Banana Stem Dry Curry ( Baale Dindina Palya)

Ready To Serve Banana Stem Dry Curry

Banana stem dry curry is a side dish and it is one of the healthy dish. Banana stem is used for preparing curries, salads and many more items. It is said that Banana Stem should be eaten at least once a year to cleaning the whole body.
 I have prepared dry curry which can be served as side dish and it goes well with chapatis, rotis, pooris and with plain rice.
Banana Stem is called Baale Dindu in Kannad, Vazhapindi in Malayalam, Vaalethandu - Tamil and Tandal or Tana or Haalm in Hindi.
Lets see some benefits of eating Banana Stem in our diet. 
Banana stem is a rich source of fiber and it helps to ease constipation. It is also a rich source of potassium and Vitamin B6. It helps to produce of haemoglobin and insulin. It helps the body to fight against infection. Potassium helps in the proper functioning of muscles. It also helps to prevent high blood pressure and maintain fluid balance within the body. Banana stem is said to be a diuretic (helps get rid of extra water (urine in the body ) and and helps to detoxify the body. Banana stem is used for prevent and treat kidney stones.  
You need to wash and remove many folders of the stem and finally you will see the usable vegetable. Wash it nicely and cut them into small pieces. (take away the fiber thread which occurs while cutting. Just take away from your finger. Roll them on your finger while cutting.  Soak the cut banana stem pieces in Butter milk. It helps to retain the white colour of banana stem. Or it turns brown or black. You can soak them in plain water too. ( but better soak in sour butter milk).
No onions or garlic is used in this dish.

Things Needed : 

Banana Stem : 2 cups ( around 1 Meter  stem)
Coconut: 1/2 Cup
Lemon juice : 1 Table spoon
Green Chilly : 2
Oil : 1 Table spoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon
Urid dal : 1/2 Tea spoon
Curry leaves : 5 to 6
Coriander Leaves : 2 Table spoons
Salt : Required
Turmeric powder : a pinch

Method :

1. Wash and remove the inner stem and wash it again. Wash green chilly coriander leaves and curry leaves.
2. Cut it into small pieces and put it in water or butter milk. ( I used water). cut green chilly and coriander leaves.

3. Grate coconut and keep it aside.Squeeze out the lemon juice and keep it aside.
4. Now keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add oil, mustard and urid dal. Let mustard seeds splutter.
5. Add jeera and cut green chilly. Fry for 10 seconds. Add curry leaves.

6. Squeeze out the water from the pieces of banana stem and add it to mustard mixture.
7. Mix it well and add  1/2 cup of water. Add little turmeric powder, cover it and cook till they turn soft.

8. Add salt and mix it once the pieces turn soft.
9. Cook on low flame and add grated coconut. Put off the fire and add lemon juice.

10. Mix it well and shift the ready Banana Stem Dry Curry to a serving dish.  Serve with the main dish you prepared.

Note :

You can cut them in to small so that it cooks faster. Do not add more water it may not taste good. Adding more oil is optional. Adding garlic or onions are also optional. Adding little garam masala also adds to the taste.
Time : 30 minutes . (preparation 15 minutes + cooking time 15 minutes). 
Serves : 3 to 4 .

Cabbage & Dil Leaves Dosa

Cabbage & Dil leaves Dosa is prepared with spicy dough: We can have them for breakfast as snack or for dinner.
The dough used for Cabbage, Dil dosa is Pathrode dough. Patrode is one of the traditional dish prepared in South Kanara ( South Karnataka or Dakshina Kannada). Colocasia (Kesu) leaves are used with this spicy dough and Pathrode is prepared. The dough is prepared using Raw Rice, little methi (Fenugrik) seeds, Tamarind, coriander seeds, red chilly etc. I have used the same dough for preparing cabbage dosa and dil leaves dosa. Since I have prepared the dough for patrode and it was little more and used it for Cabbage dosa and Dil leaves Dosa.
Lets us see some benefits of having Cabbage in our diet.
Cabbage is is used not only as vegetables it it also used for treatment for constipation, stomach ulcers, headaches, obesity, skin disorders, jaundice,arthritis, gout, eye dis orders aging. It is good for people who are suffering from Vitamin C deficiency. Cabbage is very rich in fiber and good remedy for constipation and other digestion-related problems. Cabbage is rich in sulphur and helps to fight infections in wounds. Cabbage has a good source of anti oxidants. It is good source of minerals like calcium, magnesium and potassium. It is good for balancing blood pressure.

Now lets see the recipe.

Things Needed : For Patrode Dough

Raw Rice : 3 Cups
Urid Dal : 1 Table spoon
Methi Seeds : 1 Tea spoon
Tamarind : 3 to 4 marble size
Jaggery : 3 to 4 Table spoons
Coriander Seeds : 3 Table spoons (or One handful)
Jeera : 2 Tea spoons
Turmeric powder : 1/4 Tea spoon
Coconut : 1 Cup
Red chilly : 8 to 10
Salt : Required
Ingh (Asafoetida) : a pinch

Method :

1. Wash and soak raw rice, urid dal and methi seeds altoget for 3 to 4 hours.
2. Grate Coconut and keep it aside. Soak tamarind in normal water for 10 minutes. (It becomes soft).
3. Now grind coconut, coriander seeds, red chilly and jeera, ingh and soaked tamarind for 2 minutes.
4. Remove water from soaked rice and grind rice along with spices. ( if you are using mixi jar divide the portion in to 2). Use water little by little while grinding.
5. Grind the dough till paste and add jaggery and salt. Grind for 2 minutes.
6. Remove the ground mixture in a big bowl.

Note :

Do not add more water while grinding. The dough may turn watery and dosa may not be tasty. Adding more or less jaggery is optional. Adding tamarind quantity also optional. (less or more). When you prepare Patrode , then only you need more tamarind. Using less tamarind is advisable. You can also add 2 to 3 table spoons of toor dal to patrode dough. It gives a different taste.

2. Cabbage Dosa

Things Needed :
Pathrode Dough :  2 ro 3 Cups
Cabbage (Cut) : 2 Cups
Oil : 2 to 3 Table spoons
Butter : 2 Table spoons

Method :
1. Wash and cut cabbage into small pieces. Keep it aside.
2. Now keep a pan on the fire and heat. Sprinkle oil on the dosa pan.
3. Just stir the dough once and take a spoonful and spread it round like dosa.

 4. Sprinkle oil on the dosa and spread  a spoon of cut cabbage on the top of dosa.

 5. Pat and press it with the spatula so that cabbage sticks to the dough.
6. Cover and cook for 1 minute. Now turn the other side slowly and cook for 10 to 20 seconds.
7. Take out from the pan and serve with a spoon of butter on the top
8. We can do it this way too. Just mix cut cabbage to the dough.

9. Take a spoon of the batter and spread on the hot tava.
10. Cook on both sides using little oil on the top
11. Repeat the same with remaining dough.
12. You can serve Hot Cabbage dosas with Ghee instead of butter.
Time : 30 minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4


3. Dil Leaves Dosa :

Spicy Dough : 2 Cups
Dil Leaves : 1 Cup
Oil : 2 to 3 Table spoons.

Method :

1. Wash and cut dil leaves (only leaves and soft stems).
2. Add it to the Dosa batter and prepare dosa any other dosas.
3. You can spread the dough and top up with dil leaves also. ( like above said cabbage dosa).

4. Serve when they are hot with a spoon of ghee or butter.

Note: Let the batter be like idly batter. Adding more oil taste good but not good for healthy. You can add little rice flour or rava  if the batter turns watery. Just add 2 table spoons of rice flour and mix it well. But the taste differ.

Time : 30 minutes  + ( Soaking time 4 hours )

Serves : 3 to 4 .