Month: March 2024

Raw Banana Fry (Kari Baale Bartad) Kodava Style

Once upon a time Bananas were grown in every home and estate in Kodagu and Kodagu was famous for various varieties of Bananas like Mara Baale and Yellakki Baale which are indigenous to the Kodagu highlands. While these crops have dwindled over the years, Bananas are still an important part of our cuisine. Bananas, both raw and ripe, are used in our recipes to make fritters, fries and sweet dishes.

Raw Bananas are a great source of Potassium, Vitamins-C and B6 and fibre. They are considered highly efficacious in people with diabetes and have probiotic properties making it good for the gut. (Source: Health Benefits Times). Raw Banana is used in a variety of dishes from kebabs to curries.

Here is a simple recipe from Kodagu to make a fry using Raw Banana or Kari Baale that is packed with flavors. It is a healthy and delicious dish that is easy to make. This dish is generally served as an accompaniment with white rice and rasam for lunch or dinner.

You’ll need the following ingredients:

Ingredients (For 2)

2 Raw Bananas, peeled and cut into small pieces (as shown in image below)

1 big Onion, chopped fine

½ tsp Mustard seeds

8-10 Curry leaves

2 tbsp Oil

Salt to taste

½ tsp Kachumpuli/Tamarind paste

1 tsp Coriander powder

½ tsp Jeera powder

½ tsp Chilli powder

¼ tsp Turmeric

Method

  1. Soak the banana pieces in water for 10 minutes.
  2. In a bowl, mix all the powders, coriander, jeera, chilli and turmeric, with ¼ cup of water to form a paste.
  3. In a pan, heat oil. When hot, add mustard seeds and let it sputter.
  4. Now add chopped onion and curry leaves. Fry till it becomes transparent. Add the powder paste and fry for a few minutes. Add ¾ cup water and boil on a slow flame. Add salt and Kachumpuli or tamarind paste and cook till the raw smell goes.
  5. Add the cut Bananas and allow it to cook on a slow flame till done.

Raw Banana fry or Kodava Kari Baale Palya is ready to eat. It is served as a side dish during lunch or dinner and goes very well with white rice.

Malabar Spinach Stir Fry (Kodava Basale Thoppu Bartad)

A simple and healthy stir fry

We all know how healthy it is to include green leafy vegetables in our diet. One such green wonder is the Malabar Spinach (Scientific name: Basella Alba), a plant native to India and Indonesia, which is available all year through. It is also known as Ceylon Spinach, Saan Choy (China), Mong Toi (Vietnam) and Alugbati (Phillippines). In India, we know it by different names like Poi Saag (Hindi), Poi Bhaji (Gujrati), Pui Shak (Bengali), Poi Saga (Odia), Basale Soppu (Tamil and Kannada), Basale Cheera (Malayalam), Bachali Koora (Telugu), Valchi Bhaji (Marathi) and Basale Thoppu in Kodava Thakk.

The Malabar Spinach is a vine that can be easily grown in a pot or in your backyard and comes in two varieties: green and red. Once upon a time, these creepers could be found in every home. We grow them in our backyard even today and ensure that we include it in our diet from time to time. It is a treat to harvest the leaves and make a nice stir fry from them.

Malabar Spinach in our Backyard

The Malabar Spinach is an excellent source of iron, calcium, Vit A, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. It is also rich in B-complex vitamins like folate, Vit B6 and riboflavin. Its leaves are packed with antioxidants. Thus, this green leafy vegetable is packed with power. Here are some of the health benefits of Malabar Spinach. It is proven to promote good heart health, lowers depression, prevents dementia, cures anemia and reduces the risk of cancer. (Source: Netmeds)

Today, I am sharing an easy recipe using the Malabar Spinach or Basale Thoppu as we call it. The leaves are cooked with green chillies and onions and generously sprinkled with coconut scrapings. This is a simple way to cook the greens while preserving their goodness. This recipe can be used to cook most greens like Chonda Keera (Red Amaranthus), Kakke Thoppu and other greens.

Here’s the recipe.

Ingredients (for 2)

Two bundles of Malabar Spinach leaves

1 medium sized Onion, chopped fine

2 green chillies, slit and deseeded

2 tbsps.  Grated Coconut

¼ tsp. Mustard seeds

1 tbsp. Vegetable oil

Salt to taste

Method

  1. Wash the Malabar Spinach leaves thoroughly and cut fine.
  2. In a thick bottomed pan, heat oil. Once it is hot, add the mustard seeds and let it sputter.
  3. Next, add the green chillies and the chopped onions. Fry till the onions turn transparent.
  4. Add the Malabar Spinach leaves and salt and stir well. Cook on a slow flame till the leaves are well cooked. Finally, add the grated coconut and mix well. Keep stirring till all the water evaporates.

Malabar Spinach fry is ready! This is great with Akki Vottis, Chapathis and Phulkas. It can also be served as a side dish with rice.