Vazhakkai Vathakkal ~ Roasted Raw Bananas

I had got 2 raw bananas from the Indian Street this weekend and after much thought , my childhood and office days back in India tempted me to check out of a South Indian side dish - roasted Raw banana.......and after much research I found this one which matches my taste buds ...........


Vazhakkai Vathakkal ~ Roasted Raw Bananas
Recipe source - Bharathy of Spicy Chilly

Ingredients

Vazhakkai/Raw banana- 2
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Salt- to taste
Sambhar powder(better option) or red chilly powder - 1tsp

To temper-

Oil- 1-2 tbsps
Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp
Urad dhal-1/2 tsp
Curry leaves- a sprig


Method

Peel the green skin of the raw bananas and immerse in a pan of water.[this is to prevent the brown coloration of the peeled veggie]
Slice them into thin rounds (not too thin: say, slightly less than half cm each).
Simultaneously boil a wide pan of water( 2 cups more or less, to immerse the slices comfortably) along with salt and turmeric powder.
Throw in the slices as soon as you are done, boil for a few seconds and drain the slices from the hot water using a colander.
Be careful not to over cook the pieces and see to it they are firm and half cooked. Be careful with the boiling water while you drain too :)

Heat oil in a wide non stick kadai.
Splutter mustard seeds, brown the urad dal, throw in the curry leaves and finally the pre cooked slices.Add the chilly/sambhar powder.Toss the slices.
Check salt and toss once a minute.
Let them get fried for 10-15 minutes in low flame until roasted and browned on both sides.
Remove from fire and serve hot with rice and curry.

Buttered Vegetable

Irene is now a history........but it gave me an opportunity to cook meals for windy - rainy day......from the 4 - 5 dishes I made , this one is the most healthy option.....has loads of veggies , actually just veggies

5 - 6 large florets of Cauliflower
1 Carrot - peeled and cut lengthwise /Baton
4 - 5 beans - cut into 1" long
1 Medium sized potato - peeled and cut lengthwise
1/2 Zucchini

1/4 tsp red chilli flakes
4 - 5 baby corns
1/2 bell pepper - assorted - I used diced green and red ones
Sat to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper powder
1/4tsp white pepper powder
1/2tsp mixed herbs - I used dried oregano and rosemary - you can also substitute it with fresh herbs
1tsp fresh mint leaves - finely chopped
1Tbsp butter  - salted / unsalted
1/4tsp cooking oil / olive oil


In a pan boil water and add a pinch of salt , now add the cauliflower and heat for 2 -3 mins, drain and keep aside
Now wash and cut all vegetables accordingly and place all in a steamer and steam until done - except the bell peppers and zucchini
[ I used a pressure cooker without a whistle and 1/4 cup water along with salt]
The above step can be done in advanced
Once the vegetables are done, cool them
In a pan heat butter and oil ( we are adding oil so that the butter does not burns) and add the zucchini and bell peppers
Saute for 2 - 3 mins and add the boiled vegetables , mix well so that butter is coated evenly all over
Add the seasonings and dry ingredients and mix well
Serve immediately

Saute`d veggies...Final touch

Note:
You can add any vegetables of your choice such as onions, cherry tomatoes, cucumber etc
Seasonings can also be altered according to your taste buds
This can be served with a bed of salad , french fries - fried or baked , chips
I had some left over vegetables, so made a tikka out of it
I had also added some saute corn kernels and lemon rind to give it an extra zing !!!

Finally My platter.........The baked french fried are missing from this pic