VAZHAIPOO PITLAI RECIPE / BANANA BLOSSOM PITLAI RECIPE / BANANA FLOWER PITLAI RECIPE

Vazhaipoo (banana flower) is a super food with excellent source of dietary fibres and has many health benefits. These flowers are loaded with magnesium, which improves mood swings and brings down stress levels. It is packed with essential minerals like protein, potassium, calcium, copper, phosphorus and iron. 

INGREDIENTS:

• Vazhaipoo (Banana blossom) - 3 cups chopped
• Tamarind - half the size of a lemon
• Cooked black channa dhal - 1/2 cup
• Toor dhal - 1/4 cup
• Cooked gram dhal (kadalai paruppu) - 2 tablespoons
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
• Salt - to taste

To fry in oil and dry grind to a powder:

• Oil - 1 teaspoon
• Black pepper - 6 nos.
• Gram dhal - 1 tablespoon
• Urad dhal - 1 tablespoon
• Dry red chillies - 2 or 3
• Coconut scraped - 3 tablespoons
• Hing - a small berry sized

To temper:

• Oil - 1 tsp.
• Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp.
• Split urad dhal - 1/2 tsp.
• Curry leaves - a sprig

 

METHOD:

Clean and chop banana blossoms as said here. Pressure cook toor dhal, mash and keep aside. Cook black chenna dal and gram dhal separately with turmeric powder. When cooked, drain the water completely and keep aside. Soak tamarind in water and extract juice from it. Keep aside.

Fry the items(except coconut) given in "To fry in oil and grind to a paste". Dry grind to a coarse powder.

Heat oil in the same kadai, add tempering items, when golden brown, add squeezed banana blossoms, add turmeric powder, salt and mix well. Add little water, cook covered and when half done, add mashed tur dhal, cooked kala chenna and gram dal, pour in the tamarind extract and allow it to boil for a while until raw smell diffuses. Now add ground powder. Allow it to boil until thick.

Vazhaipoo pitlai (Banana blossom) pitlai is ready to be served with hot rice and ghee.

BROKEN WHEAT PONGAL RECIPE / DALIA PONGAL RECIPE / LAPSI PONGAL RECIPE

Broken wheat pongal is a healthy and easy South Indian breakfast dish prepared with samba variety  wheat.  It is known as Dalia in Hindi. I make this during vrat days. This dish is bachelor friendly and a healthy substitute for rice as well.
NOTE:  Vegans can avoid ghee and use any plant based oil.

INGREDIENTS:

• Broken wheat - 1/2 cup 
• Moong dal - 1/2 cup 
• Black pepper - 1/8 tsp. 
• Cumin seeds - 1/8 tsp. 
• Grated ginger - 1 tsp 
• Asafoetida 
• Water - 2 cups
• Salt - to taste 
• Curry leaves 

To temper:

• Oil - 1 tablespoon 
• Ghee - 1 tablespoon 
• Pepper-jeera powder - 2 tsp

 

METHOD:

• Heat a pan and dry roast broken wheat until it becomes white.
• Dry roast moong dal until hot.
• Wash both dal and broken wheat, drain and keep aside.
• Take a vessel, add water and all ingredients, mix well and pressure cook for 4-5 whistles.
• When the pressure is released, take out the vessel, add pepper-jeera powder to the pongal. Heat oil and ghee and pour on top of it. Mix well. Serve hot with any chutney of your choice.

IYENGAR KALYANA GOTHSU RECIPE / KALYANA GOTHSU RECIPE

Kalyana Gothsu is a traditional, side dish for tiffin, served almost in all south indian marriages. Iyengar kalyana gothsu is popular for its unique taste, just as iyengar puliyodharai and pulikachal. It goes well with venn pongal, idli, dosa, uthappam and arisi upma. Not as thick as sambar and not too thin, kalyana gothsu is an excellent side dish and very simple to make.

INGREDIENTS:

Moong dal - 1/4 cup
Tamarind - half of the key lime size
Yellow pumpkin, brinjal, potato, carrot - 1 cup (chopped)
Tomato - 1
Sambar powder- 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp.
Karamudhu podi (mel podi) OR All purpose karamudhu podi - 1 tablespoon

Hing - 1/8 tsp.
Salt - to taste

To temper:
Oil - 2 tablespoons
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp.
Green chilli -1
Dry red chilli -1
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

To garnish:
Coriander leaves - few

METHOD:

Chop vegetables to small pieces. Cook Moong dhal with turmeric until soft, mash and keep aside.
Soak tamarind in a cup of warm water and extract juice.

Heat a thick bottomed pan, temper with the given ingredients, add chopped vegetables, add little salt, turmeric powder, sambar powder and hing, mix well. Now add tamarind water, mashed moong dal and remaining salt and allow it to boil until the raw smell diffuses. Cook covered so that the vegetables are cooked well but not mushy. Add little water if necessary. Now add the mel podi (karamudhu podi) and allow it to boil again for 2 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve Kalyana gothsu with Vennpongal, idli, dosa, uthappam or Arisi upma.

Recipe links for Karamudhu podi:
Karamudhu podi
All purpose karamudhu podi