooked, add the ground powder to it and mix it very well.

7) Let it cook about for a minute and your spicy plantain poriyal is ready now.

Tasty podi vazhakkai is ready to go with sambar or even with curd rice.

Valakkai Puttu (Plantain/Raw Banana Puttu)

One of the very easy and tasty recipes of all, and also my hubbies favorite. Very simple to make and this has no spices added to it, like we add dry powders for poriyal/sabzi. We add only finely chopped green chillies for spice. Just the plantains taste makes it delicious. Adding urad dal little more, makes this recipe more crunchy. My mom used to make this very often. Whenever I get plantain, I make bajji/fritters with this. But my hubby prefer doing this very often. Even my daughter like this, as it is not much spicy and tastes good.

Ingredients:

Raw Banana/Plantain - 1 big or 2 small
Onion - 1 medium (finely chopped)
Green chillies - 2 (finely chopped)
Curry leaves - 1sprig
Mustard - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

1) First cook the plantain in water for about 6 to 8 minutes.

2) Once the skin color changes, remove it and let it cool. Peel off the skin (it comes very easily) and grate the plantain.

3) Now heat a pan, add oil and mustard. Once it splutters, add urad dal, curry leaves, onion and green chillies.

4) Saute it for a minute and add the grated plantain.

5) Add necessary salt and just mix it well. Let it be in the flame for about 2 mins, by gently stirring it.

Plantain puttu is ready to taste.