Kadali Kasa (Raw banana fry)

Simple fries served hot with white rice, dal and raita happen to be among my favorite meal options. Of course, my first choice would be some nice one-pot meal but since kid loves these fries so much that the one-pot meals are becoming increasingly rare.

This stir fry is made with green banana that was boiled first. Hence it uses very little oil for cooking. Add that to the natural goodness of green bananas and you have a very healthy and tasty side-dish that will become a regular on your lunch/dinner menu. It was a regular at home when we were kids as we had a lot of these plants growing in our garden. It used to be fun plucking the fresh vegetables and taking them right into the kitchen for preparing lunch.

Read on for the super easy recipe:

Preparation Time - 15-20 mins

Ingredients - 

• 1 raw banana
• 1 dry red chilli
• 1/5 tsp cumin-mustard seeds
• a pinch of asafotida
• few curry leaves (optional)
• 1/5 tsp red chilli powder (optional)
• 2 pinch turmeric
• salt to taste
• 2 tsp oil

Preparation - Cut the banana into two. Put it in a pressure cooker along with 1 cup water and little salt.

Cooking - Cook the banana for 2 whistles. Allow steam to escape before opening lid. Remove the peel from the banana (this step becomes a lot easy in this case as opposed to peeling the uncooked banana). Cut into small cubes.

Heat the oil in a wok. Add cumin-mustard seeds and broken red chilli. When it starts spluttering, add asafoetida and curry leaves. Allow curry leaves to brown a bit.

Add the banana pieces along with salt, turmeric and red chilli powder. Fry for a few minutes till raw smell of turmeric goes away. Remove from flame .

Serve with rice/rotis.

Kadali Bara Tarkari ( Raw Banana Kofta Curry )

Raw banana or 'Kancha Kadali' is rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals. Though high in starch, it is classified in the 'resistant starch' category, i.e., this type of starch acts more like a fiber(insoluble). They help control blood sugar levels and lower the blood cholesterol levels while making one feel full for longer periods of time. Weight watchers would do good to add it to their menu. Infact I regularly use it as a potato substitute for my MIL who is a diabetic. It is also a good source of potassium and vitamin B-6.

Very popular in Oriya households, it is mostly consumed in the form of fries or added to 'dalma'/'santula'. On special occasions, when the lady of the house is feeling very indulgent, she may treat everyone to a special curry ' Kadali Bara Tarkari'. It is prepared just like the other kofta/bara curries which happen to be quite rich/greasy due to the quantity of oil that goes into their making. Hence the special appearance.

I personally like to pan fry/bake the bara with very little oil and have it as it is. For this I flatten them into the shape of tikkis(circles) as it is easier to cook the flat ones on a pan. They are quite tasty even without the gravy. But this time I was cooking for a 'Sunday special' hence the extra effort with making the gravy. Read on for my version of the recipe:

Preparation Time - 45 mins

Ingredients -

For the koftas :

• 1 large green (raw) banana
• 1 medium sized potato
• 1 small sized onion
• 2 green chillis
• 2 pinch of garam masala
• 1 pinch of roasted cumin powder
• 2 tsp finely chopped coriander leaves
• 1 tsp corn flour
• salt to taste
• oil for deep frying

For the gravy:

• 1 medium sized onion
• 1 large tomato
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 2 inch long cinnamon stick
• 2-3 cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cardamom
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/5 tsp turmeric
• 1/3 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/3 tsp coriander powder
• 1/4 tsp meat masala (optional)
• salt to taste
• 3 tsp oil

Preparation - Cut the banana into 2/3 pieces . Boil in a cooker for 2 whistles along with the potato. Remove from flame and allow steam to escape.

Peel the banana and potato and take them in a mixing bowl. Mash well so that no big lumps remain. Add the rest of the ingredients (except oil) mentioned under the 'For the koftas' heading. Mix everything together.

Pinch out small portions from the above mixture and make small balls by rolling between your palms. Grease your palms with a bit of oil while doing this step as it prevents the balls from sticking to your hand. Keep aside the balls.

Chop the onions and tomato required for the gravy.

Cooking - Heat oil for deep frying. Add the koftas, a few at a time. Cook on all sides to a light brown. Be careful while handling them as they tend to lose shape or crumble. Remove from wok and keep aside.

Heat 3 tsp oil in another wok. Add bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and cumin seeds.

Add chopped onions after 30 seconds. Fry till translucent.

Add ginger garlic paste. Fry for 3-4 minutes till raw smell goes away.

Add the chopped tomatoes and cover with a lid for 2 minutes. Cook till tender.

Add all the powdered masalas and fry for 1-2 minutes.

Add 1 1/2 - 2 cups hot water and adjust salt.

Allow water to reduce by 1/3 rd before adding the balls/koftas. Cook the koftas for 1-2 minutes on low flame.

Switch off the flame and allow to stand for a few minutes. This allows the koftas to soak in the gravy.

Serve hot with rice/rotis.

Note - Use grated onions instead of chopped ones if you like a fine gravy. Also replace the chopped tomato with tomato puree. Also add 1/2  tsp sugar if you prefer a hint of sweetness.

Important Oriya Festivals & Special Recipes

Each festival/celebration/occasion calls for a special recipe/dish. While some of these are traditional in nature and have been handed down from generation to generation, we all do have some family favorites. Staying in nuclear families and away from Orissa makes it difficult for many of us to stick to the traditional recipes as either the awareness/recipe/ingredient eludes us. While the last one is beyond our reach, this list is an attempt on my part to create awareness about such traditional recipes. The list is not comprehensive and i would appreciate any useful inputs/additions. Read on for the list:

Makar Sankranti (January) - Makara Chaula (makara-chaula)
Samba Dasami (January) - Ghadaghadiya Tarkari
Saraswati Puja (January) - Chuda Ghasa(chuda ghasa)
Shivratri (March) - Panchamrita(panchamrit)
Dola Jatra (March) - Amba panna
Mahabisuba/Panaa Sankranti - Bela Panaa/Chattua Panna(bela panaa)
Ram Nabami (April) - Chaula Kheeri (chaulaa kheeri)
Rajaa (June)- Janta Poda pitha(janta poda pitha), Budha chakuli (buddha chakuli), Saru chakuli(saru chakuli
Ratha Jatra (June-July) - Poda pitha (Poda pitha)
Bahuda Jatra (July) - Chakuli (Leuta pitha)
Jyesta Purnima - Chaula Kheeri
Ganesh Puja - Rasi ladoo, Chuda ghasa
Dwitibahana Osa - Pariba Ghanta(pariba ghanta)
Durgasthami - Kanika (kanika)/Khechudi (khichudi)
Kumar Purnima - Khaee Chanda
Kartika Somabar - Muga Dalma/Habisa Dalma, Aau khatta
Prathamasthami - Enduri Pitha (enduri pitha)
Manabasa Gurubar (November - December)- Gaintha/Attakali, Kakara, chakuli, Dahi Pakala, Sagaa, Khechudi
Dhanu Sankranti (December-January) - Dhanu Muaa