Aratikaaya Vepudu (Plantain Fry)

I feel lucky as I got a chance to travel and explore various regions of India. I should thank my dad and his bank for giving us oppurtunity. When it comes to exploring traditional food, I enjoyed more in south India. Yummy dosas, pongal, idly, utappams, appam and stew, fish curries and list never ends. Especially in tamilnadu and kerala, the one item that best attracts everyone and motivates to munch them are the 'Hot Chips'. There are few indepedent and also a chain of stores selling fresh and hot chips made with either plantain or other potato varities as per our order.

Plantain, known as aratikaaya in telugu and Vaalakha in tamil is a very good fibrous vegetable. It is also referred to as 'potatoes in air' or 'cooking bananas' and are extremely popular in latin american countries, Africa and Asia. Plantain curry tastes great even if it is cooked with little oil.

Entire plantain plant can be used. Plantains are cooked and used to make various curries, fries, gravies, chips, snacks and much more. Their leaves are used as a great substitute for plates. Traditionally on a festival day, people eat festival varieties served on a fresh washed plantain leaf. Plantain flowers can be used in salads. Plantain cut branches and stems are used to decorate wedding halls, pooja mandir or space where gods' pooja is performed on days of festivals/vrathams/special occasions.

Yummy Festival Meal!!!!!!!
Courtesy: Wikipedia
This plantain fry is very easy to prepare and tastes great!

Ingredients
Plantain - 2 medium

Onion - 1

Red chillies - 5

Salt - 1 Tspoon

Chilly powder - 1 Tspoon

Turmeric - 1 Tspoon

Curry Leaves - 4 (chop them small)

Urad dal - 1 Tspoon

Cumin seeds - 1 Tspoon

Mustard seeds - 1 Tspoon

Dry Coconut powder - 1.5 / 1 1/2 Tspoon

Pepper powder - 2 Tspoons

Oil - 3 Tspoons

Garlic - chopped - 4 pods

Coriander/Dhaniya Powder - 2 Tspoons

Procedure

• Peel the plantain slightly to retain its fibre. Wash the peeled plantain and cut them in to medium sized pieces.
• Take a shallow and wide non stick frying pan, add oil and heat it on a low flame.
• Once oil gets heated, add mustard seeds and urad dal. When mustard seeds crackle, add cumin seeds, onions, red chillies, garlic and curry leaves, salt, turmeric and fry until onions turn slightly translucent.
• Now to the mixture, add cut plantain pieces and stir them. Allow the plantain pieces to fry on a low flame for about 7 minutes.
• Stir the mixture to avoid sticking to the bottom. Sprinkle little water and allow the half cooked plantain pieces to fry for another 5 minutes. When plantain pieces start turning slightly brown, add coconut powder, chilly powder, coriander powder and pepper powder and stir again for a minute and switch off the stove.
• Hot, yummy and slightly crispy dry plantain fry (aratikaaya kobbari kaara vepudu) is ready!! serve with rice accompanied by dal/sambar/any lentil.