This dish is another speciality of Kerala. In the state of Kerala almost every home has a banana plant in the courtyard. Every part of this plant has its uses. The stem, the fruit (banana) and the flower are used in various dishes, whereas the leaf is used as a platter to serve meals. This dish is prepared, with the main ingredients raw bananas and whole moong (whole green gram); both contain a lot of nutrition for the body.
A regular at my in-laws place, this dish has squeezed-in to my recipe booklet too!
Ingredients:
- 6 raw bananas
- 1cup moong (Whole green gram)
- 1tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- 2 green chillies slit
- ½ tsp urad dal(split black lentil)
- 1 tsp split bengal gram(optional)
- Curry leaves
- Salt to taste
- Oil for seasoning
- 1 red chilli
Method
- Boil 1 cup moong in a vessel with ½ tsp turmeric powder till just cooked. It should not be too soft.
- Dice the raw bananas into small even pieces. Dice it into a vessel containing water and 1tsp salt.
- Drain of water (the water should have turned blue-black) and in another vessel, put in the cut bananas, salt to taste, cumin seeds and the slit chillies. The salt tends to be absorbed by the raw bananas, so if required, add sufficient salt now.
- Add ½ cup water, place the lid and let it steam for 2 minutes.
- Add the cooked moong along with the water (if any) and let it cook for another 5 minutes. When cooked put off flame.(Please note that there should be sufficient water as it tends to thicken when cooled).
- Heat a thick bottom pan, add oil for seasoning. When the oil is sufficiently hot, add to it urad dal(split black lentil) and split bengal gram.
- When it starts turning brown add mustard seeds, the curry leaves and red chilli.
- When the mustard seeds splutter add it to the cooked moong and bananas. Put off flame. Then stir and mix with the handle of the spoon as it will not mash the banana pieces.
- Serve hot as a side dish with rice or rotis.
Preparation Time: ½ hour
Serves: 4