Vazhaipoo Parupu usili (Banana flower)

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Another traditional recipe from my mother in law


Ingredients
Banana flower (vazhapoo):  1 medium
Bengal gram dhal (Kadala parupu): 1/2 cup
Toor dhal: 1/4 cup
Hing: 1/8 tsp
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
Red chillies: 2 (Add more if you want more spicy)
Oil: 1 tablespoon
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Urad dhal: 1 tsp
Curry leaves: a sprig
Salt: to taste


Procedure:
Step1:
Soak the toor dhal and Bengal gram for atleast 1 hr


Step2:
Meanwhile remove the stamens from the banana flower and chop it.

While preparing the banana flower always put the florets in water mixed with little buttermilk to avoid the florets turning black

Step3:
Cook the florets in enough water. Add salt and turmeric powder in the boiling water and then add the florets.Cook for around 10 minutes in medium flame. Do not over cook

Step4:
Alllow the cooked florets to cool and then filter out the excess water


Step5:
Now grind the both the dhals with asafoetida,salt, turmeric powder, red chilli and salt to a coarse paste without adding water

Step6:
Cook the dhal mixture
Option1: Steam cook this in idli stand for 5 minutes


Option2: Grease a microwave safe bowl with little oil and microwave for 2.5 minutes
You can cook the dhal using either of the above methods

Step7:
Cool the cooked dhal and crumble it with your hand. Alternatively this can be pulsed in the blender as well


Step8:
Add 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. Once it starts spluttering add urad dhal and curry leaves

Step9:
Add the crumbled dhal mixture and fry for about 5 minutes until it crisp.


Step10:
Add the cooked florets and saute for a couple of minutes. Adjust salt if necessary (Note that already we have added salt in the dhal as well as the vegetable)

Other vegetables that can be added in place of banana flower

• Cluster beans (Kothavarangai)
• Beans
• One of my friends mom made this using beetroot as well

Notes:

• Do not overcook the vegetable. Otherwise it will become mushy and may not get the right texture
• When you add the vegetable to the fried dhal crumbles, make sure it does not contain excess water.
• While preparing the banana flower always put the florets in water mixed with little buttermilk to avoid the florets turning black

Eggless Caramel Bread Pudding

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Recipe source: Raks Kitchen

Ingredients:
Bread slices: 8
Milk: 1.5 cups
Sugar: 2/3 cup
Vanilla extract : 1 tsp

For caramel:
Sugar: 2 tablespoon
Water: 2-3 tsp

Procedure:
Step1:
Tear the bread into pieces and add this to the milk.

Step2:
Add sugar & vanilla extract and mash it well.

Step3:
Heat 2 tsp of water in a flat pan.After it gets heated add 2 tablespoon of sugar
Do not stir it directly but you can slightly tilt the pan for even heating
After some time, the syrup will turn dark brown.Make sure it does not gets burnt

Step4:
Immediately pour this caramel in a 6 inch round pan and tilt the pan so that the caramel gets well coated in the sides as well

Step5:
Now pour the prepared bread mixture in the pan.

Step6:
Cover this pan with an aluminium foil and prick it to make some small holes

Step7:
Steam cook this for about 25 minutes

Step8:
Once it is cooked cool down and refrigerate it for atleast 2 hrs.Invert this into a flat plate and cut into desired shapes

Step9:
Top it with nuts or caramel syrup if desired.I did not use any topping.It tasted great as such

Notes:

• Make sure you do not burn the caramel. Tilt the pan left and right constantly for even heating.
• I steam cooked in an electric steamer. If using pressure cooker do not use whistle
• Instead  of vanilla essence, cardomom powder can also be added.

South Indian Mixture

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Ingredients
Besan : 4 cups
Rice flour: 1/2 cup
Butter: 1 table spoon
Salt: 4 tsp
Chilli powder: 4 tsp
Dry Roasted peanuts: 1/2 cup
Roasted cashews: 1/4 cup
Poha (Aval): 1/2 cup
Fried gram(Odacha kadalai): 1/2 cup
Curry leaves: 1 sprig
Oil: to fry


Procedure:
Step 1:
Mix besan, rice flour, 2tsp salt, 2 tsp chilli powder & butter with 2cups of water.

Step 2:
Heat the oil in a pan.Using the Omapodi achu, make the omapodis.Reserve 1/4 of batter to make boondhis

Step3:
This makes around 7-8 omapodis of medium size
Once it is done, add 1 or 2  tablespoon of water to the remaining flour mixture(Reserved 1/4 cup dough) and dilute it .This should look like dosa batter


Step 4:
Using carrot shredder, make boondhis and fry them

Step 5:
Fry the poha and fried gram together

Step 6:
Fry curry leaves with 1 tsp of hing

Step 7:
Mix everything to gether in a large vessel. Add dry roasted peanuts and cashews, remaining chilli powder and salt and mix well
Store in an airtight container or zip lock bag

Notes:
1 tsp of sugar can be added during the final mix
Make sure the oil is heated before frying the omapodi