Unripe banana poriyal (வாழைக்காய் பொரியல்)

Green unripe plantain (வாழைக்காய் ) is included in many ethnic cuisines. South Indians cook this banana in many ways.  One of the easiest ways is making a poriyal. Any poriyal (a stir fry) requires very less oil and can be cooked quickly too.
In Tirunelveli, most of the poriyal recipes would ask for 'steam cooking' or 'par boiling' the vegetable before tempering. My amma used to make this in a single step....she would just temper the vegetables and cook them in the same frying pan. 
But I always make this in Tirunelveli saiva samayal method, which I learned from our Rukmani aunty. I adapt this method, because I temper all of  my dishes (like sambar, rasam) one by one using the same kadai while cooking and finish off with this poriyal.  Try this and enjoy !

Vazhaikkai poriyal (வாழைக்காய் பொரியல்)

Cut the vazhaikai into 1 inch squares (approx)

I use this banana (Thai banana) for cooking purpose (from my file photos)

Ingredients:
Green unripe banana - 2
red chili powder - 3/4 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
cumin - 1 tsp
salt - to taste (1 tsp)
Tempering:
Coconut oil - 1 tbsp
mustard - 1 tsp
urid dal - 1 tsp
hing - a tiny pinch
curry leaf - 1 sprig
red onion - 1 (small)
dry red chili - 1 
shredded coconut - 2 tbsp

Method:
Wash and clean the banana. Scrub and remove the outer skin mildly. We can remove the skin completely but I prefer to keep the skin on.
Cut it into small cubes. Put it in water immediately to prevent it from oxidation (color change).
Pour 4 cups of water in a sauce pan.  Bring it to boil and cook the chopped banana tender crisp (it should not be mushy, but cooked well). Drain water. Add salt, turmeric powder, chili powder, cumin to it and mix well. Keep the cooked banana mix aside.
Heat coconut oil in a wok. Add mustard seeds, urid dal, hing and let mustard crackle. As soon as urid dal turns mild pink, add cut dry chili, curry leaf, chopped onion and fry till onion turns soft (not brown).
Add the cooked banana and stir well. Cook covered in low heat for 1 minute. Sprinkle shredded coconut, mix well and switch off.
Vazhaikkai poriyal is ready!

Serving suggestion:
Serve as side dish with sambar, rasam and rice.

Time taken:
Preparation: less than 10 minutes
cooking : 10 minutes

Quick oats dosai

Sometimes I make this kind of quick oats dosai using left-over dosai mavu (batter). No one can say that it contains oats. So this is a good way to incorporate more fiber in our regular Indian food. Rolled oats behaves like poha (aval) in Indian cooking. So it is easier to make many Indian foods also.
 Also see my paruppu thovaiyal (dal chutney) too, which is my favorite chutney.  Mix that dal chutney with a tsp of sesame oil and fall in love with this combo forever. Sharing this quick and easy healthy dosai with you all ! Hope you all like it !

Oats dosai served with paruppu thogaiyal.

Bubbles in dosai will tell that you have made a super soft dosa and it is a success :) 

Ingredients:
rolled oats (traditional or microwaveable) - 1/2 cup
left over dosa batter - 1 1/2 cups
salt - to taste (optional)
Enos fruit salt - 1/8 tsp  (optional)
water - very little.

Method:
Powder the oats in a small dry mixie jar.
Add this to the dosa batter along with salt, eno's fruit salt. (Instead of eno's fruit salt we can add baking soda too, if we need a thick soft dosai. Otherwise we can make a crispy dosa with the same flour without any effervescent). Add little water to get dosa batter consistency (the batter should be thinner like pancake mixture).
Heat a dosa tawa. Coat it with sesame oil.
Pour a ladle of dosa mixture. Flatten it slightly to a small round (6 inch approximately).
Reduce flame and wait till it gets cooked (easy to flip stage).
Flip and cook the other side too.
Oats dosa is ready!

Serving suggestion:
Serve with any chutney , sambar just like ordinary idli dosai.

Note:
I have not tried this with 'steel cut oats'.
Try increasing the oats in this recipe up to 50:50 ratio and it will work good.
Eno's fruit salt can be substituted with a mixture of pinch of baking soda + lemon juice 2 drops (from my own experience , this gives the same effect .... bubbles in dosai).
Effervescent is needed in colder countries only and it is totally optional. Without this soda effect, dosa won't be spongy soft and still we can enjoy a thin dosai.