Vazhaithandu Pachadi | Vazhathandu Pachadi | Banana Stem Raita

This year summer in Pune has also become unbearable. The past two years I found it much better when compared to Chennai or Kerala, but this time it was bad :( And so, we were resorting to all sorts of coolants for the body and soul ! You do not feel like eating an elaborate lunch during summer, do you? We don't.. We feel like eating just some cold fruits and drink loads of buttermilk and lemonades ;) But everyday I don't do that. Somedays I cook rice and keep it simple with some steamed veggies and curd. 

I had a weeny tiny bit of banana stem remaining with me one day and that wasn't sufficient to make a kootu or upperi so I thought will make pachadi out of it. So googled for the recipe and found at Chitra's blog. I thought I had to cook the stem before making pachadi, but the recipe was a breeze that required no cooking at all and just the tempering. Also you do not feel any raw taste of the vazhaithandu/banana stem also ! That's a plus right :) So if you are looking for recipes that do not need much of cooking time and want to enjoy the summer under the fan like me, this recipe is one for you. Check out !

Some other recipes with Vazhathandu are 

Vazhathandu Poriyal | Vazhapindi Upperi | Banana Stem Stir Fry
Vazhaithandu Kootu | Banana Stem Kootu

Recipe Source: Adapted from Here

Preparation Time : 10 minutes

Cooking Time : 5 minutes

Serves : 2-3 persons 

I Used:

Vazhaithandu/Banana stem		½ cup (chopped)
Curd (Thick)		1 cup
Salt		As Needed
Coriander Leaves		2-3 sprigs for garnish

To Temper:

Oil		2 tbsp
Mustard		½ tsp
Urd Dal		1 tsp
Green Chilly		1 no
Asafoetida/Hing		½ tsp
Curry leaves		1-2 sprigs

The Way:

1. Whisk the curd in a bowl till smooth and there are no lumps. If you prefer the pachadi a little watery, add little water to the curd

2. Next clean and chop the banana stem to fine pieces. For cleaning the banana, discard the outer cover that comes off easily when you peel them. Then take the inner pith (hard part) and cut them into round discs. While doing so, you can see that there is a little fibre in between the discs.Discard them

3. Then chop the discs into small pieces and add them to the whisked curd immediately. (No need to cook the banana stem) If you keep it in open air, they will change colour. Alternately you can add the chopped banana stem pieces to water or little buttermilk till use to prevent them from changing colour

4. Add salt to the curd-banana stem and mix it

5. Now the tempering part - heat oil in a tadka pan. Splutter mustard. Reduce the flame to low. Add the urad dal. Let it fry for a few seconds. Take care not to burn it

6. Now add the hing, curry leaves and slit green chilly. Let it fry for a few seconds. The green chilly will start to pop out the oil. So be careful. Now switch off the flame

7. Add the tadka to the curd and garnish with coriander leaves. Mix well and serve !

Cheers,

Chitz

Vazhapindi Upperi | Unnipindi Mezhukkupuratti | Banana Stem Stir Fry | Plantain Stem Stir Fry | Vazhaithandu Poriyal (without coconut)

Is vazhapindi a veggie that you like? I like it the most in sambar.. Ehh, u didn't know that you can add them in sambar? You sure can.. Cut them into round disks and add them in sambar just like you add radish.. Once it is cooked and soaked well in the sambar it justs tastes yum :) I know you will thank me for it once you have made and tasted it ;) I have already posted a kootu recipe from vazhathandu here, so today it's an easy upperi or stir fry from Kerala that can be made ready in a jiffy. It tastes really well with rice and a tangy gravy.. So let's see how it can be done. 

Recipe Source: Mil

Preparation Time : 10 minutes

Cooking Time : 50 minutes

Serves : 4 persons 

I Used:

Banana Stem/Vazathandu/Unnipindi	-	1 ½ cup (after chopping)
Coconut Oil	-	2 tbsp
Mustard	-	½ tsp
Red Rice/Kuthari	-	3 tbsp
Re Chilly	-	2 nos
Curry Leaves	-	2 sprigs
Turmeric powder	-	¼ tsp
Salt	-	As Needed

The Way:

1. Clean the plantain stem/vazhaithandu by removing the outer rings till you reach the hard core central pith. Then slice them into 1/4 inch thick round disks. There will be fibre surrounding the disks, remove and discard them. now chop the round disks into small cubes an keep them immersed in water or preferably buttermilk (so as to retain the colour of the stem) 

2. Now take the chopped stem along with salt, turmeric powder and a 1/4 cup of water in a pressure cooker and cook them for 3-4 whistles in medium flame. If it is a good variety stem it will get cooked well else will take longer. See if it becomes soft and is cooked after 3-4 whistles, if not cook again till done. Alternately you can cook them in a pan also. If then refer step 5

3. Once the stem is cooked, heat the coconut oil in a pan. Splutter mustard

4. Add the red rice and broken red chillies. Saute on low flame for 3-4 minutes till the rice starts popping. Add the curry leaves

5. Finally add the cooked stem along with water if any. Give a nice stir and allow the water to dry. If you are not pressure cooking the stem, add them now with enough water (1/4 -1/2 cup) and allow it to cook covered over medium flame for 15-20 minutes. Cook till it is done and becomes soft and transparent. Also it should become dry

Switch off the flame and serve with red rice (or white) and a tangy gravy like puli kuzhambu or fish gravy!

Cheers,

Chitz

Vazhai Thandu Kootu | Banana Stem Kootu | Easy Vazhathandu Kootu

Banana Stem cooked in Mung dal and tempered with coconut and Indian tadka

A simple kootu can blow away my worries and make me feel light and of course make me chirpy again. Will you believe that? If you are saying no, believe me I'm not lying. I'm sure a comfort food is not a solution to your worries but most of the comfort food reminds us of our mom right? And when you have your mom by your side, comforting you and mostly she expresses that with food right? Then your worry seems to take a backseat and you start working on the solution right? Now you see the connection :) 

For me any kootu is like that.. I usually pair it up with rasam and a pickle.. The combo is bliss and light on the tummy. But nowadays I don't make much of rasam coz my lo is not a fan of it. So I resort to some dal based gravies for him :) But still, a good kootu makes me feel happy and at home. Do you have any food or dish like that? Let me know ! This kootu with banana stem is yet another simple recipe from my mom. Not much work except cleaning and cutting of the vazhathandu. Addition of coconut is purely optional. If you do not want it, skip it. Coconut adds an extra zing to the dish, that's all. So off to the easy recipe. If you want to try some other kootu recipes, here they are..

Peerkangai Kootu | Ridge Gourd Kootu
Yellow Pumpkin Kootu | Poosanikkai Kootu

Recipe Source: Ma

Serves: 3-4 persons

I Took: 

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

I Used:

Vazhathandu/Banana Stem	-	1.5 cups (cleaned and diced)
Moong Dal	-	¼ cup
Coconut	-	¼ cup
Turmeric powder	-	¼ tsp
Salt	-	As Needed

To Temper:

Oil - 1 tbsp Mustard seeds - ½ tsp Urad Dal - 2 tsp Red Chilly - 2 nos - broken Asafoetida - ¼ tsp Curry leaves - A sprig

The Way:

1. Clean the banana stem (vazhathandu) and cut them into small cubes. Keep them immersed in water till use, so that it retains it's colour and doesn't turn dark

2. Rinse the moong dal and soak in water for 15-20 minutes

3. Then cook the moong dal along with salt till almost done. You can pressure cook as well. Cooking in a normal pot would take some time compared to the pressure cooker

4. Now once the dal is cooked, add the cubed vazhathandu along with turmeric powder and salt (if required) and cook them covered till done. This would take 15-20 minutes depending on how good the banana stem is. If it's a fresh one, it would get cooked fast. If you do not want to take the risk or are low on time, pressure cook them for 3-4 whistles

5. Now finally add the grated coconut, give a nice stir and leave for about a minute and then switch off the flame

6. Finally for the tadka, heat oil. Splutter mustard and then add the urad dal

7. When it starts to turn golden, add the broken red chillies, asafoetida and curry leaves. Add this tadka to the kootu and serve

Cheers,

Chitz