Banana Stem Sabji | VazhaiThandu Poriyal

In my childhood days, I remember my mother make this Banana Stem Sabji/ Vazhaithandu Poriyal back home. So far I was thinking, it is too tedious to clean and chop the stem and it needs to remove lots of fiber. So I rarely lay my hand on this healthy stem. Moreover it was not available easily in the Indian grocery store here. But, this time when I saw this native veggie I was so happy to try… and I learned cleaning and chopping is not at all big challenge to skip this awesome medicinal value vegetable. So I determined whenever I see Vazhai thandu in store, I am going try all types of recipes from this vegetable. Here is one such simple sabji/ poriyal in step by step photo recipe and how to clean and cut Vazhaithandu/Banana Stem.

Ingredients:

Banana Stem / Vazhai Thandu – 1 medium Length

Pasi Paruppu/ Moong Dal/ Green Gram split Lentil - ¼ cup

Turmeric Powder - ¼ tsp

Salt to Taste

Oil for tempering – 1 tbsp

Grated Coconut for Garnishing – 1 tbsp (optional)

For Seasoning:

Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp

Urud Dal / White Lentil – ¼ tsp

Red Chili or Green Chili – 2 nos.

Curry Leaves – Few

Hing /Asafoetida – a pinch

Preparation:

How to clean and cut Vazhaithandu/Banana Stem

Remove the outer layer from the stem with knife or peeler. 

Till you found the inside shiny stem.  See the picture for reference.

Chop the stem as round size disk pieces and remove the fiber from each disk from your finger.

Immerse the disks pieces in water immediately to avoid the discoloration. If you are cooking immediately then no need to add the buttermilk to the water.

Chop the disk pieces in to long size pieces or small size pieces and immediately immerse them in to water again to avoid the change in color

Method:

Soak the moong dal in water for about 1/2 to 1 hour

Heat the pan with tablespoon of oil and once the oil is heat enough add the seasoning seeds and allow them to splutter and then add red chili or green chili, curry leaves, turmeric powder,  hing and salt and saute them for a minute. Add the moong dal and fry for 2 minutes.

Add the chopped vazhai thandu /Banana stem pieces, mix it well with lentils and cook them for about 3 to 4 minutes. Garnish with grated coconut.

Serving: Serve Vazhaithandu poriyal / sabji with Sambar rice and papad.

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Pudalangai Poriyal | Snake Gourd Sabzi

Vegetable Snake gourd tastes bland itself, so to make it spicier I usually add coconut grated and green chilies paste in the end to enhance the flavor and spiciness to the sabzi. But, in this version I tweaked a little bit and added onion and tomato and smeared Idli Moloaga podi or Gun Powder in the end. It tastes amazingly good.

Here are some dry sabzi recipes in South Indian Style which are quick and easy to prepare Thandu Keerai Poriyal,  Beetroot Poriyal, Beans Poriyal, Moong Sprout Sundal, PaasiParuppu Sundal, Kadalai Paruppu Sundal,  MixedPulses Sundal, Kollu Sundal

Ingredients:

Snake Gourd/ Pudalangai – 1 medium (chopped)

Chana Dal/ Kadalai Paruppu/Bengal Gram Spilt – ¼ cup

Onion – 1 Medium Size

Tomato – 1 medium size

Seasoning:

Jeera/ Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp

Red Chilies – 2 nos.

Curry leaves – Few

Hing/Asafoetida – ¼ tsp

Spices:

Haldi/Turmeric Powder– ¼ tsp

Gun Powder/Idli Molaga Podi – 1 tbsp (Available in any Indian Grocery Store)

Salt to Taste

Oil – 1 tbsp

Method:

Nicely wash the snake gourd and scrap and discard the inner white portion and chop them into fine pieces

Take a microwave safe bowl add chana dal and cook for 8 minutes or till dal half tender or Heat a pan with 2 cups of water once it starts to boil add chana dal and cook the dal half tender (which ever option you prefer to use)

Add chopped snake gourd pieces in the same microwave bowl or pan and cook again for 10 minutes and check dal and vegetable cooked nice and tender (don’t cook them in to mushy texture)

Heat a pan with 1 tbsp of oil add cumin  seeds and red chili and  allow them to crackle and then add curry leaves and onion and fry till it turns to golden color then add the chopped tomato pieces and fry for a minute. Add turmeric powder and salt.

Add cooked dal and snake gourd pieces and incorporate nicely with sabzi & and then add gun powder or Idli Molaga Podi mix it nicely and cook for a minute and then switch off the gas. (If you need a curry texture you need to add a half cup of cooked dal and vegetable water in the end.)

Enjoy this flavorful sabzi with roti or chapati.

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Thandu Keerai Poriyal / Green Leaves Sabzi

Thandu Keerai Poriyali/Sabzi is very easy to cook and healthy way to add green leaves in our diet. Added coconut grated and green chilies paste in the end to enhance the flavor and spiciness to the sabzi. This dry texture sabzi served as a side dish and it suites well with Rasam Rice, Sambhar rice and Curd rice. 

If i try to translate Keerai in English i would say all edible green leaves just like spinach are called as Keerai in Tamil. This sabzi is one such variety of green leaves known as Thandu Keerai. It comes in green and red color leaves. In Marathi, i hope known as Lal Math and Hara Math. 

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of Thandu Keerai/Math (nicely washed and chopped)
• 1/4 tsp Haldi/Turmeric Powder
• Salt to taste

>For Blending:

• 2 to 3 Green Chilies
•  1/4 cup Coconut grated

>For Seasoning:

• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
•  2 tsp Urad Dal / White Lentils ( grown in Indian subcontinent- Available in Indian Store)
• 1 tsp Chana Dal / Split Black Chickpeas (optional)
• A pinch of asafoetida / Hing
• Oil

Time Required: 15 mins

Method:


Nicely wash the green leaves and chop them in to small pieces

Blend the grated coconut and green chilies and keep it aside.









Heat oil, add all seasoning seeds  allow them to splutter.

Add chopped keerai/green leaves, salt, turmeric powder and hing/ asafoetida mix well and saute for 3 minutes.









Add the above blended coconut and green chili mixture and mix well. Adjust the salt if any.









Serve this healthy curry with any rice like Rasam Rice, Sambar rice or Curd Rice.

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Stuffed Okra / Bhindi Fry

Okra known in many languages as Ladies’ Fingers, Vendakkai, Bhendi, Bhindi, Bendakaya or Gumbo.

Recently I watched Programme in You Tube called “ Paarambariya Maruthuvam”, 

Click here to see this wonderful programme (worth watching)  where in herb specialist Sakthi Subramaniyam Guruji explained about Okra’s nutrition benefits and I was surprised to know its rich source health benefits compounds like: Protein, Zinc, copper, potassium, Vitamins A, K, magnesium, calcium and also act as medicine for blood cancer, skin disease, infertility and anti diabetic.... the list is goes on…  Okra is very low in calories and dense with nutrients.

I was not much fan of this vegetable so far, but this programme has changed my mind set and started to intake this vegetable in all forms.

Here is one such interesting recipe in Maharashtraian Style. Bhindi is stuffed with roasted ground nut powder and besan flour with spices and shallow fried in medium flame. Stuffed Bhindi/Okra Fry curry is very easy to make and suitable to be served as main dish.

Ingredients:

Okra/Lady Finger/Bhendi – 12 to 15 nos.

Besan Flour/ Bengal Gram Powder – 3 tbsp

Roasted Ground nut Powder – 2 tbsp

Garlic and Ginger Paste – 1 tsp

Garam Masala – 2 tsp ( you will get it in Indian Store)

Cumin seeds power – ¼ tsp

Coriander Powder – ¼ tsp

Red Chili Power – ¼ tsp

Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp

Salt to Taste

Oil fry shallow fry – 2 tbsp

Method:

Take a big plate add above masala ingredients as per picture showed in this picture

Mix it nicely with a drop of oil

Wash the okra nicely and with help of paper towel wipe excess moisture on okra.

Chop off the tips and slit the okra and fill the okra with Masala mixture

Heat a pan with 1 tbsp of oil and add the stuffed okra and cook in medium flame for 8 to 10 minutes.

Stir fry in between and check if bhendi changes color to slight brown,then switch off the gas

Transfer it to serving plate and enjoy the super healthy dish with chapati/roti

Serving: Serve with chapati/roti with curd garlic raita.

Note:

If you want more Masala crispy version- Add onion and extra Masala mixture into seasoning oil and then add stuffed okra and shallow fry it.

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Pumpkin Beans/Mixed Pulses Sabzi

Yet another simple, healthy and super easy Pumpkin Sabzi. I had some left over mixed pulses which I was previous used for Dahi Misal chaat. This is one creative way to use the left over pulses and turn it as healthy version of sabzi. You can also use spinach to make more colorful and tasty. This Pumpkin Beans/Mixed Pulses sabzi nicely pairs up with chapati/roti.

Pumpkin Beans/Mixed Pulses Sabzi

Check out some other Pumpkin recipes which i tried:

Pumpkin kootu / Pumpkin Curry

Pumpkin Spicy Curry

Poosanikai/ Kaddu/ Pumpkin Masala Sabzi 

Pumpkin Soup Recipe

Pumpkin curry in Rajasthani Style

Pumpkin Masala Sabzi

Ingredients:

Pumpkin – 2 cups (Chopped)

Mixed Pulses – 1 cup

Tomato – 2 nos. (Puree)

Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp

Chili Powder – 1 tsp

Hing/Asafoetida – ¼ tsp

Coriander Seeds Powder – ½ tsp

Cumin Seed Powder – ½ tsp

Garam Masala Powder – 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil for seasoning

Method:

Step 01) As raw pumpkin skin is very hard to cut with knife, it is better to cook this vegetable in microwave for about 5 minutes. Let it cool and it becomes very easy to remove the outer skin, and then chop them into smaller pieces. 

 

 Step 02) Boil the Mixed pulses in microwave for about 15 mins. Or in a pressure cooker ( i used here left over pulses)

Step 03) Heat a pan with 1 tbsp of oil add the mustard seeds allow them to crackle and then add urud dal/white lentil, red chili and fry till it turns to golden color

Step 04) Add tomato puree and fry for a minute and then add, turmeric powder, chili powder, cumin seed powder, coriander powder, salt, hing/asofoetida and mix well and cook till all raw masala powder smell disappear

 

Step 05) Add the cooked mixed pulses and then add cooked pumpkin pieces and incorporate nicely with gravy & cook for a minute and switch off the gas. (If you need a curry texture you need add a half cup of cooked pumpkin water in the end.)

 

Step 06) Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with chapati.

Pumpkin Beans/Mixed Pulses Sabji

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Instant Carrot Sabji / Carrot Salad

It’s a great way to increase your intake of raw vegetables without getting cooked. But kids make faces when they told to eat raw vegetables. I just added few simple steps to make more interesting Carrot Sabji/ Carrot Salad. This tip works for children and adults too. One can eat one full bowl in one go.  It will go well with chapati/Indian Bread, Rice and even as a healthy snack at 4 pm in the office time. 

Ingredients:

•  Carrot 2 shredded
•  2 to 3 Green chili (chop them as big pieces )
•  Salt to taste
• Lemon Juice - 1 tsp
• Fresh Coriander Leaves (for garnishing)

For Seasoning:

• Mustard seeds
• Urud Dal /White Lentils (grown in Indian subcontinent- Available in Indian Store)
• Hing/Asafoetida
• Oil

Method:

1.  Peel and then grate the carrots in a large bowl. I used baby carrots so i blended it.

 

2.  Add the chopped green chilies, salt, lemon juice and add the seasoning on top and mix well.
3. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

 

That’s it simple and easy and yummy tasty salad is ready in 2 mins.

Variations:   You can add garlic cloves crushed and mix it with olive oil to get another version of taste. 

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Kathirikkai / Eggplant / Brinjal Fry

From brinjal/Eggplant you can make many delicious dishes and curries. This sabji is one among them. Brinjal Fry is not only easy to prepare and it does not require any other complex cooking techniques. The simple yet aromatic seasoning of sauteed cumin, mustard, kalonji seeds / black cumin, curry leaves and fresh coriander leaves makes it simply irresistible. 

Ingredients:

• Brinjal - 5 to 6 Nos
• Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
• Urud Dal / White gram split - 1/2 tsp
• Kalonji seeds/Nigella Sativa/Black Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
• Curry Leaves - Few
• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• Red Chilli Powder - 3 tsp
• Coriander seeds Powder - 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Hing / Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
• Salt to Taste
• Oil 

Method:

Step 01) Nicely clean and  wash the brinjal and slice them into 3 to 4 pieces

Step 02) Put a reasonable sized heavy bottom pan on the range and heat oil. 

Step 03) Add the seasoning seeds and allow them to splutter. 

Step 04) Add the brinjal/eggplant and fry them nicely in slow heat 

Step 05) Once the brinjals are half fried add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander seeds powder, cumin seeds powder, salt and Hing/Asafoetida  and mix well and cook till brinjals are tender 

Serving: Serve with  roti and it goes very well with Curd Rice too.


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