BANANA FRY Or KAYA MEZHUKUVARATTY

BANANA FRY Or KAYA MEZHUKUVARATTY: This is a very easy fry. It is crispy and spicy. You may have it with rice or Thali. It adds a variety to everyday food. This dish is widely made in kerala. This is a dish which we would have all cherished as kids. I am sure; it would be an instant hit with kids.  It is made with Green, unripe banana.

INGREDIENTS:

Unripe Banana – 2 or 3

Turmeric powder – a pinch

Red chilli powder – 1 teaspoon or less

Curry leaves – 4 to 5

Salt to taste

Oil – 1 to 2 tablespoon

METHOD:

Clean and cut the green bananas into thin slices. Heat oil in a pan and add the banana pieces and salt. Close the pan with a lid and cook till tender. Add turmeric powder and red chilli and curry leaves and sauté till lightly crisp. Serve!

NB: stir once a while very gently, so that the pieces do not stick to the bottom. Using coconut oil would give more taste and aroma. 

KAYA THORAN or UNRIPE BANANA THORAN

KAYA THORAN or UNRIPE BANANA THORAN: This is an authentic Kerala dish. It is spicy as well as dry. You may use it as a side dish along with rice. This one reminds me of the tapioca smash which is very famous in Kerala. Just like any other thoran the spice mix is the same but the chilli would be bit on the higher side. 

INGREDIENTS:

Unripe Banana – 2

Garlic cloves – 2 to 3

Scraped Coconut – 4 to 5 tablespoons

Green chillies – 4 to 5

Cumin seeds – ½ tablespoon

Turmeric – a pinch

Curry leaves – a sprig

Salt to taste

Oil to drizzle

Water

METHOD:

Clean and cut the unripe bananas into slightly thin pieces. I have sliced the banana into half and then again cut them horizontally. Then cut each slice into smaller dice.

 Take a pan and pour little water. Add the cut bananas and salt. Cover the pan and cook till the bananas are well cooked.

 In the meantime grind scraped coconut, garlic cloves, cumin seeds, turmeric, green chillies and curry leaves with no or little water. Just get these ingredients mixed, do not form a paste.

 Once the bananas are cooked, add this mixture and mix well. Wait till all the water is absorbed or cook for a minute on low heat.

 Drizzle oil and serve. 

CHENDAMURI or RIPE BANANA DESERT or ETHAKKA VAZATTIYATHU

CHENDAMURI or RIPE BANANA DESERT or ETHAKKA VAZATTIYATHU: This is one desert that my husband can’t get over with. The first time I heard about chendamuri was after marriage. My mother in law makes it. I guess this dish reminds my husband about his childhood.

This dish is made with jaggery or palm jaggery, ripe bananas and ghee. It is a very simple dish. My 9 month old also seems to be a great fan of it. I have used palm jaggery.

INGREDIENTS:

Ripe Bananas – 2

Ghee or clarified butter -1 to 2 tablespoon

Palm Jaggery - to taste

Elachi or cardamom – 2 to 3 powdered

METHOD:

Cut the bananas into small pieces. Melt the jaggery with little hot water and sieve it to get rid of any particles or sand in it.

Take a heavy bottomed pan and add ghee to it. Add bananas and sauté for sometime till the bananas are tender.

Add jaggery and sauté till the whole liquid is absorbed. Season with cardamom and serve hot. You may garnish with cashew nuts.

 NB: You can also season with dry ginger if you like the taste.

UNRIPE BANANA SMASH WITH PEPPER or KAYA PUZHUKKU

UNRIPE BANANA SMASH WITH PEPPER / KAYA PUZHUKKU:  I wanted to reduce the oil I use for cooking the unripe banana stir fry and I ended up with this. It is a tasty one and has a puzhukku or almost smashed texture.  It is a salty spicy one!

Unripe banana helps your intestinal colon healthy. It also increases the body’s ability to absorb calcium. It also has vitamin B6, potassium and vitamin C.

Unripe bananas have resistant starch. If you notice, the term resistant starch has been the “it” word recently among the weight watchers. They say resistant starch allows you to aid weight loss as it moves through your intestine undigested and thereby giving you the fullness feel.

Now, I really love unripe bananas. So here goes the recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

Unripe Bananas – 2

Red Onion – 1

Pepper Powder -1/4 to ½ tablespoon

Curry leaves – a sprig

Turmeric powder – a pinch

Salt to taste

Oil

METHOD:

Clean and dice the unripe bananas. The smaller the piece the easier it gets cooked.  Slice the onions.

Transfer the banana pieces to a pan and pour little water (just enough to cook. Remember water will also ooze out from the bananas during cooking). Add salt and turmeric powder. Check in between so that you won’t burn the bananas. Close the pan with a lid.

Place the pan on low flame and cook until bananas are really tender. Add the curry leaves and pepper and onions and drizzle oil once the water has totally dried out. Mix well and serve.

NB: I have used coconut oil as the mix of coconut oil with bananas is irresistible.