Ingredients

The following ingredients have 5 Servings
  • 1 Banana flower (Medium with petals removed, cleaned and chopped – Look for the pictorial above)
  • 1/2 cup Tuvaram paruppu / Toor dal
  • 1/2 cup Kadalai paruppu / Channa dal
  • 2 tbsp Payatham paruppu / Moong dal
  • 4 Red chilies
  • 1/4 tsp Asafetida
  • Salt (to taste)
  • 1 tsp Mustard seeds
  • 2 tsp Kadalai paruppu / channa dal / split Bengal gram dal
  • 2 Red chilies
  • 1/4 tsp Asafetida
  • Curry leaves (few)
  • 2 tbsp Oil

Instruction

  • Clean and chop the banana flower as described above in the introduction. Refer to the pictorial to help you. Immerse the chopped banana flowers in diluted buttermilk to prevent oxidization.
  • Soak the lentil for about an hour to two.
  • Drain the lentils well and then grind it into a coarse paste with salt, red chilies and asafetida.
  • Drain and wash the banana flower to remove the residual buttermilk and then squeeze them dry. Add the banana flower to the lentil mixture and mix it well to combine.
  • Transfer this mixture into a greased steamer plate or in idli plates and steam it for about 10 -12 mins until the mixture appears cooked and glossy. When you touch the steamed mixture it will appear hard and it should not stick to your fingers.
  • Remove and let it cool down enough to handle. Now either with your hands or using a blender make a crumble of the lentil mixture. Most of the time I just do it using my hands as it is one less thing to wash.
  • Heat a wide pan and add oil to it. Add all the ingredients listed under seasoning and fry it for a minute.
  • Now add the steamed and crumbled lentil mixture and give it a good mix. Let it further cook for about 5 minutes so all the flavors could come together.
  • I served vazhaipoo paruppu usilli with White pumpkin more kuzhambu and rice!