Aratikaaya Masala Pulusu: Plantain Curry

The auspicious week of Navratri is upon us. So how about some fresh plantain curry to add zing to your taste buds? Aratikaaya Masala Pulusu is a special Navratri recipe that you can have after your fast. This is basically a plantain curry made with raw bananas.

Aratikaaya Masala Pulusu is a typically south Indian recipe with lots of curry leaves and sprouting mustard seeds. The tangy taste of tamarind gives this plantain curry a rich flavour.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 tblsp vegetable oil
• 5 raw bananas, peeled and cut in 4 pieces each.
• One stem curry leaves
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tblsp Tamarind pulp
• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 inch piece ginger, chopped
• 1 tsp rice
• Salt to taste

How to make aratikaaya masala pulusu:

1. First make a paste of ginger, garlic, rice with a little water and keep it aside

2. Now boil the raw bananas covered till they are soft and keep aside. Cool it down and peel and cut in to small size pieces

3. Heat a wok now and add the oil to it.

4. In it add the mustard seeds and curry leaves and let them splutter.

5. Now add the ginger-garlic-rice paste into it and add all the ground spices.

6. Fry for a minute and add the tamarind paste to it.

7. Mix the tamarind paste well and add 2 cups of water.

8. Now add the banana pieces and let cook for two minutes or till the gravy thickens.

9. Serve hot sprinkled with coriander leaves.

About the author: This recipe is written by our expert chef, Kailash Gundupalli. He is an Executive Chef of ibis & Novotel hotels.