Raw Banana Pepper Fry

The first visitor I had after I shifted into a new residence was my FIL. My MIL had sent us some raw bananas (plantains), broad beans and gongurra leaves with him that was grown in their backyard. How I wish I had a garden that I can indulge in. He also brought with him jasmines, roses that were grown in the garden too. Any way the moment I saw the plantains only this event came to my mind as the month is coming to and end and I have not updated my blog in over a fortnight. What could be fresher that the ones that my FIL brought with him and more over organically grown. This is my side dish for sambar rice today. So here goes the recipe.

Raw Banana Pepper Fry

Ingredients:

Raw bananas – 2

Black pepper powder – 1 tsp or more if you desire

Grated coconut – 3 tbsp

Garlic – 2 pods

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Cumin seeds – ¼ tsp

Mustard seeds – ½ tsp

Urad dal – ½ tsp

Curry leaves – 2 sprigs

Water – 2 tbsp

Oil – 1 tsp

Salt – to taste

Method:

Peel the skin of the bananas. Cube them and immerse in water to prevent them from turning black. In a mixie jar grind coarsely the grated coconut, garlic, turmeric powder, black pepper powder, 1 sprig of curry leaves, cumin seeds and salt without adding water.

In a microwave safe bowl place the cubed bananas; sprinkle 2 tbsp of water and 2-3 drops of oil. Mix well. Close the bowl and microwave @ high for 2-3 mins till they become soft. In another microwave proof vessel add the remaining oil, mustard seeds, urad dal and 1 sprig of curry leaves. Mix well and microwave @ high after partly closing the vessel for 1 min. Now add the micro waved bananas and coarsely ground paste and mix well. Keep the vessel open and microwave @ high for 1 ½ to 2 mins. Give 3 mins standing time and serve with sambar rice or rasam.

This is off to Suma who is hosting Microwave easy cooking event featuring Fresh Produce this month a brain child of Srivalli.

Sweet Corn Soup

This Sunday a cousin of Hubby visited our house with her family from Cuddalore. As I was in the process of cleaning our house before shifting to a new place they couldn’t have visited a messier house ever before. It was a reprieve that we opted to have lunch out as the kids were running around and the place was full of empty cartons ready to be packed. Thank God for that. After finishing lunch we all went to a kids carnival hosted in Chennai trade centre along with our kids. The kids had a wonderful time. They started to Cuddalore from there itself being an easier option.

After returning home nobody was in a mood for any dinner as we had lots of ice creams and snacks at the carnival. But I didn’t want us to go to bed on an empty stomach (well almost). As I had some left over some from the pooja I decided to make corn soup which was quite filling and which was meal in itself. Quite light and not at all heavy on the stomach. As soups are Arjun’s favorite I didn’t have to entice him too much to have this.

Sweet Corn Soup

Ingredients:

Corn on Cob - 4

White onions – 1

Butter – 1 tbsp

Milk – 1 cup

Water – ½ cup

Soy sauce – few drops

Ginger – ½ inch piece

Aji-no-moto – ½ tsp

White Pepper powder - to taste

Salt – to taste

Sugar – to taste

Method:


Heat the butter in a frying pan and sauté the chopped onions till they turn translucent. Grate the corn with the help of a grater. In a pressure cooker add the sautéed onions, grated corn, milk, water and the ginger piece and cook it for 10 minutes. Let it come to room temperature. Remove the ginger piece. Take 2-3 tbsp of cooked corn and keep it separately. Liquidize the remaining corn in a mixie. Pour it through a strainer. To the strained liquid add enough water or milk or a combination of both to the consistency you prefer.

Heat this soup along with salt, sugar, Aji-no-moto.. Add the cooked corn that you have kept separately. It is enough if just comes to a boil. While serving just add a few drops of soy sauce and sprinkle white pepper powder as per your taste. Sweet corn soup is ready to serve.

This Sweet Corn Soup is off to EC’s WYF: Light Meal Event.

Chick Peas Sundal

These holidays proved to be more fruitful. I couldn’t have asked for a better one. You see we had been house hunting for the past one and a half month but without any success. Either the kitchen is too small or the water is not good or there is not enough lighting and windows for air circulation. It seemed a nightmare. We wanted to move in before the Diwali but with the ones we saw it seemed so hopeless that we almost gave up the idea.



We were to go on a trip for the two days, but it never materialized. So we did the pooja on Saturday in the office and did a very simple at home on Sunday and started again with renewed vigor. I never dreamed that we would hit upon the one that we had been searching for and that too on the first stop itself. We found the right one that is very comfortable and spacious and also near by to our kids schools and our office. Woo hooo….. hoping to move in before Diwali. The packing and unpacking before settling down is already giving me nightmares. Just waiting for an auspicious day to perform pooja before shifting into our new home.


I have made this chick peas sundal very often as a snack for kids school break. They would never touch it if I seasoned it. But this time around all vanished without any whining.

Chick Peas Sundal

Ingredients:

Chick peas / Kabuli channa / Garbanzo Beans – 200 gms

Freshly grated coconut – 2 tbsp

Dry red chillies – 2, broken

Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp

Asafetida – 2 pinch

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Salt – to taste

Oil – 1 tbsp

For Garnishing:

Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp

Lemon – a wedge

Method:

Soak the channa overnight. Pressure cook till soft with salt and just enough water. Drain and keep aside. In a kadai heat the oil. Add the mustard seeds, when they crackle add the asafetida, dry chillies and curry leaves and sauté. Now add the cooked channa and grated coconut and cook till all the moisture gets absorbed and the sundal becomes dry. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and squeeze a few drops of lemon for the tangier taste, if preferred. Tastes absolutely best when served hot.