Pulikuthi upperi - 1

This is a simple delicious recipe handed over to me by my mother. The main ingredient is raw bananas.

Ingredients:

Raw Bananas - 3

• Tamarind - 1 small lemon sized ball
• Raw Rice - 1 1/2 tbsp
• Red Chillies - 4 - 5
• Fenugreek / Methi seeds - 1 tsp
• Buttermilk - 1 tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• Asafoetida powder - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 1/2 tsp
• Urad dal - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - a few
• Oil - 1 tsp

Method

• Wash the bananas, peel the skin, cut them into 2" long pieces with around 1/2 cm thickness.
• Take water in a vessel, add buttermilk and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder. Soak the raw banana pieces in this mixture.
• Dry roast raw rice, red chillies and methi seeds in a pan until the rice turns a deep brown.
• Cool and coarsely powder in a mixie.
• Extract the pulp from the tamarind and set aside.
• Strain and put the banana pieces into a thick bottomed pan. Pour tamarind extract and enough water to cover the bananas. Add turmeric powder and the prepared rice powder. Stir. Cook on a low flame.
• When the bananas are tender, pour oil in another pan, add mustard seeds and urad dal. when the mustard seeds splutter and the dal turns brown, add curry leaves. Pour this on the cooked banana and mix well.
• Serve hot with rasam / keerai molagootal.

There are different versions of pulikuthi upperi. Keep watching this space for the other versions.