Vazhathandu Mor Kootu/ Raw Banana stem buttermilk stew.

Ingredients:

Vazhathandu (Raw banana stem) -1 medium sized

Thick Buttermilk - 1 medium vessel

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Green chillies - 4-5

Cumin seeds (Jeera) - 1 tsp

Fresh grated coconut - 1/2 cup

Curry leaves - few

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Salt - as required

Method:

Take a medium sized vazhathandu and remove its skin with a peeler and cut it into round slices and then cut into small pieces.

Take a vessel with some water and put a drop of buttermilk in it and then put the cut pieces in the water.

Now take a mixie and pour thick buttermilk, green chillies, jeera and fresh coconut and grind it.

In the meanwhile pressure cook the raw banana stem pieces in the cooker until soft.

After the stem pieces are cooked nicely, remove from cooker and add the ground buttermilk mixture on top of it and add more thick buttermilk and mix nicely.

Now add salt, turmeric powder and curry leaves and mix nicely.

After mixing it nicely keep the mixture on fire and allow it to boil till the froth comes up.

When it starts coming together,off the gas and remove from fire and mix it with a big spoon nicely.

Now take 1 tsp oil in a kadai and season with mustard and pour on the buttermilk stew.

The Vazhathandu Mor kootu is ready to be had with rice and some nice curry as a side dish.

Bhindi Ki Kadhi

Ingredients:

Bhindi (lady's finger) - 5-6 cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Oil - 3 tblsps

Sour yoghurt - 2 cups

Besan (gram flour) -4 Tblsps

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Red chilly powder - 1 tsp

Salt as required

Mustard seeds - 3/4 tsp

Methi (fenugreek seeds) 1/2 tsp

Garlic - 3 flakes (chopped into small pieces)

Ginger - 1 inch piece (cut into thin strips)

Green chillies - 2 chopped

Hing - 1/4 tsp

Coriander leaves for garnishing.

Method:

Heat 2 tblsps of oil in a pan, add the bhindi pieces and saute till light brown.

Blend yoghurt,besan,turmeric powder,chiili powder and salt till smooth, add 3 cups of water and blend again.

Heat oil in a kadai, add the mustard seeds and methi seeds. When they begin to splutter,add the garlic, ginger,green chillies and hing and saute for 1/2 a minute.

Now add the yogurt mixture and boil. reduce the flame and cook stirring continuously till quite thick.

Now add the fried bhindi and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

This kadhi can be had with hot rice, or however you would like to have it.

Parupu urundai moar kuzhambu /lentil balls in buttermilk gravy

Ingredients:

Thick slightly little sour buttermilk -1 medium sized vessel

Jeera -1 1/2 tsps

Fresh grated coconut - 1/2 cup

Green chillies - 5-6

Haldi powder (turmeric powder) 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - few

For the urundais/lentil balls:

1/2 cup -Tuar dal (black gram dal)

1/2 cup - Chana dal (bengal gram dal)

Hing - 1/4 tsp

Whole red chillies - 7-8

Method:

Soak the dals in water for 1 hour and the drain the water and put it in the wet grinder along with red chillies, hing and pour little water and grind to a paste.

Take a kadai and season with mustard seeds and pour the paste and little oil and stir till the paste becomes a little semi soft and dry.

Now when the paste is a little hot make small balls with the paste with the touch of rice flour to avoid stickiness.

Now after making the balls place them on a plate or wide vessel and steam cook them.

Moar kuzhambu/Buttermilk gravy

Take a wet grinder and pour the thick buttermilk along with green chillies,jeera, and fresh coconut and grind to a paste.

Now remove the paste from the grinder and pour it in a vessel and pour more thick buttermilk on top of it.

Now add salt,turmeric powder and curry leaves and place it on the gas to heat.

After the froth of the buttermilk starts coming up ,off the gas.Do not heat the buttermilk too much as it tends to curdle.

Now after the urundais/lentil balls are steam cooked in the cooker,remove and put the balls one by one in the moar kuzhambu/buttermilk gravy.

Now season in 1 tsp oil mustard seeds and pour it on the kuzhambu.

The parupu urundai moar kuzhambu is ready for consumption.

You can have it with rice and any curry of your choice.

Moar (diluted buttermilk rasam)

Ingredients:

Diluted buttermilk - 1 glass

Turmeric powder --1 tsp

Daniya (coriander seeds) - 1 tsp

pepper corns - 3-4

methi seeds (fenugreek) -1/2 tsp

Tur dhal - (red gram dhal) -1 tsp

Red chillies -3-4

Curry leaves - few

Asafoetida (hing) -a pinch

Salt - as required

mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Method:

1. Take a vessel and pour the diluted buttermilk in it.

2. Dry roast daniya seeds,methi seeds, pepper corns,tur dhal and red chillies.

3. Now powder the roasted items in a dry grinder.

4. Add the powdered items to the buttermilk and mix thoroughly.

5. Place the buttermilk on the gas and add salt, turmeric powder,hing and curry leaves and allow it to boil.

6. As soon as it starts coming together and the froth comes, put off the gas. (do not boil for a long time as it will curdle).

7. Now remove from fire and season in 1 tsp of oil mustad seeds.

This dish can be had with plain rice.It is quite sour and a bit spicy also.