Vazhakoombu Thoran

A dish made from the flower of plantain...

An everyday dish from my childhood but here in Doha its like a special dish.For many days i was craving for this and managed to find a vazhakoombu from one of the supermarkets... I remember the fights we kids had made for the honey from vazhakoombu and amma was always in the middle as peacemaker...I am nurturing these memories realising that it would be a distant dream to happen again.

Ingredients (Serves 6)

1. Vazhakoombu ( Nicely Chopped) - 1 No
2. Pressure cooked Green gram- one and a half cup

3. Grated cocunut- 1 cup

4. Garlic- 2 Pods

5. Shallots - 8- 10 Nos

6. Cumin Powder- 1/2 tsp

7. Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp

8. Green Chilly - 4-5 Nos

9. Salt - As required

10. Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp

11. Red chilly- 1 0r 2 Nos.

12. Curry leaves

Method:-

Chop vazhakoombu nicely into water and this will help to reduce its bitterness.Then wash it two or three times and drain it.Grind coconut, shallots, cumin powder, turmeric powder and garlic. Don't make it to a fine paste, it should be coarse.Then add the mixture, slitted green chillies and green gram into drained vazhakoombu and mix it well with hand.Heat a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Then add curry leaves, dried red chilly and koombu mix.Add salt as necessary. Then cook in low flame for 10-15 min in a closed pan with occasional stirring. It goes well with rice.