Plantain or Raw Banana is a very popular vegetable used in South Indian kitchens and cuisine. While we can find various desert and sweet recipes using the ripe banana fruit, raw banana too tastes really yummy when cooked the right way. This is one of my favorite vegetables, as it cooks very fast, and can be used in many dishes. When I don’t have much time, I just peel the skin of the raw banana, fry it in a little oil, and add salt and red chili powder. Voila, a nice fry dish is all ready.
Raw Banana in Onion Masala Curry
This is my favorite curry of all time, and trust me when I say that. I can eat this every day with nice hot rice with a dollop of ghee over it. This version of raw banana curry is hard to find everywhere. This curry is often served in our family when we have guests and we have to prepare a complete thali. The masala curry is not just tasty but is quite healthy at the same time.
As I make this curry quite often and is loved by everyone in my family, I thought of sharing it with you all as well.
What we love about these raw bananas are their texture and their taste. The masala we prepare using onions, tomato, and spices adds a lot of flavors. The curry has a mild spiciness to it and goes well with rice or any south Indian meal. A few of them even have this with roti or paratha.
How To Cut and Cook Raw Bananas?
I have seen many people complaining about the raw bananas turning black, and them being a little sticky. Well, there is a small tip you can follow.
Make sure to peel off the skin completely, till you see the white flesh inside. Once you peel and cut it into pieces, add the pieces into a bowl of water. You can even add a pinch of turmeric to the water. This prevents the raw banana pieces from turning black.
You can also add a little oil to your palms before cutting and peeling this vegetable. This way your fingers won’t feel sticky and will not change color either. In case your fingers or nails get sticky or discolored, wash them with a little soap.
Also, raw bananas cook really fast. If you are a little forgetful, the pieces can overcook and turn mushy when you are making the curry. So, if you are making this the first time, you can cut the pieces with the skin on, and boil them. Once, they are boiled and cooled, you can just remove the peel and sauté them a little before adding them to the curry. This way, you can ensure that the shape of the banana pieces remains intact.
How and Where I Learnt This Recipe?
I have eaten this from the time I was a child. This was and is still my favorite curry and I ask my mom to make it even now. I learned this from my mom, but honestly, I was never successful to make it as tasty as she makes.
So, shall we have a look at the cooking procedure now:
Ingredients
- Raw (Green) Banana – 2 Medium Sized
- Onion – 1 Medium
- Tomato – 1 Medium
- Ginger – 1-inch pieces
- Garlic – 3-4 Cloves
- Coriander Powder – 1 tbsp
- Cardamom – 2
- Cinnamon – 2-inch stick – 1
- Bay Leaf or All Spice Leaf – 1
- Curry Leaves – A Few
- Turmeric Powder – 1 tsp
- Red Chilli Powder – 1 tsp (Can add 1 tsp more if you like it spicy)
- Salt to taste
- Oil – 1 tbsp
Instructions
- Peel the raw bananas, cut them into round disks, and boil. Once they are a little soft, drain the water, dice them and keep them aside.
- Chop the onions and tomatoes. Grind them along with ginger, garlic, and coriander powder to make a fine paste.
- Add oil to a wide-bottomed pan, and sauté the raw banana pieces. Remove from oil and keep them aside.
- In the same pan, add curry leaves, tej patta, cardamom, and cinnamon. Fry them for 30 seconds. You should smell the aroma of the spices.
- This is when you add the ground onion and tomato paste. Cook it for a few minutes.
- Now add salt, turmeric powder, and red chili powder. Mix them all well, and cook till the oil separates. You can cook it with the lid on as the gravy can splutter at times.
- Once you see the oil on the sides, add the raw banana pieces. Cook for another 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes you should see the oil on the top or the side. Turn off the flame and serve hot with rice or roti.
