Preparation Time : 1 hour 35 minutes
Cooking Time : 10 minutes to cook the banana flower + 3-4 minutes to deep fry each batch of vadas .
Serving : 6 -8 members
Description
The banana plant is one thing that we in South India use from the leaf , stem , flower , ripe fruit, raw fruit to every bit of it in one way or the other . Like wise the banana flower is cleaned doing a pains taking job with every segment and used in many forms . One form is this recipe of Vadai that I learnt from my mother – in – law . At moms place we just make a thoran ( poriyal / sabji ) with it . I felt really wired to see vadais on the lunch table as a newly wedded bride as I am used to eating this deep fried snack for breakfast or on the go any time of the day . I was served two and tasted it and didn’t know there was banana flower used in it until my mother – in – law asked me to guess the ingredients in it . When she told me the banana flower is used in it too , I was dum struck as what a genius way to use a banana flower . The best part being this is an authentic Tamil vegetarian recipe that I didn’t know at all . I personally prefer these local produce to the sourced in produce and this helps to retain our traditional authentic house speciality recipes at home that are rarely featured in restaurant menus . The infinite range of flavours , aromas , textures and colours that’s the magic of Indian home cooking with varied state cuisines of our country is ultimate . The best way is to always remain faithful to our home style classics as it’s always made by our grand moms , moms , aunts or sisters with love in it and not to deny the quality of food that comes out of Indian home kitchens as it’s nothing short of astounding .
Ingredients
Ingredients | Quantity |
|---|---|
| peas dal ( Pattani paruppu or vadai paruppu as known in Tamil ) | 2 cups |
| dry red chillies | 4 to 5 |
| small onions | 1 hand chopped finely |
| green chillies | 2 chopped |
| curry leaves | few chopped |
| snauf | 1 teaspoon |
| salt | to taste |
| ginger | 1/4 inch pieces grated |
| Salt | to taste |
| Turmeric powder | 1/4 teaspoon |
| Banana flower | 1 whole cleaned |
| oil | to deep fry |
Method
- Soak peas dal in water for one hour . Chop the cleaned banana flower to tiny bits . Cook with salt to taste , turmeric powder and little water until cooked . Make sure the cooked banana flower is dry with no moister left in it .
- Set aside and cool . Drain and reserve 2 tablespoons of whole soaked peas dal aside .Add red dry chillies and snauf to the remaining soaked peas dal and grind to a coarse paste adding very little water .
- Add all the other ingredients except for the oil to deep fry . Mix well . Heat oil to deep fry in a kadai .Make lime size balls with the peas dal and banana flower mixture . flatten them to get small round 1/4 inch thick Pattice .
- Drop one by one , 4 to 5 in one batch into hot oil and fry for 2 minutes on each side to get a deep golden brown crisp vaala poo vadais .
Drain and serve hot with your after noon meals as a side dish . - There is no need of any chutney or dips to go along . It’s had as it is . At home ,Even before going to the dining table 3/4 of the vaala poo vadais are over in the kitchen , as every one has a taste before on the table .
