Raw Banana Thoran (Kerala Cuisine)

 

          This is a simple, easy and a traditional Kerala recipe, where raw banana is cooked with fresh coconut. It is tempered with mustard seeds, curry leaves, red chili and raw rice for a delicious flavor.  This happens to be one of the items in the Onam Sadya meal, and is relished as a side dish. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this regional delicacy.

• 3 raw bananas
• 1/3 cup fresh coconut, grated
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1-2 green chilies
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 3 tbsp. coriander leaves
• 2 tbsp. coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 dry red chili, broken
• 1 tsp. raw rice
• 1 onion, chopped
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder

          Pressure cook the raw bananas in sufficient water for 1 whistle. When cool, discard the skin and chop into cubes. 

          Grind the coconut, garlic, cumin seeds, green chilies, coriander leaves and 1 sprig curry leaves into a coarse paste. Keep aside.

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with the mustard seeds, dry red chili, 1 sprig curry leaves and raw rice. Sauté till it stops spluttering.

          Now add the onion, salt and turmeric powder. Stir fry till light brown. Then add the boiled banana and cook, covered on a low flame 1-2 minutes. 

          Add the coarse paste and give it a stir. Sauté for a minute and then switch off the flame. Serve as a side dish with steamed rice, sambar-rice, curd-rice or chapattis.

                    Grind coconut, garlic, cumin seeds, green chilies, 1 sprig curry leaves & 

                    coriander leaves into a paste. Keep aside.

                     Heat oil & temper with mustard seeds, dry red chili, 1 sprig curry leaves

                     and raw rice. Sauté till it stops spluttering.

 Now add the onion, 

                                  salt and turmeric powder. Stir fry till light brown. 

                     Then add the boiled banana & cook, covered on a low flame 1-2 minutes. 

                                 Add the coarse paste and give it a stir. Sauté for a minute. 

                   Serve as a side dish with steamed rice, sambar-rice, curd-rice or chapattis.

Raw Banana Cutlet / Tikki

 

          Check out these yummy shallow fried cutlets made of raw banana and few basic ingredients easily available in your kitchen. They come out just amazing. It is so easy and simple to make. They are perfect for an evening tea-time snack. You can also serve them as appetizers along with tomato sauce or green chutney. 

         Do try and include them in the menu of any in-house party. It can be prepared well in advance and refrigerated to be fried at the time of serving. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this yummy party snack.

           These cutlets can also be served as vegetable burgers along with onion, lettuce, cucumber, tomato and cheese slice. 

          Besides, they can be made into a roll / frankie or packed as a lunch box meal. They also tastes great with hummus and can be wrapped in parathas / chapatis.

• 1 raw banana, boiled, peeled & mashed
• 1 tbsp. rice flour
• 1 tsp. ginger, grated
• 1-2 green chilies, chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder
• 1/2 tsp. amchur powder or to taste
• 1/2 tsp. red chili flakes
• 1 tsp. sesame seeds
• 2-3 tbsp. oil to shallow fry

          In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients (except oil) and knead into a dough. Make equal size portions of it and give it a round flat shape.

          Heat oil in a tawa / pan and shallow fry them, few at a time, till golden in color. Drain on a tissue paper and serve them hot with tomato sauce or green chutney.

 

                          Mix together all the ingredients (except oil) and knead into a dough.

                                 Make equal size portions of it and give it a round flat shape.

                       Heat oil in a pan & shallow fry them, few at a time, till golden in color.

                                   Drain on a tissue paper.

Serve them hot with tomato sauce or green chutney.

Raw Banana Kebab / Patties

          
          There are many uses of raw banana / green plantain. It can be made into gravies, dry curries, chips, koftas and kebabs. I made the latter with some common ingredients which are easily available in the kitchen. They are perfect for an evening tea-time snack or can be served as appetizers along with your favorite chutney, mayonnaise or tomato ketchup.

• 1 raw banana, boiled, peeled & mashed
• 1 potato, boiled, peeled & mashed
• 1 tsp. ginger, grated
• 1-2 green chilies, chopped
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 2-3 whole red chilies
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 2 green cardamoms
• 2 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped
• salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• 2 tbs. rice flour
• 1 tsp. kalonji (nigella seeds)
• oil to deep fry

    
          Dry roast the dry red chilies, cumin seeds and green cardamom for a few seconds. When cool, grind and keep aside.

          In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients, including the ground spice powder (except oil). Knead into a dough. Make equal size portions of it and give it a round flat shape.

          Heat oil in a pan and fry them few at a time till golden in colour. Drain on a tissue paper and serve them hot with green chutney or tomato ketchup.

                 Make equal size portions of the prepared dough & give it a round flat shape.

                           Heat oil & fry them till golden in colour. Drain on a tissue paper. 

                                  Serve them hot with green chutney or tomato ketchup.

KanchKolar Kofta Torkari (Raw Banana Kofta Curry - Bong Style)

          This is a traditional Bengali homemade style curry of raw banana koftas in gravy. This is a "No Garlic & No Onion" based gravy. It is commonly cooked in every Bengali household and relished with hot steamed rice. 

          Adding potatoes to the gravy is purely optional. It is slightly thickened with the addition of cashew nut paste and finished off with ghee and a sprinkle of garam masala powder. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

• 2 green plantain, boiled & mashed / grated
• 1 potato, boiled & mashed / grated
• 2 tsp. cumin seeds
• 3 whole dry red chilies
• 2 tbsp. oil
• oil to deep fry
• 2 bay leaves
• 1" cinnamon stick
• 2 green cardamoms
• 4 cloves
• 2 tsp. ginger, grated
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1-2 green chilies, slit
• 1-2 green chilies, chopped
• 1 tsp. roasted cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder
• 1 tsp. ghee (clarified butter)
• 1 tsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          Dry roast 1 tsp. cumin seeds, 2 green cardamoms and the red chilies for a few seconds. When cool, grind and keep aside.

          In a bowl, mix together the mashed plantain, potato, salt, pinch of turmeric powder, 1 tsp. ginger, chopped green chilies and the powdered spice mix.

          Form into small round koftas. Heat oil in a pan and deep fry them. Drain on a tissue paper and keep aside.

          Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a pan and temper with the bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves and the remaining cumin seeds. Sauté for a few seconds.

          Add the ginger, turmeric powder and the cumin powder mixed with little water. Fry on low flame till oil separates.

          Add the tomatoes and sauté till well mashed up. Add 2 cups water, slit green chilies and salt. Simmer on low flame for 4-5 minutes till the gravy thickens to a desired consistency.

          Add the koftas, garam masala powder and ghee. Give it a gentle stir and serve, garnished with coriander leaves.

       




Note - 1.  If serving later, arrange the fried koftas on a serving dish and pour the gravy over it. 
           2.  The koftas can be prepared earlier and refrigerated to be cooked later.

                                  Dry roast cumin seeds, cardamoms & dry red chilies.

       

                                  Grind them & keep aside.

                                   Boil green plantain & potato till soft. Grate / mash them.

                        Mix with salt, turmeric powder, ginger, green chilies & dry spice mix.     

                                  Form into small koftas.

                                   Deep fry them to golden in colour.

                   Heat oil & temper with bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves & cumin.
                               

                    Add cumin powder, ginger & turmeric powder mixed with little water.

                                 Add tomatoes & sauté well.......

                                 till it is mashed up.

                           Add 2 cups water, salt & slit green chilies. Simmer for 4-5 minutes
                           till the gravy thickens to a desired consistency.

                               Add koftas, garam masala powder & ghee. Give it a gentle stir.

                                  Serve, garnished with coriander leaves.
                              

Green Plantain Poriyal (Tamilian Cuisine)

          This is one of the versatile South Indian side dish, usually had along with sambar-rice or curd-rice. It goes very well with chapati / roti too. Very simple and an extremely easy preparation, this dish can be prepared in no time. Poriyals are a common every day meal in any Tamilian household. Beans, carrots, okra, cabbage and beetroot too can be made the same way.

• 3 green plantains
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1/4 tsp. asafoetida
• 1 dry red chilli, broken
• 1 tsp. urad dal (split black gram)
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp. fresh coconut, grated

          Pressure cook the plantain in enough water for 1 whistle. When cool, chop into small cubes and keep aside.

          Heat oil in a pan and temper with mustard seeds and dry chilly. After it stops spluttering, add the asafoetida, curry leaves and urad dal.

          Saute till the dal changes colour. Now add the boiled plantain and salt and saute for a minute on medium flame. 

          Add the coconut and switch off the flame. Mix well and serve as a side dish with rice or with chapattis.