JFI-Vazhakkai Pattinam Varuval / Crispy fried Raw Plantains.

My severe hunt for the ripe bananas ended a sad demise as they are totally 'off' season here.I had always watched with envy and awe, the heavy trucks of T.N loaded with bananas heading to Kerala, where bananas are abundant, raw and ripe, year round, and me hunting for the same in the source point!!.I had wanted so much to whip up something with the ‘real fruit’ and now left with no other choice than the raw plantains.

All I know about this raw plantain dish is that it originated from the villages of Tamil Nadu.Purely authentic, this is seen to be disappearing from the dining tables of the state!.Pattinam means a town or a city and Varuval meaning fry....and that's how the villagers have named you see..:)..
As the most of the recipes, I learned this easy to make dish from my ma in law.

This goes to JFI- Banana hosted by Mandira of Ahaar.

You need:

Raw plantain-2 nos
Red chillies-7 nos- broken to 3 pieces each
Refined oil-1/2 cup.(Oh yes, please be liberal)
Turmeric Powder-1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds-1/4 tsp
Urad dal-1 tsp
Dry Curry leaves-A sprig(optional)
Salt-to taste.

Method:

!. Remove the outer green skin using the peeler.Cut into small even sized cubes of 1cm each.Boil water in a pan adding salt and turmeric powder.Transfer the pieces to it.The water level should be just above the pieces and drain them when the water just boils and whirls round and they are ‘just’ cooked.Do not overcook.

2. Heat oil in a wide non stick kadai.Splutter mustards.Add the urad dal.Immediately add the boiled plantain cubes.(the urad dal aquires the deep brown colour during the whole process and you need not wait for them to get roasted while tempering).

3. Turn the pieces gently while getting roasted in the kadai every 3 minutes, keeping the flame steady to ‘medium’. They generally ‘drink’ oil quite well and within 10 minutes the oil must have been all absorbed!At this stage, they are half roasted, add the broken red chilly bits.Toss again and add the dried curry leaves(chillies and curry leaves are not added while tempering and are added half way to avoid getting over browned).Check salt.

4. After about 10 minutes the pieces would have turned golden brown and crisp.Toss and remove from fire.

Serve hot with Rice and ‘vengaya sambhar’ or Rice and ‘vathal kuzhambu’…of course without counting the calories!:D..

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