To know the difference between raw bananas and plantain, please read this quite funny post by the Jugalbandits.
Like I mentioned, vazhakkai podimas is another one of my quick-fix dishes and tastes great with hot rice and rasam. Vazhakkai Podimas-Raw Banana Podimas Recipe Preparation time: 10 mins Cooking time: 10 mins Serves: 4 Ingredients for Vazhakkai Podimas: Plantain – 2, steamed and grated Grated coconut – 2 tbsp (optional) Chana dal – 2 tsp Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp Jeera powder – 2 tsp Chopped green chillies – 2 Grated ginger – 1 tsp (optional) Hing – a pinch Turmeric powder – a pinch Coconut oil – 1 tbsp Lime juice – 2 tsp Salt – to taste How to make Vazhakkai Podimas:
Steam the plantain (with skin) till done. I just put it on the steamer plate that came with my rice cooker and it was done along with the rice. If you don’t have a steamer, you can poke the plantains with a fork and microwave it on high for about 3-4 minutes. Let it cool completely.
Skin and grate the plantain coarsely. To make this step easier, I just mash the steamed vazhakkai roughly with a fork. It leads to uneven pieces so if you have a problem with that, grating is better.
Heat the oil and temper with mustard seeds and the chana dal. Roast the chana deal for about 10-15 seconds till it turns a light brown. Don’t let it burn.
Add the jeera powder, turmeric, chillies and hing (add ginger along with these if you are using it) and fry for another 15 seconds.
Next, add the coconut and grated plantains and stir in salt. Mix well on sim and add some curry leaves or coriander leaves if you like.
Remove from fire and mix in the lime juice. I normally do this just before serving, when the dish is still warm and not too hot. Vazkakkai Podimas is really tasty and the plantains become quite soft once cooked. We both love it! Potatoes can be cooked in the exact same manner too.
