Pazham Nirachathu/ Stuffed Banana

Pazham nirachathu is a very tasty snack from the Malabar Cuisine. It is the best fit if you are searching for a quick, simple, nutritious, healthy, kids friendly dish.

Ingredients:

1. Ripe plantains 2
2. Coconut 3/4 cup
3. Sugar  3tbsp
4. Cashews, broken 1 tbsp
5. Cardamom powder a pinch
6. Raisins
7. All purpose flour 2 tbsp
8. Oil/ Ghee

Method:

1. Heat ghee in a pan. Melt the sugar completely. Now add coconut, cashews and raisins. Mix and saute well for few mins (2-3).
2. Cut the bananas half and make 3 slits without reaching the ends. Optionally, you can do this with the full bananas.
3. Fill in the coconut cashew mixture into the slits.
4. Make a paste with the All purpose flour, sugar and salt.
5. Stick up the slits with the paste.
6. Fry in oil.
7. Enjoy with your evening tea.

Pazham Pori / Plantain Fritters

Pazham pori is one of the common snack in any Kerala househod. It is made from ripe plantain , called ethappazham. It is one of the easiest and yummies snack to have in your evenings with a cup of tea.

INGREDIENTS

Ripe banana 3
Flour 1 cup
Gram Flour - Kadala mavu  1/4 cup
Salt - small pinch
Sugar - 3 tbsp
Oil

METHOD

Peel the bananas and cut them thin lengthwise. Mix all ingredients in a bowl and add some water. Mix and make a thick batter. Dip the bananas well in the batter and coat it.  Heat oil in a pan kadai and add the bananas one by one. Fry both sides well. 

Mutta marichathu/Kaya Pola (Egg & Plantain Cake)

This one is a sweet dish, especially during the Ramadan season. It is very easy to cook and very nutritious. Its a good evening snack to give for kids.

Ingredients

1.Ripe Plantains - 2

2.Eggs - 4

3.Sugar - 8 tbsp

4.Crushed Cardomom - 5-6 nos

5.Ghee - 1-2 tbsp

6.Cashew Nuts - 9 (broken)

7.Raisins - 1 tbsp or more

Preparation

1.Cut the plantains lengthwise and cut them into small cubes.

2.Fry them in ghee in a medium sized sauce pan, till golden brownish colour comes(here & there).

3.Fry cashew till brownish, after removing the plantains.

4.Fry raisins also till golden brown.

5.Beat the eggs well along with sugar and powdered  cardamom.

6.Transfer the plantains, cashews & raisins into the beaten egg and stir it until spreads evenly.

7.Now transfer the mixture into the same pan and cook in lowest flame.

8.Cover with a proper fitting lid.

9.Cook until the top part is set. It should take around 10-15 mins. You can see it first rises well and then sets back

10.Transfer this to another plate and serve hot or warm with tea.

Notes

Take care not to burn the lower part of cake , cook in low flame only. It is better to keep watching while it gets cooked. 

Unnakkaya

Ingredients

Ripe  Bananas ( Nenthrampazham )
 - 2

Grated coconut - 2 tbsp

Sugar - 2 tbsp

Raisins - 2 tsp

Cashew nuts, chopped - 5 tsp

Ghee ( for coconut ) - 2 tsp

Oil / ghee
 ( for shallow frying ) - 2 tbsp

Preparation

Steam the banana till it becomes tender. Mash it into a fine paste. Divide into six equal portions.

Heat ghee in a frying pan. Add cashew nut,  Sauté on a low heat till it turns slightly brown and fragrant. Repeat the same with raisins and keep aside. Dissolve 2 tbsp sugar in 1little water , now add coconut and saute for 2mins. Mix it with cashew nuts & raisins. Divide it into 5 portions again
Take a little of the banana paste in the palm, flatten it, stuff it with grated coconut- cashew - kismis mixture and roll into elongated shape very carefully.

Heat oil / ghee in a wide frying pan. Arrange each one gently and shallow fry on a low heat till golden color on both sides ( approximately 15 - 20 minutes ).

Notes

Fillings can be altered according to your taste. Egg can be added optionally.