Ethapazha Pulissery / Ripe Nendran Banana Curry.

Ethapazha pulissery also known as Nendran pazha pulissery is a Kerala style ripe nendran banana curry adding ground coconut cumin paste and curd and goes well with rice. Nendran banana is known as Ethapazham /Nendrapazham in Kerala. Ethapazha Pulissery / Ripe Nendran Banana Curry recipe is given below with step by step photos.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Kerala Style Ethapazha Pulissery.

Ingredients:-

Nendran Banana.   -2 ripe
Green chilly.          -2
Turmeric powder.  -1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder.-1/2 tsp
Curd.                     -3/4 cup
Water.                    -as required
Salt.                       -to taste

For grinding Coconut Cumin Paste:-

Grated coconut.     -1 cup
Cumin seeds.         -1tsp
Black pepper corn.-1tsp

For Seasoning:-

Mustard seeds.    -1tsp
Fenugreek/methi.-1/4sp
Dry red chilly.     -2
Curry leaves.       -1sprig
Coconut oil.         -1tbsp

Instructions:-

1). Grind grated coconut, cumin seeds and black pepper corns to a smooth paste.Keep aside the ground coconut cumin paste.

2). Take 2 ripe ethapazham (ripe nendran banana).

 

3). Peel and chop ethapazham (ripe nendran banana) into thick round pieces and keep them in a pan.

Method:-

1). In a pan add chopped nendran banana pieces, half slit green chillies, turmeric powder, red chilly powder and little salt.

2). Add 3/4 cup of water into the pan. Mix well and boil on low flame. Cover and cook the nendran banana pieces on low flame for 2 minutes or till soft.

3). Add ground coconut cumin paste into the pan.

4). Add 1/4 cup of water and mix the ground coconut  cumin paste with the cooked banana pieces and  boil on low flame for a minute.

5). Whisk  3/4 cup curd and 1/4 cup water without lumps. Add whisked curd into the pan and mix well.

6). Check for salt and add required salt into the curry and mix well. Heat the curry on low flame. When the boiling bubbles starts to appear switch off the flame.Do not boil the curry after adding curd.

7). Heat 1tbsp coconut oil in a small pan for seasoning.Splutter mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds (methi seeds).Add dry red chilly pieces and curry leaves into the pan and fry in oil for a second and switch off the flame.Pour the seasoning into the ethapazha pulissery.

8). Mix the seasoning to the ripe nendran banana curry and cover the pan with lid for 2 minutes to absorb the aroma of the seasoning.

 Very tasty Kerala Style Ethapazha Pulissery / Ripe Nendran Banana Curry is ready to serve with rice.

Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin soup is a healthy and tasty soup made with pumpkin chunks and vegetable broth. Pumpkin soup recipe is given below with step by step photos.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Pumpkin Soup.

Ingredients:-

Pumpkin .            -a small
Vegetable stock.   -1 or 2 cup
Onion.                   -1 large.
Garlic cloves.        -6
Ginger chopped.    -1tbsp
Red chilly powder.-1/2 tsp
Pepper powder.      -1/2 tsp
Salt.                        -to taste.
Oil.                         -1tbsp

Instructions:-

Cut and remove the outer skin and seeds of a small pumpkin and chop it into medium thick chunks. Finely chop onion. Chop garlic and ginger into small pieces. Keep the above ingredients on a plate.

Method:-

1). Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wide bottom pan. Add chopped garlic cloves and ginger pieces into the pan and saute well.

2). Add finely chopped onion into the pan and saute well till onion turns soft and light golden colour.

3). Add chopped pumpkin chunks into the pan and mix with the sauted ginger garlic onion mixture and saute well on low flame.

4). Add red chilli powder and required salt into the pan and mix well.

5). Add 1 cup vegetable stock into the pan and mix well. Boil and cook pumpkin chunks till tender. Switch off the flame and gently mash the cooked pumpkin chunks with a masher. Allow the cooked pumpkin vegetable stock mixture to cool.

 

 

 6). Once cooled put the pumpkin vegetable stock mixture to a mixer grinder and grind to a smooth pumpkin puree.

 

 

7). Pour the ground pumpkin puree to a bowl.Sprinkle pepper powder over the pumpkin soup and mix well.

 

Add more vegetable stock to thin the soup and blend it well. Healthy and tasty Pumpkin Soup is ready.

Sharkkara Varati/ Sharkara Upperi

 Sharkkara varatti is a Kerala style jaggery coated deep fried thick nendran banana chips also known as sharkkara upperi and usually prepared as a sweet snack during the festival of Onam in Kerala.Sharkkara Varatti /Sharkara Upperi recipe is given below with step by step photos.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Sharkkara Varatti / Sharkara Upperi.

Ingredients:-

Raw Nendran banana.-3 or 4
Grated Jaggery.          -3/4 cup
Powdered sugar.         -2 tsp
Cardamom powder.    -1/2 tsp
Cumin powder.           -1tsp
Dry ginger powder.    -1 &1/2 tsp
Rice four.                   -1/2 tsp
Coconut oil.  - for deep frying

Instructions:- 

Cut and remove the green outer skin of raw nendran bananas lengthwise. Chop the peeled raw nendran bananas each into two halves lengthwise.Then chop the raw banana halves into quarter inch thick semi circle shape slices and keep them in water.

Method:-

1). Heat coconut oil in a deep frying kadai. Add chopped thick raw nendren banana slices in hot oil and deep fry them on medium flame till crispy and golden colour. Transfer the deep fried thick nendran banana chips on a tissue paper to absorb excess oil.

2). Now the deep fried thick and crispy banana chips are ready for making sharkkara varatti.

3). In a vessel add grated jaggery and 2 tbsp of water and boil the grated jaggery on medium flame till it dissolves in water and strain the boiled jaggery syrup to remove impurities. Add the strained jaggery syrup and powdered sugar to a non stick pan and stir well and boil until it reaches to one string consistency. Add cardamom powder and cumin powder into the pan and mix the meted jaggery syrup.

4). Add the deep fried thick nendran banana chips into the melted jaggery syrup in the pan and stir well.Add dry ginger powder and rice flour over the jaggery banana chips mixture. Keep on stirring the mixture with a flat spatula till the fried banana chips are nicely coated with melted jaggery.

5). Sharkkara Varatti /sharkara Upperi is ready.Once cooled store the sharkkara varatti to a dry airtight container.

Raw Mango Curd Pachadi/ Mango Pachadi

 Raw mango curd pachadi / Manga pachadi is a Kerala style very tasty and easy to make raw mango pickle adding curd and goes well with rice.Raw Mango Curd Pachadi / Mango Pachadi recipe is given below with step by step photos.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Raw Mango Pachadi./ Manga Pachadi.

Ingredients:-

Raw mango.      -2
Green chillies.   -3
Chilly powder.   -1tbsp
Cumin seeds.      -3/4 tsp roasted
Fenugreek/methi.-1/2 tsp roasted
Asafoetida.          -1/2 tsp
Curd.                    -1 cup
Salt.                      -to taste
Mustard seeds.     -1tsp
Dry red chillies.   -2
Curry leaves.        -few
Coconut oil.          -2 tbsp

Instructions:-

Finely chop raw mangoes with skin. Crush roasted cumin seeds and roasted fenugreek seeds together to a fine powder using mortar and pestle. Chop green chillies into thin round pieces.Keep aside.

Method:-

1). In a mixing bowl add finely chopped raw mango pieces, thinly chopped green chilli pieces, red chilly powder, required salt, roasted cumin fenugreek powder and asafoetida.

2). Mix together all the ingredients in the bowl and keep aside to rest for one hour.

3). Heat 1tbsp coconut oil in a small pan for seasoning and splutter mustard seeds. Add dry red chillies and few curry leaves into the pan and saute well in oil for a second. Switch off the flame and pour the seasoning into the raw mango chilly mixture.

4). Whisk curd without lumps and pour it into the raw mango chilly mixture in the bowl.

5). Mix together raw mango chilli mixture, mustard seasoning and whisked curd in the bowl.

Raw Mango Curd Pachadi is ready to serve with rice.

Chickpea Cutlet / White Chana Cutlet

 White chana cutlet is a deep fried teatime snack made with white chickpeas and can be served with tomato ketchup.Chickpea Cutlet /White Chana Cutlet recipe is given below with step by step photos.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Chickpea Cutlet / White Chana Cutlet.

Ingredients:-

White Chickpea.-1 cup
Garlic cloves.     -2 large
Ginger.                -1inch piece
Fennel seeds.      -1/2 tsp
Boiled potato.     -1
Onion.                 -1
Carrot chopped.  -2 tbsp
Capsicum.           -2 tbsp
Coriander leaves.-2 tbsp
Green chillies.     -2 

Pepper powder.    -1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder. -1/4 tsp
Coriander powder.-1tsp
Garam masala.      -1tsp
Maida.                   -1tbsp
Cornflour.              -1tbsp
Salt.                        -to taste
Oil.                 -for deep frying

Instructions:-

1). Wash and soak white chickpea in water overnight. Pressure cook soaked white chickpea till soft.

2). In a mixer jar add cooked white chickpeas, garlic, ginger and fennel seeds.

3). Grind the cooked white chickpeas garlic, ginger and fennel seeds to a fine paste.

Method:-

1). In a bowl add ground white chickpeas ginger garlic fennel seeds paste mixture, boiled peeled and mashed potato, finely chopped onion, chopped carrot, chopped capsicum, chopped coriander leaves, thinly chopped green chilly pieces, black pepper powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and required salt.

2). Mix together all the ingredients in the bowl using your hand. Add maida and corn flour into the bowl.

3). Mix maida and cornflour into the potato chana mixture without adding water.

   4). Take a small portion of the mixture and make it into small roundel and slightly flatten it into round cutlet shape.Make round cutlet shapes with the remaining mixture and keep them on a plate.

5). Now chickpea cutlets /white chana cutlets are ready to deep fry in hot oil.

6). Heat oil in a kadai for deep frying. Drop the cutlet shaped mixture into hot oil one or two at a time and deep fry till golden colour and crisp on all sides.

7). Remove the deep fried cutlets from hot oil using a slotted spoon and transfer to a tissue paper to absorb excess oil and then transfer to a bowl.

Very tasty and crispy White Chana Cutlet / Chickpea Cutlet is ready to serve with tomato ketchup.