Illishi Maccha Jholo (Masala Dia)

A special recipe for this weekend.................

Hilsa or Ilishi is also referred to as the Indian Shad. Its streamlined body with a golden sheen make it quite a beauty . Much celebrated in Odisha, West Bengal and Assam, the best ones are caught from the Padma river in Bangladesh. It is quite rich in Omega 3 fatty acids and hence good for maintaining heart health.

As it is quite expensive these days, it is considered at par with mutton and hence made only on special occasions or when guests are coming over. It is among those recipes that have been missing from my blog for so long simply because I have overlooked them. (I wish I could spout some gyan about how they are becoming extinct due to rampant fishing and hence I am doing my bit to save them...but that would be a lie.)

Preparation time - 20 mins

Ingredients  -

Hilsa/Indian Shad - 4 pieces
Onion - 1 large
Garlic - 8-9 flakes
Ginger - 1 1/2 inch
green cardamom - 2-3 nos
cinnamon - 1 1/2 inch
cloves - 4-5 nos
bay leaf - 1 no
tomato - 1 no, medium sized
potato - 1 no, medium sized
1 tsp chilli powder
1/3 tsp meat masala (optional)
salt to taste
turmeric
5 tsp Saffola Rice Bran oil

Preparation - Marinate the fish with salt and turmeric for 10 minutes.

Chop the onion into small pieces. Make a coarse paste out of the ginger and garlic.

Chop tomato into small pieces.

Cooking - Heat 2 tsp oil in non-stick wok. Add the fish and fry on both sides till cooked through. Remove and keep aside.

Add the remaining oil to the same wok. Add all the whole spices and fry till fragrant.

Add onions and ginger garlic paste. Fry till the paste starts turning a light red/deep pink.

Add the tomatoes along with red chilli powder, meat masala, 1/3 tsp turmeric and a little salt. Cook covered till tomatoes turn mushy.

Add the potatoes and fry for 3 minutes.

Add 1 1/2 cups hot water and bring to boil. Add the fish and adjust salt. Cook covered till potatoes are done.

Serve hot with white rice.

Chickpeas Sundal

This is another popular variation of the 'Peanut Sundal' recipe posted earlier. Unlike the peanut sundal which is an instant variety, this requires overnight soaking of the chickpeas or garbanzo beans. However one can use the canned variety to omit this step.

A perfect snack for the summers with its high protein content, this is a hit with kids. Read on for the super easy recipe:

Preparation Time - 15 mins ( including 10 mins standby time )

Ingredients -

1 cup chickpeas/kabuli chana/garbanzo beans
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 tsp skinless urad dal (black lentil)
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1-2 dry red chilli
4-5 curry leaves
1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
1-2 tbsp grated coconut ( though I have skipped it )
a dash of lime juice
coriander leaves for garnishing
a few slivers of raw mango (optional but it really adds a lot of flavor)

Preparation - Wash and soak the chickpeas for 8-9 hours or overnight.

Cooking - Boil the soaked chickpeas in salted water till tender. (I used a pressure cooker and gave 3 whistles on medium flame). Drain off excess water and keep aside.

Heat the oil in a wok. Add mustard and urad dal. Fry till urad dal starts to turn a little brown.

Add curry leaves, broken red chilli and asafoetida. Fry for 10 seconds.

Add the boiled chickpeas and stir fry for 4-5 minutes.

Add the coconut, mix in and remove from flame.

Add coriander leaves and lime juice when serving.

Peanut Sundal (Verkadalai Sundal for Navratri)

Sundal is a quick stir-fried snack made with white chick peas or garbanzo beans. The beans are soaked overnight and cooked till soft but not mushy. This dish can also be prepared with peanuts, horse gram, whole green moong and kala channa. While the seasoning is kept minimal and the same for each preparation, they taste quite different as each legume has its own distinct flavor.

While the recipe is said to originate from Tamil Nadu, it is quite common to locate a street-side vendor selling a variety of sundal anywhere in South India. It is also used as a prasad or 'neivaidyam' during the Navratri fasting.

It was the ease to preparation and the protein content that made me try this as a 4 o' clock for my kid. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 15 mins ( including 10 mins standby time )

Ingredients -

1 cup peanuts (with skin)
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp skinless urad dal (black lentil)
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1 dry red chilli
4-5 curry leaves
1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
1 tbsp grated coconut ( though I have skipped it )
a dash of lime juice
coriander leaves for garnishing

Cooking - Boil the peanuts with a little salt till tender. (I used a pressure cooker and gave 4 whistles on medium flame). Drain off excess water and keep aside.

Heat the oil in a wok. Add mustard and urad dal. Fry till urad dal starts to turn a little brown.

Add curry leaves, broken red chilli and asafoetida. Fry for 10 seconds.

Add the boiled peanuts and stir fry for 4-5 minutes.

Add the coconut, mix in and remove from flame.

Add coriander leaves and lime juice when serving.

Note - While some like it hot, I prefer to have it at room temperature.

Minty Farfalle-Potato Salad

As much as I love pasta, I find it difficult to cook/eat some during the hot summers. Even if the sauce is a no cook one like in case of Sicilian Pasta, it leaves me all hot and stuffy. But the last time I made some chilled potato salad, it stuck me that if i could add some cooked pasta to it and throw in a few other raw veggies, then I would have a salad cum complete meal on my hands.

Also, it is served chilled which is very soothing in the heat. I have omitted ingredients like garlic and pepper as they cause a lot of heat and are best avoided during the summers. Add some bell celery/peppers/broccoli to make it more colorful and healthy.Read on:

Preparation Time - 20-25 mins (15-18 mins is standby time)

Ingredients -

• 1 cup Farfalle (uncooked)
• 1 medium size potato
• 1 small cucumber
• 1 cup roughly chopped lettuce
• 8-10 mint leaves (roughly torn)
• 1 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp hung curd
• 1/4 tsp paprika/red chilli powder
• 2 pinch chili flakes (optional)
• 2 tbsp grated cheese (optional)
• salt to taste

Cooking - Bring 7-8 cups of water to a boil. Add sufficient salt to it so that it tastes quite salty.
Add the pasta and cook till tender ( for a cold salad it is better to overcook the pasta as it tends to harden a bit in the fridge...so make it a bit more than just al-dente). Mine took 15 mins to cook.

Drain and keep aside. Add 1/2 tsp olive oil and toss to prevent them from sticking to each other. Allow to come to room temperature.

Cook the potato for 1-2 whistles at the same time. Remove from pressure cooker once steam is released and allow to come down to room temperature(put in cold water to expedite the process). Peel and cut into small cubes.

Peel and chop cucumber into similar sized small pieces.

Take the mayonnaise, olive oil, hung curd, paprika, salt and grated cheese in a mixing bowl. Gently whisk to mix all of it.

Add the farfalle, potato, cucumber and lettuce to bowl. Mix and evenly coat all the ingredients. Put in the fridge for 15-20 mins to cool a bit.

Sprinkle some chili flakes and serve cold.

Note - Replace the mint with parsley/basil and you have another quick and easy variation. It does make a huge difference in taste/flavor.

Kashmiri Dum Aloo

Kashmiri Dum Aloo is a very popular dish that is among the first options for a vegetarian side dish. A spicy semi-dry curry with a distinct reddish orange color (due to the presence of the Kashmiri red chillis), it goes well with almost every Indian bread and even the rice/pulao varieties.

Quite different from the 'Alu dum' that is popular in Odisha, I had to refer to Tarla Dalal's cookbook for an authentic version of it. Of course, I tweaked it a little to suit my requirement but without compromising on its authenticity. Read on for this super easy version:

Preparation Time - 35 mins

Ingredients -

• 15-16 Baby potatoes
• 3 tsp oil
• 2 tsp butter
• 3 green cardamom
• 1 tbsp kasuri methi (dry)
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 1 1/2 tsp honey
• 1/2 cup milk
• salt to taste
• freshly chopped coriander

For making gravy -

• 2 medium sized tomatoes (fully ripened)
• 1 medium sized onion (optional)
• 3-4 garlic flakes
• 1 inch long ginger
• 2-3 dry red chillis
• 2 tbsp broken cashews
• 2/3 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
• salt to taste

Preparation - Roughly chop the onion, ginger and garlic.

Cooking - Bring 1 1/2 cups of water to boil in a saucepan. Add all the ingredients mentioned for the gravy. Boil for 7-8 minutes. Allow to cool down and then transfer to a blender. Make a smooth paste out of it.

Cook the potatoes for 1-2 whistles in a pressure cooker. Allow steam to escape before opening lid. Peel the potatoes.Prick them with a fork and keep aside.

Heat the oil + butter in a wok. Add the peeled and pricked potatoes and fry till light brown. Remove and keep aside.

In the same wok, add green cardamoms and fry for 30 seconds. Then add the masala paste along with chili powder and cook for 7-8 minutes till it starts getting thick.

Rub the kasuri methi between your hand to warm it and then add to the wok. Cook for 2-3 minutes. The gravy is almost done by this time.

Add the milk and honey. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from wok.

Garnish with fresh coriander and serve with hot roti/naan/kulcha.

Note - Add some fresh cream instead of milk for a richer texture.

Lettuce-Cucumber-Tomato Salad

Its Monday and time for yet another 'detox recipe'. The detox process puts a lot of emphasis of consuming lots of fruits and vegetables (preferably unprocessed) and any grains need to be consumed only in moderation. Meat and dairy are considered off-limits. Hence along with juices, salads are a very important part of any detox diet.

With Ugadi/Gudi Padwa falling on a Monday, most of you would be busy feasting for the extended weekend. Hence this week's detox recipe comes on a Monday. Quite simple and easy to assemble, it can also multitask as a quick snack.

So, here is an easy and yet filling salad recipe that consists of fruits and vegetables rated highly on the list of 'Detox foods'. Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 10 mins

Ingredients -

1 big ripened tomato (to be thinly sliced)
1 small cucumber (to be thinly sliced)
1 small head of iceberg lettuce (to be torn roughly)
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp pepper powder
salt to taste
1 tsp vegan mayonnaise (optional)

Preparation - Wash the vegetables carefully and wipe of excess water. Cut the tomato and cucumber into thin slices.
Tear the lettuce into small pieces.

Transfer everything into mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice, salt, pepper and mayonnaise. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly. Garnish with pomegranate seeds.

Chill for an hour before serving.

Note - You can also add some shredded red cabbage and blanched broccoli to make it more appealing.

Danone Misti Doi - Everyone loves it!!!!

It is everything that I want my misti doi to be. Ever since I saw the commercials being aired on TV, I was a bit skeptical about trying it out. One factor could be that I stay near to a Banchharam's and hence can get it anytime from there. Hence I made the mistake of buying only two units. And they did not last even for an hour after exiting the mall.

Its thick. Creamy. Not overwhelmingly sweet. Just the right bit of tang. Even the top fatty layer that you find in most traditional clay pot misti doi's is also present. Can't wait to replenish my stock hence planning to get some online from Bigbasket (here) or Zopnow (here).

My verdict: 4.75/5 .

Taste & texture - Just the way it should be.Can't give anything less than a 5
Price - I think it a little more than the average price for the given quantity. So, 4.5.
Packaging - Neat and compact. Small portion size is a boon for weight watchers. Check the below pic for Nutritional values -

No chances of spilling and can be easily carried in a handbag to office. Deserves a 5. (But I would love it if they add a little scoop/spoon in the packaging so that i do not need to carry one.)

Got for it!!!!

Ugadi Pachadi And a Happy Ugadi/Gudi Padwa to all !!

Yug-adi. Ugadi. Gudi Padwa. It is the beginning of the spring season and also marks the start of a  new year. It is celebrated in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra with great fervor. Each of these regions have their own specialty which they prepare on this day but I will only be covering the 'Ugadi Pachadi' as it is something that I miss the most (owe it to the years spent in Hyderabad). My team-mates never forgot to get some of this yummy stuff to office and I remember making frequent trips to their workstation till the container got emptied.

The 'Ugadi Pachadi' comprises of the ingredients - raw mango, jaggery, tamarind juice, salt, green chillis and last but not the least, neem flowers. Each of these are said to reflect the 6 flavors (Shadrachulu) of life -

Raw Mango - Excitement/Surprise
Salt - Fear
Green Chilli/Pepper - Anger
Jaggery -  Happiness
Tamarind Juice - Disgust
Neem/Methi - Sadness

It tastes quite unique and I can still remember it tickling my taste buds. The Karnataka version is called 'Bevu-Bella' and it used neem leaves instead of flowers. Read on :

Preparation Time - 10 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 raw mango (finely chopped)
• 1 lemon sized ball of tamarind
• 2 tbsp powdered/crushed jaggery
• 3 green chillis (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp neem (Margosa) flowers.
• salt to taste

Preparation - Soak the tamarind in 1/4 cup water. Crush and take out the pulp.

Add the jaggery and stir till it dissolves. Add the remaining ingredients and serve immediately.

Note - You can also add a few pieces of ripened banana, grated cococut, suagrcane, or even put a little tadka with mustard seeds and curry leaves.

[Imp- The Detox Mondays post will be published on Tuesday for this week.]

Mansa Jholo / Mutton Curry (Traditional/Old Method)

Imagine a village situated on the foothills of a densely forested mountain. Along the dusty winding path that goes up the mountain, one can spot butterflies flitting from flower to flower. If one is lucky, then they can spot a rabbit/deer hiding somewhere in the bushes. With the entire forest blossoming during the spring-summer season, the scent of this place is intoxicating. And the view from the top simply exhilarating. The lush green fields that lie in the bottom of the forest have now turned yellow/brown. Most of the crops have been harvested and people are waiting for the rains to sow another lot. An almost dry river with small pools of water and lots of exposed sand flows near the village.

In the center of the village, elders sit around a 'Baula' tree on a raised chaupal. They are discussing about the wild elephants that ransacked the crops during last winter. Someone chips in and says something about a 'Heta bagha' or wolf who stole a hen/lamb last night. People discuss all sort of problems and try to fix a match at the same time. Nothing interesting enough for a ten year old.

Moving on the 'Khanja', a row/block to houses build in such a manner that they seem to be a single entity. They house the members of a erstwhile 'zamindar' household, its a huge joint family. A big 'agana' or courtyard where the ladies of the house have gathered after finishing their daily chores. They are busy oiling and combing each others hair. Someone opens a 'paan-daani' and offers a betel leaf ( its only a betel leaf with a little 'chuna'(pickling lime or food grade lime) brushed onto it...not a proper paan) to everyone. For the more seasoned folks, there is 'Gudakhu', a type of tobacco on offer. Big vessels known as 'Handas' lie abandoned in a corner. Sometime not too long back, all these ladies used to cook together in a single kitchen that fed about 50-60 members spanning multiple generations. The curious ten year old fiddles with these vessels, raises some funny questions and listens to these ladies for an answer. One particularly alert lady catches the youngster biting into yet another 'ambula' and shakes her head. 'Peta katiba', she says yet again. Not enough to deter a youngster on a summer visit to her village with her grandmother.

Fast forward 20 years. A posh apartment in Bangalore. A nuclear family. A wave of nostalgia grips the now grown-up youngster as she reminiscences about those long forgotten carefree days. Her grandmother is no more but those memories must live on.

Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 1 hour 20 mins

Ingredients -


250 gm mutton
1 medium sized potato
1 large onion + 1/2 of a medium onion ( the chopped onion should be equal in volume to the mutton pieces )
1 1/2 tbsp coarse garlic paste
1 1/2 tbsp coarsely chopped ginger
3-4 dry red chillis
1 big cardamom
1 bay leaf
2 2" cinnamon sticks
1/4 tsp turmeric
salt to taste
6 tsp mustard oil + 1 tsp for the marination

Preparation - Wash the mutton pieces and drain away all the water. Add salt, turmeric and 1 tsp mustard oil. Mix well and keep aside.

Cut the onions into medium sized pieces. Crush lightly using a mortar and pestle. Keep aside.

Also crush the ginger and garlic in the same way but just a little more fine.

Cut the potatoes into big chunks.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a pressure cooker.

Add the potatoes and fry till golden brown. Remove and keep aside.

Add the red chillis followed by the cardamom, bay leaf and cinnamon sticks to the hot oil. Fry till they turn fragrant.

Add the onions, ginger and garlic. Fry them on low flame till they turn quite red in color. (This is a sign that the onions have started turning sweet due to the caramelization process)

Next add the mutton pieces. Fry them till they stop oozing water. You do not have to stir continuously. Keep the lid on the cooker without completely closing it. Stir once every few minutes. This process takes a long time so keep patience ( grab a snack/drink something if all that heavenly smell is making you hungry ).

Once you see that the mutton pieces start leaving oil ( a sure sign that the water had dried up ), add 1 1/2 - 2 cups of boiling water along with the fried potato pieces. Adjust salt. Close the lid and cook for 2-3 whistles. Remove from flame.

Allow steam to escape before opening lid. Check if the mutton is done. Else add another half cup water and cook for another 1-2 whistles.

Serve hot with rice/rotis.

Note - If you do not want to use pressure cooker, use a thick bottomed copper vessel for best results. Also add a few pieces of raw papaya to expedite the cooking process.

Dahi Bara - Ghuguni - Alu dum (Cuttack Style)

'Dahibara-Ghuguni-Aludum' is probably the most popular street food in Odisha after the ubiquitous Gupchup. Actually the two belong to different regions of the State, the Gupchup being a specialty in the Western parts while the former is more popular around the State capital. During my childhood years in Rourkela, we never saw this delicacy being sold on the streets. Visiting relatives from Bhubaneshwar would sometimes mention this and we would wonder why curries like alu dum and ghuguni need to be paired with dahi vadas. But as most of them had very high regards for the yummy 'Gupchup', we never bothered to find out.

It was only after I finished college  (or maybe sometime in the final year) that these cycle-wallahs with their big pots of dahibara and smaller pots of ghuguni/alu dum began to make their presence felt in my hometown. I have to admit that I was quite skeptical about it in those days. And maybe that's the reason I am not so nostalgic about it. My husband in comparison is completely nuts about it. He can have it for breakfast, lunch and also dinner. Nowadays you can find it in every nook and corner of Odisha and everyone keeps raving about it ( I guess the internet wave is behind its popularity to quite an extent. Check out FB.) . The potato crisis in recent times which had the cost of 'Gupchup' heading North came as another boon for this road side delicacy. With an affordable price tag starting at Rupees 5 per plate even the poor could afford it. An added advantage is that it packs in quite a good quantity for the price.

So, here is a very delayed post on Odisha's cult favorite( A big thanks to hubby for pointing out that it had been missing ). Schedule it on a weekend as this is quite an elaborate process. In order to save time, I would suggest doubling the quantity of masala being prepared for the alu dum and removing half of it before adding the potatoes. This masala can be used for preparing the ghuguni.

Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 1 hour 30 mins

Ingredients -

For the Dahibara

•  1 cup Urad dal
•  1-2 green chillis (chopped),
•  1 1/2 cup curd (slightly sour preferably)
•  1/2 roasted cumin powder
•  1/3 red chilli powder
•  a pinch of baking powder
•  1 tbsp semolina
•  1/5 tsp black salt( kala namak )
•  salt to taste
•  oil ( for frying )
•  For tempering -
•  few curry leaves
•  1-2 dry red chillis
•  2 pinch asafoetida
•  few mustard-cumin seeds

For the Alu Dum

•  12-15 baby potatoes or 1 big potato
•  3 tsp grated onion
•  1/2 tsp Ginger garlic paste
•  4-5 cloves
•  1 small bay leaf
•  1 green cardamom
•  1/5 tsp cumin seeds
•  1 tbsp yogurt
•  1/2 tsp red chilli powder
•  1/3 tsp coriander powder
•  1/5 tsp garam masala (optional)
•  1 1/2 tbsp

For the Ghuguni

•   1 1/2 cup Yellow peas
•   1 medium sized potato
•   1 small tomato
•   1 medium sized onion
•   1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
•   1 tsp cumin seeds
•   1/3 tsp cumin powder
•   1/3 tsp coriander powder
•   1/2 tsp chilli powder
•   1/5 tsp garam masala powder
•   1 bay leaf
•   2 tsp oil
•   1-2 tsp chopped coriander stems
•   1/3 tsp turmeric powder
•   a pinch of baking powder (optional)
•   salt to taste

For sprinkling on top:

• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 bunch coriander leaves, finely chopped
• 5-6 green chillis, finely chopped
• 1 cup thin sev
• kala namak
• jeera lanka gunda (roasted cumin-chili powder)

Preparation -
For the Bara: Soak urad dal for 3-4 hours. Grind into a smooth paste. Add salt and allow to stand for 5-6 hours.Take the batter in a mixing bowl. Mix in the suji and baking powder into the batter. Whip it lightly to incorporate some air into the mix.

Add a little portion of the curd ( approx 2 tsp )to some warm water in a mixing bowl. Add a little salt and mix well.

For the Ghuguni: Soak the yellow peas overnight.
Cut the onion and tomato into small pieces. Peel the potato and cut into small sized cubes.

Cooking -

For the bara: Heat oil in a wok for frying baras. Take a spoonful of the batter and carefully add to the hot oil. Do this 6-7 times per batch. Fry on all sides till it turns brown . Remove the fried vadas and add to the curd water prepared earlier. Allow the vadas to rest in the warm mixture for 1/2 hour.

Meanwhile, take the remaining curd in another bowl. Add salt, black salt, chilli powder, roasted cumin powder and chopped green chillis to it and beat gently to break any lumps. Add 2 1/2 cups water( you can add more if you like a thinner consistency ). Transfer the soaked baras into this curd mixture.

Heat 1 tsp oil in tempering pan. Add mustard seeds, broken red chilli, curry leaves and assfoetida. Pour this tempering over the dahi-baras. Keep aside for 3-4 hours.

For the ghuguni: Wash and put the soaked yellow peas in a cooker along with chopped potato, salt and turmeric powder. Cook for 2 whistles. Remove and keep aside to cool.

Heat oil in a deep vessel. When it starts smoking, add the cumin seeds and bay leaf. Wait till it splutters, and then add onion pieces and chopped coriander stems. Fry the onion for about 2-3 mins and then add ginger-garlic paste. Cook till raw smell goes away.

Add the tomatoes, salt and turmeric powder. Fry for about 5 mins or till the tomatoes turn mushy. Add the cumin powder, coriander powder and chilli powder. Stir fry for 2 mins and then add the boiled peas. Fry on Medium High for 3-4 minutes.

Add 2 cups hot water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 8-10 minutes on Low flame. Add the garam masala, mix well and remove from flame.

For the Alu Dum: Wash and cook the potatoes for 1-2 whistles . Allow steam to escape before opening lid. Peel the potatoes and cut into two.

Heat the oil in wok. Add the potatoes and fry for a few minute till they turn light brown. Remove and keep aside.

Add the cumin seeds, bay leaves, cardamom and cloves and fry for 20 seconds. Add the grated onion along with the GG paste. Fry till raw smell goes away. 

Add all the powdered masalas and fry for 1 minute. Add curd and fry till oil separates. Add the potatoes and fry along with masala for 1-2 minutes. Add 1 cup boiling water and bring to boil.

Simmer on low for 6-7 minutes before removing from flame. 

The toppings:

Getting your act together. Its showtime.

Place a few baras (4-5 nos) on a plate along with some of the watery curd. Pour about 5-6 tbsp ghuguni over it followed by 3-4 tbsp alu dum.

Sprinkle finely chopped onion, coriander leaves, green chillis, kala namak, jeera-lanka powder and crispy sev on the chat.

The final product :

What are you waiting for ????????????? Dig IN!!!!!

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.