Vazhaithandu Poriyal (Banana Stem Veg Curry)

This is one of my favourite dish which belongs to the healthy food category! Banana stem (Vazhathandu) is a vegetable that is known to have medicinal values especially in the treatment of kidney stones.Its rich in fiber so its a diet food; Good for weight reduction.Since its fiborous it adds bulk and hence we may consume less. Unfortunately we don't get vazhathandu here in the US.Well now since im in india i was able to get this and thus posting the recipe here.

Ingredients :

1. Banana Stem - 1 cup

2. Cooked Moong dal or Toor Dal - 2 tablespoon.

3. Salt to taste

4. Grated Coconut - 2 tsps

5. Turmeric Powder

Ingredients for Seasoning:

1. Onion - 1 small (chopped)

2. Mustard Seeds

3. Urad dal

4. Curry leaves

5. Broken Red Chilli

6. and some oil.

Preparation: Take a pan and add some oil and add the above ingredients for seasoning.

2.Cut the Banana stem longitudinally and soal them in diluted buttermilk to prevent them from getting oxidized(darkened). When ready drain the cut Banana stem from the buttermilk and add a little bit of water (about 1 cup) and add some salt and turmeric to this, as seen in the picture below.

3.Let it cook for a while about 10 mins. Now add the seasoning to this and give it a stir.

4. You may add the grated coconut to this now and stir them again.
5. And finally add the cooked dal to this and stir fry the veggie again for a minute or two.

6. Garnish with curry leaves and serve it with either roti or rice with sambar.

Cauliflower Kootu

Ingredients:

1 medium sized cauliflower

Onions -1

Garlic - 3

Tomato - 1

Any other vegetables like carrot/peas etc. - 1/2 cup

2 tsp oil1 tsp

mustard seeds

Few curry leaves

Channa dal - 1/2 cup

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

To Grind:
----------

2 tsp Jeera
3 tbsp grated coconut
1 or 2 green chillies (Optional)




Method :


Soak Channa dal atleast half an hour before starting to cook(soaking in hot water will take probably just 15 mins; )





Heat little Oil in a pressure pan, add mustard seeds, Cumin seeds, curry leaves. And then add onion/garlic/tomayos fry till it turns light brown.
Add, cauliflower, soaked dal and vegetables and salt. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes and close the lid and pressure cook it by allowing it to cook for 2 whistles.


Open the lid of the pressure pan when the steam is completely gone. Now add the ground paste : (the Grated coconut, jeera,greenchillies). Mix it well with the contents and let it boil just for couple of mins and set aside.


Kootu can be best served with rotis.

Sare Beingan ka salan (Whole Eggplant Curry)

Eggplant Curry Recipe for 4 to 6 people:
Ingredients:
Brinjal - 6 , Onions - 2 medium, garlic -5, Tomato - 1, salt, turmeric, redchillie powder - 1/2 tsp, mustard seeds- 1 tsp, curry leaves, tamarind water - about 4 cups.
peanut -2 tsp, sesame seeds - 2 tsp, coconut powder-2 tsp, Jeera - 1/2 tsp --> Roast them all seperately one by one and grind it into a powder.
Now, saute 1/2 the onion, garlic and add it to the above grounded powder and make it a paste and keep it aside.
Preparation:
Take a pan and add some oil(about -4 tbsp), add mustard seeds , curry leaves and then add onions, garlic, tomato, saute it until the raw smell goes. Now add the paste and saute it for a while. Now add the tamarind water and stir it well, add salt/turmeric and chillie powder to it. Let it boil.
On the otherhand, slit the egg plant from the bottom into 4 pieces without taking off the stalk. Now deep fry the eggplant and keep it ready simultaneaously.
Add the fried egg plant to the curry boiling on the other side. Keep it in sim for about 10 mins.
Egg plant curry is a good combination for Biryani/Rotis/Parathas/Plain white rice.