Vazhaipoo Vadai / Banana Flower Fritters

           Vazhaipoo vadai  as in tamil or banana flower vadai is a tasty south-Indian fritter. This vadai is a  tasty, deep-fried, finger licking savoury snack that goes good as an appetizer or a good snack to munch with a hot cup of tea. This is one of the many recipes my mother taught me.

 Ingredients

 1 Medium Size Banana Flower
 5 Tbsp of Roasted Bengal Gram Powder/Pottukadalai
 5-6 Red Chillies
 1/2 Cup of Onion
 1 Tsp of Cumin/Jeera
 1 Tsp of Fennel/Sombu 
 1/2 Tsp of Turmeric
 A Sprig of Curry  Leaves
 1 Tbsp of Coconut Powder
 2 Cloves of Garlic
 1/2 Inch Finely Chopped Ginger


  Method


Cleaning the banana flower is a tedious process.


               Banana flower consists of many layers of bract. You can see a bunch of florets under each bracts. First remove the pink layer. Take out the florets found underneath. Remove all the layers one by one till you find the white dome like structure and collect all the florets.In each floret, you can see a string in the middle with a tiny head called stamen and also a small plastic like white cover around it. Both are not edible so trash it.

  • Take a pan with water and turmeric and add all the florets to it .Allow it to boil until you find the foaming at the top. Take off the pan from heat. Allow it to cool .
  • In a blender, grind boiled florets, red chillies, salt, ginger, garlic first and then to this mixture add cumin, fennel, onion, curry leaves and grind it coarsely.
  • Transfer this mixture to a bowl and add roasted bengal gram powder, coconut powder, salt and asafoetida.
  • Heat oil in pan and make a flat patty/vadai in your palm.
  • Drop the vadai in hot oil and cook in medium flame. Fry until both sides are golden and crispy.
  • Hot crispy vadai is ready to serve.



   Tips

  • Make sure do not add too much of water while grinding. The water in vazhaipoo is enough.
  • You can add soaked channa dal instead of Roated bengal gram powder.
  • Adding roated bengal gram powder gives you soft vadai.
  • Always fry vadai in medium -low flame.


  Health Benefits of Vazhaipoo Vadai

  • Great source of vitamins A, C and K
  • Excellent  source of fiber.
  • Banana flowers possess antioxidant properties



   

sending recipe to what is with my cuppa and nupur page

Untitled-1 



Creamy Spinach / Pasalaikeerai Masiyal

                           
                                   CREAMY SPINACH

              Spinach is truly a wonderful leafy green that packs a lot of nutrients. Creamy spinach / Pasalaikeerai Masiyal is simple, healthy, and delicious south indian style keerai dish that can be done quickly. This pasalakeerai masiyal is a great recipe for kids and adults! Your kids will love this and so will you ??

 Ingredients
 
   2 Cups of Spinach
   2 Red Chillies
   2 Garlic/1 Tsp of garlic powder
   Salt and water as needed.

 Method

 

  • First take some water in a deep bottom pan, add some salt and boil it. Let the water come to a rolling boiling temperature. At this point put chopped or whole spinach leaves in the boiling water. Boil it for 2 minutes or just until wilted.
  • Now turn off the stove. Immediately, “shock” the blanched spinach in cold water(it will keep the color of spinach green) and drain the excess of water.
  • On other side heat a pan with oil and fry the red chillies and garlic until it changes color.
  • Finally in a blender add the spinach, red chillies, garlic and salt. Blend it until smooth and creamy.

  Tips

  • If you don’t like garlic flavour , just make puree with spinach, red chillies and salt.
  • Spinach Puree is a good accompanient for Spicy Kulambu like vatha kulambu.


  Health Benefits for Spinach

  • One cup of cooked spinach has 42 mg of calcium.
  • Spinach is your best bet for folic acid, which helps keep cells all over the body growing and functioning well.
  • It’s an incredible nonanimal protein source of iron, which delivers oxygen all over the body, providing much-needed energy to kids’ muscles.
  • Spinach also helps regulate blood sugar and keeps your children’s hearts healthy because it’s high in potassium and magnesium.


MOONG DAL RICE | PAASI PARUPPU SADHAM

                                              


               Moong Dal Rice is a one pot meal, very quick to make, yummy, nutritious and easy to digest recipe. I make this dish for lunch or dinner. You can serve with Raita or Potato fry.


  Ingredients

     3/4 Cup of Rice 
     1/4 Cup of Moong Dal
     10 Small onion
     2 Green Chillies
     1 Big Tomato
     3 Big Garlic Cloves
     1 Tsp of Turmeric
     3 Tbsp of Chopped Cilantro/Coriander Leaves
     2 Cups of Water
     Salt as needed

  To Temper

     2 Tbsp of Oil/Ghee
     1 Tsp of Mustard
     1 Tsp of Urad Dal
     1 Tsp of Cumin/Jeera
     1/2 Tsp of Fennel/Sombu
     2 Red Chillies
     Few Curry Leaves 
     A Pinch Of Asafoetida


   Method 

Ingredients
  • Heat oil in a pan/cooker and add mustard seeds. Let it crackle and add urad dal and curry leaves. 
  • Add cumin, fennel, red chillies and asafoetida one by one and allow it to fry in the same oil. [careful not to burn the cumin seeds, otherwise it goes bitter]
  • Saute onion and garlic till they become light golden brown.Add chopped chillies, tomatoes, turmeric and salt to the mixture and cook until oil seperates and then add moong dal and saute for 2 minutes.
  • Add rice and 2 cups of water and cook until it is done   

  
   Tips
 

  • Dry roast moong dal (without oil) to a light golden color and soak it for 10 minutes in hot water before cooking. It will lead to soft dal texture, nice aroma and taste. 
  • You can add ghee while serving it instead of cooking with it. 
  • To get even richer paruppu sadam, add 1/2 a cup of coconut milk while cooking the dal.  


   Health Benefits of Moong Dal Rice

  • A dish of basmati rice with moong dal combines carbohydrates, protein, fiber and fats for a healthy, balanced meal.
  • Lentils are high in fiber and protein, and low in fat. Eating lentils and other foods that are rich in soluble dietary fiber can help decrease high cholesterol.