Pachakaaya Tholi Thoran/Plantain skin stir fry

I made this dish just because of the previous posted dish 'Sarkkara Upperi'. After making it the plantain skin was left out. Normally whenever I make curry or side dish with plantain banana I use the skin as well by slighly peeling of the edges of the skin. I didn't feel like to throw off the plantain skin, so I gave it a make-over and it resulted to be a yummy side dish in our dining table. So to those who like plantain skin and to those who do not know of it try out this plantain skin stir fry with whole moong. I'm sure you will enjoy the taste of this crunchy and tasty vegetable stir fry.

Ingredients:-

1. Plantain Skin/Pachakkaya Tholi - From three plantains
2. Whole Moong dal/Cherupayar - 1/2 cup
3. Salt to taste
4. Water - around 1 cup(to cook the moong)
5. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
6. Dry red chilly - 2
7. Curry leaves a sprig
8. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
9. Chilly powder - 1 tsp(you can add/reduce according to your spice level)
10. Grated coconut - 3/4 cup
11. Cumin(Jeera) - 1 tsp

Preparation Method:-

• Soak the Moong(Cherupayar) for 10 - 15 mins if possible. Wash and cook the moong covered by adding 1 cup of water and salt(a bit more than half cook is good enough, it should not be sticky). Set aside.

• Slightly peel the the outer skin of the plantain skin, finely chop it and soak in water for sometime to remove the stain. Wash well two to three times and remove the stain as much as possible. I got one and half cup of chopped and clean plantain skin.

                                                       

• Coarse grind(Chathkkuka) coconut and jeera and set aside.
• Heat up a frying pan, pour oil and crackle mutard seeds. Add curry leaves, whole red chilly and add chopped plantain skin. Stir well for a minute to mix.
• Add salt, turmeric powder, chilly powder and stir well. Add the cooked whole moong, ground coconut and stir everything well. Check for the salt and spice.
• Cover and cook it on medium heat for another five to seven minutes till plantain do not have raw smell and it turns out to be crispy.
• Switch off the flame and serve warm with Rice or Roti. Enjoy!!!!

Sending this again to Ramyasrecipe's ABC Series B for Banana Event   
                                                       

Also to The Kerala Kitchen Event hosted by Khusi's A Girl's Diary

Sarkkara Upperi

Sarkkara Upperi is made with Plantain Banana fried and sauteed in Jaggery Syrup. Sarkkara upperi is one of the important side dish of Kerala Sadya and kids and adults love to munch it anytime. My son loves this a lot and whenever I go to India I used to get few packets of this 'Upperi'. For this Onam I didnn't have any Sarkkara Upperi left and so I made it at home. A few phone calls to Kerala helped me make this dish. So friends Enjoy making Sarkkara Upperi :)

Ingredients:-

1. Plantain Banana/Pachakkaya - 3 Big
2. Powdered Jaggery - 1/2 cup
3. Sugar - 1/2 cup
4. Oil for deep frying
5. Cardamom powder - 1 tsp
6. Cumin(Jeera) Powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Dry Ginger Powder - 1 tsp
8. salt a pinch
9. Rice flour - 4tbsp(I used Nirapara putti podi)
10. Water - 1/2 cup

Preparation Method:-

• Cut the edges of the Plantain banana. Cut into into halves horizontally and vertically.
• Put it in Luke warm water for sometime maybe five mins(this helps you remove the skin easily). Remove the skin completely.

                                           

• Cut the plantain into small slices and soak in the water for 10 mins to remove the stain as much as possible. Wash thoroughly and drain off the water. Set aside.

                                            

• Heat up oil in a frying pan or Kadai in medium-high flame and deep fry the plantain till they are slightly crisp( you don't have to frying it till deep brown, just need to cook till they loose the raw flavor).
• Take out in an absorbent paper towel, pat dry and remove oil. Set aside.

                                              

• Now in another pan melt the jaggery by adding half cup water and strain off the impurities if any to another non-stick pan.(Strain this into the pan  in which you are going to make 'sarkkara upperi', this will help the process easy)
• Heat this Jaggery again and add Sugar and stir continuously in medium heat to melt the sugar and form a nice jaggery syrup.
• Add the cardamom powder, dry ginger powder, jeera powder,salt to the syrup and stir to mix.
• Add the chopped plantain and keep stirring till jaggery syrup starts to thicken. 
• Add rice flour little by little and keep stirring everytime you add rice flour.

                                             

• Keep stirring till all the jaggery syrup and rice mixture is well coated on the plantain pieces and it turns crisp with not more liquid in the pan.
• Switch off the flame, stir well so that no plantain pieces stick together and move to platter to let it cool.
• Once cool you can put it in air tight container and store for a very long period. Enjoy!!!!!!



 Sending this to Ramyasrecipe's ABC Series : B for Banana 

        

Also sending this to The Kerala Kitchen Event hosted by Khusi's A Girl's Diary