Vazhaippoo Pitlai
Banana flower 1
Cooked tur dhal ½ cup
Tamarind paste 1 tbsp
To fry & powder
Red chillies 7,8
Bengal gram dhal 2 tsp
Dhaniya seeds 3 tsp
Til seeds (white or black) 2 –3 tsp
Khus khus 2 tsp
Coconut gratings 2 tbsp
Hing powder ½ tsp
To temper
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Udad dhal 1 tsp
Roasted peanuts 2 tbsp
Curry leaves few
Chopped coriander leaves to garnish
Take the outer covers of the plantain flower and remove bunches of florets one at a time.
Hold them in hand & remove the stamens from the centre.
Then chop the bunches fine & soak them in water mixed with a little buttermilk
to prevent discolouration.
Boil the chopped flowers with haldi & little water.
Mix the tamarind paste with 1 cup water.
Fry the ingredients from red chillies to hing & powder.
Mix the above ingredients with tamarind water well without any lump formation.
Add cooked tur dhal.
Adjust to the required consistency, add salt and a little jaggery if preferred.
Remember, the consistency should be the desired one , since there is no loss by evaporation in pressure cooking.
Transfer to a pressure pan, keep on stove & put the weight.
Cook till one whistle comes.
Cool, open temper & add chopped coriander leaves.
For a change you can omit the cooked dhal, fry the ingredients and grind them to a paste instead of powdering them & do this preparation.