Vazhakkai Podimas / Grated Raw Banana Fry



        Vazhakkai podimas is a south Indian dish, made with vazhakkai or raw banana. This dish is very easy to make with less ingredients, flavorful and healthy. This is my mom’s recipe. I love to eat this for rasam rice or puli kulambu. You can cook the raw banana either in pressure cooker or in stove top. I prefer stove top method. Raw banana we use in this recipe should be soft but not mushy. It tastes yummy as a side dish for sambar rice or rasam rice. Sorry my photograph was not good, because its been raining for the past 3 days. So it was not clear.

      Ingredients

            1 Medium Size Raw Plantain, Grated
            2 Tsp of Oil
            1 Tsp of Mustard Seeds
            1 Tsp of Urad Dal
            2 Red Chillies
            Pinch of Asafoetida / Hing
            Few Curry Leaves
            3 Tbsp of Chopped Onion
            1/4 Tsp of Turmeric Powder
            1 Tbsp of Grated Coconut
            Salt to Taste
           

     Method

  • Wash and cut both the ends of raw plantain.
  • Heat a pan with enough water, add raw banana to it, cook till it changes skin color and turns soft but not mushy. It takes about 10 mins in high flame.


  • After it cool down, peel off the skin and grate it.
  • Heat a pan with oil, add red chillies (Break it),  mustard seeds and urad dal, after it splutters,  add asafoetida, curry leaves, chopped onion, turmeric powder and salt, fry for 2 mins.
  • Keep the flame in low, add grated vazhakkai (raw banana), cook for 2 mins.
  • Add the grated coconut, mix well and turn off the flame.
  • Serve hot with sambar rice or rasam rice or pulikulambu.


     Tips

  • You can cook vazhakkai in pressure cooker for 1 whistle instead of cooking it in the pan.
  • Add chopped green chillies for more spicy taste in addition to red chillies.
  • You can also add 1 tsp of lemon juice at the end for a slight tangy taste.


     Health Benefits of Vazhakkai / Raw Banana

  • Good source of resistant starch, a type of starch that cannot be broken down by enzymes in our digestive system, acts like fiber than starch, good for diabetes. 
  • High in potassium and vitamin B6.
  • High in fiber content.

     

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Pan Fried Cauliflower / Marinated Cauliflower Fry


        Cauliflower fry is very easy to make dish. In this recipe, florets are cooked in hot water with salt, marinated it with spices for few mins and then sauteed in oil . Eat this delicious mouth watering recipe with hot fried rice or lemon rice or any variety rice or even rotis.


     Ingredients

              1 Medium Sized Cauliflower, about 2 Cups
             
     To Grind

              3 Tbsp of Roasted Bengal Gram / Podukadalai
              1 Tbsp of Rice Flour
              1 Tbsp of Corn Flour

      For Marination
             
              1/4 Cup of Ground Powder ( Roasted gram, rice and corn flour)
              1 Tsp of Ginger Garlic paste
              1 Tsp of Sambhar powder
              1 Tsp of Garam masala
              1/2 Tsp of Black Pepper Powder
              2 Tbsp of Curd (Yogurt)
              Pinch of Hing / Asafoetida
              Salt to taste                            

       To Temper

               2 Tbsp of  Oil
               1 Tsp of Mustard Seeds
               1 Tsp of Urad Dal
          


    Method

  • Heat a pan with water and salt, bring it to boil. Add cauliflower florets, cover it and cook it for 5 mins. Just cook 50 %.  Drain the water and transfer the cauliflower florets to a wide bowl.
  • Grind all the ingredients listed under ” to grind” to a fine powder.
  • Add all the ingredients listed under “marination” to the cauliflower florets. Add little water and mix well with hand / spoon.
  • Marinate this florets for 15 – 20 mins.
  • Heat a cast iron pan with oil, add mustard seeds and urad dal, after it splutters, add the marinated cauliflower florets, fry in medium low flame for 10 mins.
  • Cauliflower fry is ready to eat. 




    Tips

  • Serve with lemon rice or any variety rice.
  • You can “deep fry” the cauliflower florets after marination instead of pan fry.
  • If you don’t have sambhar powder, add 2 tsp of coriander powder, 1 tsp of red chilly powder and 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder.

        
    Healthy Benefits of Cauliflower

  • Excellent source of antioxidants.
  • Anti-inflammatory properties.
  • Protect against cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease.
  • Clean your digestive system.
  • Good source of vitamin B and minerals.






Mini Methi Poori / Methi Puri Recipe – Indian Breakfast Dish


            Puri / Poori is a deep fried puffed bread, generally made with wheat or maida, salt and water. Additionally, in this recipe, I used  fresh fenugreek leaves (methi) from my garden. Here the dough is then kneaded, rolled out into a circle and then deep fried in a hot oil. It tastes great if eaten hot, puffed up with a crispy outside and a moist inside. Though it starts to lose its puffiness and becomes chewy, when cold, poori is still tasty when eaten that way . It is often served for weekend breakfast. Good accompaniment for poori is potato based curries, dal and channa masala. 




     Ingredients

           1/2 Cup of Whole Wheat Flour
           1/2 Cup of Maida / All Purpose Flour
           1/2 Cup of Methi/ Fresh Fenugreek Leaves, chopped
           1/4 Tsp of Ajwain / Omam
           1/4 Cup of Milk
           2 Tbsp of Oil
           2 -3 Tbsp of Water
           Salt to taste
           3 Cups of Vegetable Oil for Deep Frying


     Method


  • In a medium size bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, maida, ajwain, chopped methi leaves and salt. Add oil and milk, mix by hand until all ingredients are well combined. Gradually add water, to form a dough that holds together.
  • Knead the dough in the bowl until the dough is smooth about 5 mins. The dough should be moderately stiff. 
  • Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and set aside for 15 mins. In a clean counter top, roll the dough into a rope and divide it into 12 – 14 equal portions. 
  • Roll each portion into a ball. Flatten the balls with a rolling pin and roll into a circles ( Small or big) about 1/4 inch thickness.
  • Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat until it reaches 350 degree F.
  • Test for readiness by placing a small piece of dough into the hot oil. If the bubbles rises to the surface immediately, it is ready. Place the circles into the hot oil, one piece at a time. The dough will sink to the bottom, but immediately rises up.
  • Use light pressure with the back of slotted spoon to submerge the dough until it puffs up. Then, turn it over to brown on second side. 
  • Once it is done, remove the poori with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel. Repeat the same procedure with the remaining dough. Serve immediately or keep it warm until ready to serve.


    Tips

  • If you find your dough is sticky, add a tbsp of flour and knead it again.
  • Always cook poori in a medium heat.
  • If the oil is too hot, the poori will brown too fast, may remain doughy and uncooked inside.
  • You can add grated ginger, red chilly powder for a different twist to the taste.



 
    Health Benefits of Methi or Fenugreek Leaves

  • Lowering Diabetes I and II
  • High in dietary fiber and Vitamin C
  • Lowers serum cholesterol.
  • Improves digestion.
  • Fenugreek leaves are rich in vitamins, minerals and good source of protein and Iron.