Salt and Spice

Ingredients

Banana flower – 1

Green gram – 1/2 cup

Water – 1 cup + 1/4 cup

Grated coconut – 1/2 cup

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Chilly powder – 1/4 tsp

Green chillies – 3

Cumin seeds – 1/4 tsp

Salt – to taste

Coconut oil – 1 1/2 tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp

Onion – 1 medium chopped

Garlic – 4 small chopped

Curry leaves – 2 sprigs

Method

Pressure cook green gram along with 1 cup of water, for 4 minutes on a low flame, after the first whistle.  Remove all the purple colored outer skin of the banana flower, till you get only the yellow tender part inside.  Finely chop the yellow part and wash it in water several times, till all the stain is gone.  Soak it in water and keep aside.  Grind the grated coconut along with turmeric powder, chilly powder, green chillies and cumin seeds into a coarse paste.  Heat oil in a non-stick pan and splutter mustard seeds.  Add the onions, garlic and curry leaves.  Fry till the onions turn light brown.  Add the coarsely ground coconut paste, chopped banana flower and salt.  Add 1/4 cup of water and mix well.  Cook covered till done.  Stir in between.  When it is almost done, add the cooked green gram.  Mix well and cook covered for a few minutes more.  See that there is no water left in the thoran.  Serve delicious and nutritious ‘Vazhachundu Thoran / Banana Flower Thoran’ with rice or rotis.

Related Recipes:

1. Pazham Pori/ Ethakka Appam/ Banana Fry
2. Kerala Banana Pulisseri
3. Cabbage-Carrot Thoran
4. Cracked Wheat Banana Payasam
5. Kalan/ Raw Banana Curry with Yoghurt