Raw Banana Podimas | Vazhakkai Podimas | Grated Plantain Curry

Ingredients

• 1 plantain/raw banana (after cooking and grating, I got 2 cups)
• 2 to 3 cups water
• 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tbsp paruppu podi (spiced lentils powder)
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp urad dal
• 2 tsps ginger (chopped)
• 5 curry leaves
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida
• 2 tsps lemon juice (or to taste. Lime juice can be used as well.)

Instructions

1. 1

   Trim the plantain's edges and cut into three or four chunks and boil it in your preferred without peeling. I went with the open-pot method and cooked the plantain in the soapstone vessel until they are soft and tender. Please make sure they are firm and tender. Do not overcook the plantains.

2. 2

   Let it cool and peel off the skin and grate it. After cooking, it is easy to peel off the skin without a peeler.

3. 3

   Now add the salt, pepper powder, turmeric powder, and paruppu podi. Mix everything—no need to keep it on the stove.

4. 4

   In a separate tempering pan, add coconut oil. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves, asafoetida, and chopped ginger. Let the mustard seeds splutter and add this tempering to the grated plantain and mix. That's all.

5. 5

   Just before serving, add some lemon juice and serve it with rice.