Ethakka Puzhukku

Ethakka Puzhukku is a traditional dish of Kerala, which is eaten along with broken brown rice porridge. It is usually served when one is unwell. This fibre rich stew has resistant starch that gives a sense of fullness. Hence, it is recommended for weight loss too.

      

                                                Ethakka
Ingredients:
Ethakka (Raw Kerala banana) -1
Turmeric powder -1tsp
Pepper powder -1/2tsp
Husked green gram -1/2 cup
Brown sugar -1tsp
Red chilly - 1
Grated coconut -1/2 cup
Cumin seeds -1tsp
Mustard seeds -1tsp
Curry leaves -few
Salt and oil -as required

Method:
Grind the grated coconut, red chilly and cumin seeds to a coarse paste. Keep it aside.
Peel the skin of the banana carefully using the fingers. Cut the peeled banana into cubes and place it in water.

                                             Peeled banana
Soak the husked green gram in water for half an hour. Cook it along with the water. When it is half done, add the banana pieces, turmeric powder and pepper powder.  Continue cooking for another few minutes or till the vegetable is cooked well. Then, add the ground paste, brown sugar, salt and curry leaves. Simmer for few minutes. Garnish with mustard seeds tempered in oil.

Note:
The peel of the banana is edible and tastes great when made into thoran (stir fried vegetable). In fact, it is rich in fibre and has many nutrients. Don't know how to make thoran, Refer vazhakkai thoran in this blog.
Using coconut oil enhances the flavour of this stew.