Valaikkai Puttu

Vazhaikkai - unripe banana; puttu - anything steam cooked and loose as sand .

Vazhaikkai puttu is a spicy scrambled plantain fry served as side dish with rice.

Click to see how I prepare Nenthrankai puttu (long green plantain) in my YouTube channel. Kindly subscribe. Thanks for subscribing and liking as this will encourage me to create more videos. Thanks and blessings !

Ingredients:

Unripe Plantain Nenthran kaaai - 2
onion (finely chopped) - 1
dry red chilly - 2
curry leaf - 1 sprig
coconut oil - 1 tbsp

mustard - 1 tsp

urid dal - 1 tsp
shredded coconut - 1/4 cup
cumin - 1/2 tsp
turmeric - 1/2 tsp

hing - a pinch
salt - 1 tsp

Method:

Wash the green plantains / bananas. Steam cook them using an Idly cooker or in a normal cooker without adding the pressure valve for 10 minutes. Check it by piercing a fork and it should pass through without difficulty but firm in shape.

Take out and let them cool. Remove the skin and grate the unripe banana in a carrot shredder. 

In a wok, heat the coconut oil and add mustard seeds followed by the black gram lentil. As soon as the mustard crackles add the dry red chillies, curry leaves , onion and stir till the onion wilts. Immediately add the shredded plantain, salt, turmeric, hing and mix well. Check for salt.  Fry till it becomes loose. If using nentharankaai (plantain variety) add 1/4 cup water and cook closed for 5 mins if needed. If using shorter banana (Tamilnadu variety), no need to cook in water after steaming.

Then mix the freshly shredded coconut and switch off.

Vazhaikkai puttu is ready!

Serving suggestions:

Serve as side dish with rice and sambar or vatral kulambu or kara kulambu or rasam.

Note:

Some people add turmeric to the puttu , while others make it white. Both tastes good.

வாழைக்காய் புட்டு :

வாழைக்காய் புட்டு 

நேந்திரங்காய் / நாட்டு வாழைக்காய்  - 2

வெங்காயம்  - 1

காய்ந்த மிளகாய் - 2

கறிவேப்பிலை - 1 sprig

தேங்காய்  எண்ணெய் - 1 tbsp

கடுகு - 1 tsp 

உளுந்து - 1 tsp 

தேங்காய் துருவல் - 1/4 cup

சீரகம்  - 1/2 tsp

மஞ்சள்  - 1/2 tsp

பெருங்காயத்தூள்  - a pinch

உப்பு  - 1 tsp 

 

Cabbage carrot poriyal

A big ball of cabbage sitting in the refrigerator is a great comfort for me when that week's grocery shopping got postponed unavoidably. Cabbage side dishes are plenty in my draft and here is one.

Recipe courtesy / memories: My sulochana aachi . I remember her telling mom to prepare this cabbage poriyal, whenever they both arrange for some family get-together.  Indian ThaLi meal (platter) may need  'n' number of side dishes.  So if we can prepare a delicious cabbage poriyal, then it will become an inexhaustible side dish resource for that day, even if you run out of a few dishes :) I like her views,  social skills, home management techniques very much. So no wonder, her favorite cabbage became my favorite too:)

Ingredients:

cabbage  - 150 gm
carrot (1) - 50 gm
channa dhal - 2 tbsp
mustard - 1/2 tsp
curry leaf - 1 sprig
onion - 1/2
salt - to taste
oil - 1 tsp
cumin- 1/2 tsp
freshly shredded coconut - 2 tbsp
green chilly - 1
ginger - 1/2 inch

Method:

Soak the channa dhal for sometime and cook it by putting in boiling water.
(or) Microwave it for 2 minutes along with 1/4 cup water.
Finely chop the onion, chilly, ginger, curry leaf and keep aside.
Finely chop the cabbage and carrot (tiny squares). Keep aside.
Heat a wok with a tsp of oil and let the mustard crackle. Then add the chopped onion, chilly, ginger, curry leaf and stir well. Let the onion wilt (1 minute).Immediately add the finely chopped cabbage, carrot and stir well. Add the cooked channa dhal along with any left over water(not much) and cook covered (3 minutes). Don't let it brown. Let all the water evaporate. Finally add required salt, cumin, shredded coconut, mix well and switch off.

Cabbage carrot poriyal is ready!

Serving suggestions:

serve as side dish with sambar rice or any rice or roti.
Serves 3 people.