Aratikaya Ava Koora

This raw banana (plantain / aratikaya / vazhaka) curry is in mustard base. The slight bitterness from the mustard paste gives a very interesting taste when combined with raw banana.

My mother prepares this curry once in a while instead of raw banana fry.

Banana Stem Raitha

Am sure some of you must be knowing it. Here's how my mom makes this utterly delicious yet simple dish which can be had with rotis, rice etc. Banana stem is called Vazha thandu in tamil, arati dindu/doota/davva in telugu.

 

Brinjal Tomato Curry

I love anything made with brinjal. I can go head over heals for it :)

When brinjal is cooked over naked flame and is used in dishes, it has a heavenly taste. Following dish is one such which can be had with rice, rotis.

Paatoli / Paruppu Usili

Patoli as known in southern Andhra Pradesh, especially in Nellore is similar to Paruppu Usili of Tamil Nadu. This is also called 'Sandeega Podi' in Nellore. This curry requires little more oil than any other curry but the taste is heavenly.

Nawabi Curry

This curry is a royal dish. Can be served with pulaos, rotis etc. I've on purpose skipped adding sugar and saffron. Veggies such as cauliflower, beans, peas, potato, carrot, babycorn may be used.

Parwal Fry

Parwal is a vegetable belonging to the same family as cucumber and squashes. It is known as Potols in Telugu (from Bengali) and 'Pointed Gourd' in English. It looks very similar to 'Ivy Gourd' ( Dhondakaya / Kovakai) but is much larger in size than it.

When I googled I found the following information about it.

It is often called green potato, colloquially in India. It is widely cultivated in the eastern part of India, particularly in Bengal, Assam, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh. It is a good source of carbohydrates, vitamin A, and vitamin C. It also contains major nutrients and trace elements (magnesium, potassium, copper, sulphur, and chlorine) which are needed in small quantities, for playing essential roles in human physiology.

Aratikaya / Vazhaka Curry

Banana plant is such a versatile one. Right from its stem, flower, leaf to fruit finds its use.

Raw banana/plantain is a yummy vegetable which can be cooked in a variety of ways. One of the simplest one is the following one.

Brinjal Curry - with homemade curry powder

I just love this brinjal curry. I would thank my mom a zillion times for this recipe. I since my childhood had loved the stuffed brinjal curry. But since it would require more oil, my mom tried this recipe once and I just fell for it. Tender small green brinjals taste best for this recipe.

brinjal curry hot in kadai

Bhindi Gravy

My husband just loves Okras. But I get fed up making the same old bhindi fry. So sometime back I just experimented on this recipe and he just loved it. Once in a while I make this gravy. I just added whatever masalas I felt like adding and that were available on the countertop. :D

Bhindi gravy