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Vazhai Poo Usili, Banana Flower Curry

fitnfastrecipes
Vazhai Poo Usili is a delicious dry curry with Banana flower and crumbled Lentils from the Tamil Brahmin (Tambrahm))community . Vazhai Poo means Banana flower in Tamil. Usili is a preparation which is made using steamed and crumbled Lentil paste. You can add usili to many other vegetables like French Beans, Cluster Beans, Cabbage etc. For this recipe, Usili has been combined with Banana Flower. Let's learn to make this signature dish of the Tambrahm community.
Preparing banana flowers may appear to be a lengthy and time consuming process, but if you think, for this recipe,there is no other cutting or chopping required. Unlike any other curry, there is no garlic peeling or Onion chopping or any masala preparation required. All you need to do is to prepare the Vazhaipoo.
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 45 mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Moroccan
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

Ingredients for Curry

  • 1 Nos Banana Flower (approx 500 gms in weight)
  • 1 Litre Water
  • 2 tbsp Yogurt
  • ¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
  • 2 tbsp Thick Tamarind extract
  • 2 cup Fresh Water.
  • 1 tsp Salt

Ingredients for Tempering

  • 1 tbsp Sesame or Coconut Oil
  • ½ tsp Mustard Seeds
  • 1 tsp White Lentil or Urad
  • 1 sprig Curry Leaves

Ingredients for Usili

  • ½ cup Yellow Lentil. Known as Tur Dal, Tuvar Dal or Arhar Dal in Hindi.
  • ½ cup Split bengal Gram. Known as Chana Dal in Hindi.
  • 3 Nos Dry Red Chillies
  • ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
  • 1/8 tsp Asafoetida
  • 1 tsp Salt

Instructions
 

Prepare Flowers

  • Apply oil to your palms and knife to avoid stain.
  • Take Water in a vessel. Add yogurt to it and keep aside.
  • Peel off the outer Red/purple layer of Banana flower and take out the white edible flower from each layer.
  • Rub the flower gently to open it up
  • Pluck and discard the hard stamen.
  • Remove flowers from each layer till you are left with small white portion. You can chop and use this part as it is.
  • Remove stamen from all flowers.
  • Finely chop the flowers.
  • Dip finely chopped flowers in yogurt water till further use.
  • Keep a pan on flame.
  • Strain the flowers and add to the pan.
  • Add turmeric.
  • Add Tamarind extract.
  • Add 2 cups of fresh water.
  • Cook for 5 minutes.
  • Add Salt.
  • Mix and cover and cook for 5 more minutes.
  • Cook till water evaporates from the flowers and the flowers are cooked completely.
  • Keep aside.

Make Usili

  • Soak Lentils and red chillies in water for 4 hours.
  • Drain and discard excess water.
  • Add drained lentils to a blender Jar.
  • Add turmeric.
  • Add Asafoetida.
  • Add Salt.
  • Blend to a coarse paste without adding any water.
  • Take out and make about 5 balls out of this mixture and arrange on a greased steamer plate. You can even pour this mixture in an idli Mould like Idli .
  • Cover and steam for 15 minutes.
  • Open and crumble it using a fork once it is slightly cool.

Prepare Curry

  • Heat a pan.
  • Add a table spoon of oil.
  • Add all ingredients of seasoning and stir till white lentil turns golden.
  • Add crumbled lentil.
  • Saute for 5 minutes.
  • Add cooked Banana flowers and stir.
  • Cook again for 5 more minutes and turn off the flame.
  • Serve as a side dish with Rice and any type of kootan or Kuzhambu. Traditionally Usili based curries are served with Kootan or Kuzhambu which do not have lentils so that the lentil in usili balances the absence of Lentil in Kootan.
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