Vazha pindi / banana stem thoran

The xylem of the banana plant is a delicacy. Cleaning it can seem a chore. But according to Ayurveda, pindi / banana stem helps clean the digestive tract. 

Below you will find how the pindi can be cleaned and how to make a traditional 'thoran' with it.

Pindi / banana stem - 1, the length of your forearm 

Moong dal / Cheru parippu / pasi parippu - 1/2 cup

Salt

Turmeric powder - 1+1 tsp

Coconut grated - 1 cup

Green chilli - 3

Jeera - 1 tsp

Coconut oil - 3 tbsp

Mustard - 1 tsp

Red chilli - 2 broken into pieces

Curry leaf -  a sprig

( opt ) shallots - 3 

Start by soaking the moong dal in water.

Now let us attack the banana stem!

See the thread when you cut the stem? We have to remove as much of it as possible.

Start cutting it into rounds.

Then using your finger make circles on the stem.

Now the strings will start coming off.

When you have 2 - 3 rounds start dicing.

Store until use in water. Add 1 tsp turmeric powder to this water.

By the time the pindi is diced, the dal would have soaked enough.

Take a thick bottomed vessel and start cooking the dal in plenty of water.

When it is nearly done, strain the pindi and add to the dal. Add salt and turmeric powder. Mix well.

Cook for 5 minutes and check to know if the pindi is cooked.

How? Take some on the spatula.

Press down on the pindi. It must give way easily. 

Turn off flame.

Now we make the thoran.

Heat oil in a large vessel / kadai.

Splutter the mustard. Then add the red chilli and curry leaf.

Add the cooked pindi and dal. If there is any water in the cooked pindi, don't worry. It will get evaporated.

Grind the coconut with green chillies and jeera without adding any water. 

Optional - You can also grind 3 shallots / madras onions with the coconut, green chilli and jeera. 

I personally would advice against it.

Once all the water has evaporated from the pindi mixture, tip in the ground paste.

Mix well and cook on high flame, stirring constantly for 1 minute.

Your pindi thoran is ready to be served!

Garlic Rasam (Kerala)

Cold days are Rasam days!! This recipe was given to me by my dear friend Simmy Basant. My kids love it, though I would never suggest you have it on special days like today - Valentine's day!!

You can find another version of garlic rasam in Tamil nadu.

Basic ingredients:

Garlic - 3 big pods

Shallots / small onion - 3

Tamarind - small ball soaked in lukewarm water and 4 cups of pulp extracted

Tomato - 1 1/2 + 1/2 ( garnish)

Green chilli - 1+1(garnish)

Coconut oil - 2 tbsp

Mustard - 1/2 tbsp

Red chilli - 2, broken

Salt ( missing from below photograph)

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp ( again missing from below snap!)

Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 2 tsp

Pepper powder -  1 tsp

Asafoetida powder - 1 tsp

Coriander leaf for garnish

Chop the onions, garlic and 1 green chilli.

Then take half of this and pound.

Heat oil. Splutter mustard and add the red chillies.

Now add both the pounded and chopped vegetables.

Fry till garlic starts browning. Then add the spice powders other than salt.

After 1 minute add the chopped tomato.

Then the salt

Cook till tomato becomes pulpy.

Now add the tamarind pulp / juice

Stir and boil. Simmer and let boil slowly for 5 minutes.

Garnish:

Serve either as an appetizer or with rice.

Enjoy!!

Potato cauliflower ghassi

Ghassi is a favorite dish if Konkanis. My neighbor - Vidya Kamath makes this atleast twice a week. No function at Tirumala temple is complete without ghassi.

Here I have made ghassi with potato and cauliflower. 

Usually ghassi is served with 'toya' or dal boiled with salt, green chilli and asafoetida. And garnished with spluttered mustard, red chilli and curry leaf.

Ingredients:

Potato - 1 large, peeled and cubed

Cauliflower - 2 cups

Salt

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Tamarind - 1 gooseberry size ball (soak in water and extract 2 cups of pulp)

Jaggery - 1 tsp

Oil (preferably coconut) - 1 tbsp

Mustard - 1 tsp

Red chilli - 1, broken into pieces

Curry leaf - 1 sprig

For grinding

Grated Coconut - 1 cup

Red chill - 5

Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp

Urad dal - 1 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Heat oil and fry the dal till golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon. Into the same oil add the red chilli and coriander seeds. When the chilli starts to blacken, add the coconut. Fry till the coconut starts turning golden brown. Add the fried urad dal and turn off flame. Cool and grind into a smooth paste.

Boil the potato in salted water. 

When it gets half cooked add the cauliflower and tamarind pulp.

Cook covered till vegetables get cooked.

Now add the ground paste , mix and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the jaggery and mix well.

Splutter mustard in 1 tbsp coconut oil.

Add the broken red chillies and curry leaf.

Add to the curry and serve hot with rice.

Idiyappam / string hoppers

My daughter's favorite! Easy to make and so tasty. Have it with coconut milk or kadala or stew.

The base component is rice flour and salt. A dough is made with hot boiling water. Pressed through a machine and steamed.

In Chennai, people sell fresh idiyappam. A guy came to my aunt's house on a moped carrying a huge container with lots of idiyappam. 4 large pieces for Rs.10. Amazing!!

Yield : 2 cups of rice flour yields 28 small idiyappams.

Use boiling water. 

 The dough must be thick and not watery. 

Keep covered for 2 minutes and in between each pressing process.

This is my press. But they come in many varieties. The one below is a traditional one.

I use my idly plates as I love small idiyappams. There are bigger plates available in the market.

This is optional - Add 1 tsp coconut in each hole.

Now your muscles come into play!

Now they are ready for steaming!

If using pressure cooker, do not use the weight.

Steam for 2 minutes.

Yummy idiyappams are ready!

Enjoy!

Serve hot with kadala or mushroom coconut milk curry.