Easy Vazhakkai Varuval (Plantain Fry)

My 224th recipe, "Easy Vazhakkai Varuval (Plantain Fry)", a quick and easy South Indian side. After Krishna Jeyanthi, Diwali is my next most favorite festival. It is a wonderful time of the year for celebration with fire crackers, sweets, snacks and fun with friends and family. However the days leading up to these festivals, are always hectic and that is the only part I hate. I end up cleaning the whole house and start preparing diwali sweets and snacks atleast a few days ahead. And for the records, I officially started this year's ritual from today. Since I am almost fully involved with the prep work, I really get a very short time to cook lunch. At such desperate times I love to cook something which is quick and easy to make and doesn't need much time to clean up later. There are many such recipes which I tend to make, specifically like the Seppan Kizhangu roast, Potato Roast, etc. which have already found a place on my blog. For today, it is the turn of my plantain fry. Though I love the taste of plantain, I rarely cook it at home due to its gastric properties. However, once in a while, when I make it, I make sure to give it all the respect it needs. Though the recipe itself is very simple, it tastes amazing. The outside is perfectly spicy, crisp while the inside is cooked until tender soft. A perfect side to have with any South Indian rice, and especially my favorite sambar.

Plantain Fry

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Prep Time 3 mins

Cook Time 12 mins

Total Time 15 mins

Servings 2

Ingredients

  

• Oil - 1 ½ Tbsp
• Mustard - ¼ tsp
• Jeera - ½ tsp
• Plantain Raw Banana - 1 Small
• Turmeric - ¼ tsp
• Sambar powder - 2 tsp
• Salt - ½ tsp Adjust per taste

Instructions

 

• First wash, peel and cut the plantain into ¼ inch thick slices as shown in pic and keep them immersed in water until use. Heat a pan with oil, add the mustard and once it splutters add the jeera.
  
   
• Once the jeera starts changing color, add the sliced plantain and saute for 30 sec. Now add sufficient water until the slices of plantain are ¾ immersed as shown in pic. Turn the flame to low-medium, add in turmeric, sambar powder, salt and mix well until combined. Cook covered until the plantain slices are almost cooked.
  
   
  
   
• Now remove the lid, increase the flame to medium-high and cook the slices by just gently flipping them at regular intervals until they are dry and nicely roasted. Turn off the flame.
  
   
• Serve hot as a side for any rice varieties.
  
  

Notes | FAQ

- Do not add too much water for cooking the plantains. The plantain might get mashed out by the time the water evaporates. If the plantain slices are not cooked by the time the water evaporates, you can add little more water and cook.
- Adjust the spiciness (sambar powder) according to your taste.
- You can use the ladle to check if the plantain slices are cooked, by pressing them gently.