Vazhakkai Podimas Chettinad | Grated Green Plantain Fry With Coconut
Vazhakkai Podimas Chettinad style or stir fried green plantains is a wonderful blend of South Indian flavours. Plantain Podimas with grated green plantains and infused with Indian spices is a quick and healthy recipe. Lightly seasoned and not too spicy, Vazhakkai poriyal, a simple plantain recipe, goes well as a savoury side dish with hot rice and sambhar.
Vazhakkai Podimas
Plantain podimas or green plantain stir fry, is a traditional Chettinad dish made by sautéing cooked and grated green plantains with onions, green chillies, ginger and grated coconut.
People usually confuse plantains with bananas. Plantains are starchier than bananas and need to be cooked before eating. Green plantains, also called Vazhakkai (Tamil) and Aratikaya (Telugu), are extremely versatile and you can cook them several different ways: fried, boiled, baked, mashed, steamed or grilled.
Vazhakkai Podimas Recipe:
Starchy, low-sugar plantains are a staple dish in most Indian tables. Down South, a meal without a green plantain dish is unbelievable. Plantain podimas or Vazhakkai fry, a sautéed vegetable dish makes for an easy and tasty side dish.
To make green plantain stir fry, firstly wash the plantains. Then cut them in half and pressure-cook them with enough water. Cook for just 1 whistle. Take care not to over-cook.
Switch off and allow the steam to release. Remove the cooked plantains onto a plate.
Once cool, peel off the cooked plantain skin.
Next grate the green plantains with a grater and keep aside.
Also grate the coconut; finely chop one medium onion, one green chilli, and coriander leaves. Grate the ginger.
Heat oil in a kadai. Toss in dry red chillies and curry leaves and allow to sizzle.
Then add urad dal, chana dal, mustard and cumin seeds. Sauté till the dals start to turn golden brown.
Next tip in the grated ginger, chopped green chilli and chopped onions. Sauté for 1-2 minutes.
Sprinkle asafoetida and salt and mix well.
Toss in the grated plantains and gently mix. Cook on low flame for 2-3 minutes.
Sprinkle grated coconut and combine well. Turn off the gas.
Lastly drizzle some lemon juice on top. Mix well. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
Serve Plantain Podimas with white rice and sambhar.
Vazhakkai poriyal is a South Indian favourite dish - and so easy to make! Plantains are a staple ingredient in Indian cooking. I love plantains and plantain podimas is an interesting way of preparing them.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Chettinad
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 10 minutesminutes
Total Time 25 minutesminutes
Servings 3
Calories 225kcal
Author Shil
Ingredients
Green plantains – 2
Onion – 1 medium
Green chilli – 1,finely chopped
Grated ginger – ½ tsp
Coriander leaves – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Grated coconut -2 tbsp
Asafoetida – a pinch
Dry red chillies – 2
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Cumin seeds – 1tsp
Urad dal – ½ tsp
Bengal gram dal – ½ tsp
Lemon juice – ¼ tsp
Salt to taste
Oil – 2 tsp
Instructions
Wash and halve the plantains. Put them in a pressure cooker with sufficient water and pressure cook for just one whistle (the plantains shouldn’t turn mushy) and turn off the gas. Once the pressure releases, transfer the plantains onto a plate with a slotted spoon. Remove the plantain skins, grate and keep aside.
Cut 1 medium onion finely. Chop the green chilli and coriander leaves. Grate the ginger and coconut.
Heat oil in a frying pan and temper with red chillies and curry leaves. Next add black gram dal, Bengal gram dal, mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Sauté for a couple of seconds.
Add grated ginger, green chilli and onions. Sauté for a couple of minutes. Add a dash of asafoetida and salt and combine well.
Add the cooked and grated plantains; toss gently on low heat for about 2-3 minutes till all the ingredients are mixed well. Sprinkle freshly grated coconut and combine well.
Remove and add a dash of lemon juice. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Serve Chettinad Vazhakkai Podimas with white rice, rasam and papad.
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