Aratikaya Masala Vepudu or Vazhakkai Masala Varuval is a spiced dry saute made with plantain or raw banana. The roasted spice powder added to this makes it a very delicious side dish with plain dal and rice.
While I love banana fry that Amma makes as plain with just chili powder and coriander powder, this spiced masala powder adds an extra kick to the simple plantain. We make simple banana fry, both as cubed and as slices. My colleague makes a version of podimas as well along with simple slices spiced with pepper powder.
Basically, I love this vegetable served with our South Indian Meals. Potato Roast was never part of my growing up years. It was always Vazhakkai or Seppankizhangu Roast (Arbi). My colleagues don't believe me when I say that I was never used to Aloo roast during childhood, the way I eat Aloo roast now. I got used to the different roasts that get shared during lunchtime. Somebody or the other would have got a potato roast and it is always a deep roast.
Anyway coming back to the Plantain Dry sautes, this version has been the latest way that we have been making. Ever since Amma made it some months ago, we have been making this and I finally thought I must at least document. I have different varieties of Plantain Dry Side Dishes and Banana Dry Roasts in both C4AS and SYL
I will be sharing some Meal Time Dishes that essentially are dishes made for lunch meals.
Aratikaya Masala Vepudu
Ingredient Needed:
2 no Plantain
1/4 cup Onions finely chopped
1 no Green Chilies
3 to 4 Cloves Garlic
Salt to Taste
A Pinch Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Red Chili Powder
2 tsp Cooking Oil
Handful Curry leaves
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
For the Masala Powder
1 tbsp Peanut roasted
1 tsp Coriander Seeds
5 no Red Dry Chillies
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
How to make Aratikaya Masala Vepudu
Wash and chop the plantain into 1-inch cubes. Soak in water until frying
Heat a nonstick pan and dry roast dry chilies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds for a minute, transfer to a plate and grind to a powder along with roasted peanuts.
Heat the same nonstick pan with oil, temper with mustard seeds, curry leaves.
Next add crushed garlic, finely chopped onions, and slit green chilies. Saute well.
Then add the cubed plantain pieces, simmer, add salt and turmeric powder. Combine well and cook with lid covered.
Cook for 5 - 7 mins, then add the chili powder, mix well.
Simmer for another 5 mins or till the plantain is well cooked with the steamed.
Finally, remove the lid and sprinkle the ground masala powder, mix well.
Serve as a side dish along with Dal, Steamed Rice.
Recipe
Aratikaya Masala Vepudu
Ingredients
For the Fry
- 2 no Plantain
- 1/4 cup Onions finely chopped
- 1 no Green Chilies
- 3 to 4 Cloves Garlic
- Salt to Taste
- A Pinch Turmeric Powder
- 1 tsp Red Chili Powder
- 2 tsp Cooking Oil
- Handful Curry Leaves
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
For the Masala Powder
- 5 no Red Dry Chillies
- 1 tbsp Peanut roasted
- 1 tsp Coriander Seeds
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
Instructions
- Wash and chop the plantain into 1 inch cubes. Soak in water until frying
- Heat a nonstick pan and dry roast dry chilies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds for a minute, transfer to a plate and grind to a powder along with roasted peanuts.
- Heat the same nonstick pan with oil, temper with mustard Seeds, curry leaves.
- Next add crushed garlic, finely chopped onions and slit green chilies. Saute well.
- Then add the cubed plantain pieces, simmer, add salt and turmeric powder. Combine well and cook with lid covered.
- Cook for 5 - 7 mins, then add the chili powder, mix well.
- Simmer for another 5 mins or till the plantain is well cooked with the steamed.
- Finally, remove the lid and sprinkle the ground masala powder, mix well.
- Serve as a side dish along with Dal, Steamed Rice.
usha says
Addition of simple spice powder elevates the taste to next level. I don't make plantain at home but added similar spice powder to basic vankaya koora recently and taste was amazing. Aratikaya masala vepudu looks yum
gayathriraani says
I usually make podimas or simple red chilly powder version. This one with peanuts added in the spice powder sounds so flavourful. Sruti would love it so much.
Priya Suresh says
Love the idea of adding peanuts while making spice powder, definitely a flavourful vepudu to have with a bowl of hot piping rasam rice.
harini says
I love the masala powder with the peanuts. Very nice way to serve plantain.
FoodTrails says
This is such a simple side dish can be enjoyed with rice and dal!! Liked the Masala with peanuts great to give a crunch!! Very nice!!
srividhya says
The masala with roasted peanuts sounds delicious. Very nice and agree plantain goes well with any South Indian meals.
Suma Gandlur says
This is a new dish with plantains for me. The masala you added must be adding a great flavor to the curry.
Veena Krishnakumar says
I make this with only turmeric powder and chilli powder. This is a nice variation
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
I love the Andhra style masala powder and this is one of my favorite sry curry to eat. I might skip the garlic and try it with this podi next time.
code2cook says
I love this plantain masala sabji. we make it more mushy and spicy. loved the variation with new spices combo.