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It is often said that every part of the banana plant is used in the Indian culture, be it the leaf or the root. People often consume ripe banana as a fruit individually or add it to their smoothie or oatmeal for breakfast. But do you know, you can make ample dishes with raw bananas as well?
Green bananas, also known as raw bananas or plantains are a versatile ingredient in Indian cuisine. They are known for their starchy texture and subtle flavour. Raw bananas are rich in dietary fibre, vitamins, and minerals, making them a healthy addition to the meal. If you’re wondering what dish to make for dinner, here are a number of dishes made of raw bananas. Take a look at some of them:
- Kacche Kele Ki Sabzi
This is a popular North Indian curry that features green bananas in a rich and flavourful curry. You can prepare the meal by peeling and slicing green bananas and then boiling them till tender. Now heat some oil in a pan and add cumin seeds, hing, and chopped onions. Saute them till golden brown and add ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder, and tomatoes. Cook till the tomatoes soften and add the boiled banana slices. Cook them well so that they coat with the spices. Simmer for a few minutes and garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve it hot with roti or rice.
- Aratikaya Vepudu
Hailing from Andhra Pradesh, this is a spicy, crispy raw banana fried. To prepare this, you first need to peel and slice the green bananas into thin rounds. Marinate the slices with turmeric, red chilli powder, and salt. Heat some oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and curry leaves. After they splutter, add the marinated banana slices and fry them on medium heat until they turn golden brown and crispy. Sprinkle some garam masala and serve them as a side dish with rice and sambar.
- Kele Ke Kofte
In this dish, green banana koftas or dumplings are cooked in a rich and creamy gravy. Start the dish by boiling and mashing green bananas. Mix the mashed bananas with gram flour, chopped green chillies, ginger, and spices. Shape the mixture into small balls and deep fry them till golden. Now for the gravy, you need to saute some onions, ginger-garlic paste, and tomatoes in oil. Add turmeric, red chilli powder, cumin powder, and coriander powder and cook until the oil separates. Add water and cook to achieve the desired consistency. Add the fried koftas and simmer in the gravy. Serve the dish with naan or basmati rice.
- Raw Banana Bajj
This is a popular South Indian snack that can be enjoyed as an accompaniment to the traditional South Indian meal at dinner. You can prepare this by slicing the green bananas into thin rounds and dipping them in a batter made of besan, rice flour, turmeric, red chilli powder, and salt. After this, fry them till golden brown. Note not to overcrowd it and give enough space so they can be well fried and crispy. Serve these fritters with coconut chutney.
- Plantain Pulao
This is a nutritious and flavouful one-pot meal that can be prepared by peeling and cubing green bananas and sauteing them in oil with whole spices like cinnamon, cloves, and bay leaves. Now add sliced onions, ginger-garlic paste, green chillies, and chopped vegetables like carrots and peas. Add the basmati rice, turmeric, cumin powder and salt. Pour water, cover, and cook until the rice and bananas are tender. Garnish this with fresh mint or coriander leaves and serve with raita for a complete and satisfying dinner.
- Kadali Kootu
A nutritious South Indian stew is often consumed as a fulfilling dish for dinner. Here, peel and cube the green bananas. Now in a pot, cook the banana cubes with turmeric and salt until tender. Meanwhile, grind fresh coconut with green chillies and cumin seeds into a smooth paste. Add this paste to the cooked bananas along with some cooked moong dal. Simmer it for few minutes until well combined. Temper with mustard seeds, urad dal, and curry leaves and pour over the stew. Serve with steamed rice.
