Vazhai poo Murungai keerai kootu

Ingredients:

• Vazhaipoo (Plantain flower) - 6 to 8 petals
• Murungai keerai (drumstick leaves) - 2 handfull
• Thoor dhal - 1/4 cup
• Small onions - 10 to 12
• Chilli powder - 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Mustard - 1 tsp
• Urudh dhal - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Ghee - 1 tbsp
• Shredded coconut - 3 tbsp

Method:

Clean, pick and chop the plantain flower. Toss in a tbspoon of oil.
Pressure cook the thoor dhal.
Heat oil in a pan add mustard, urudh dhal, red chillies, when seasonings are done add the sliced onions followed by drumstick leaves and saute well.
Wash the plantain flower and add it to the pan.
Add the water in which the dhal was cooked, close the pan and cook till the leaves and flower turns soft.
Add chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt. Let it boil. Add the chilli powder and turmeric powder.
When the raw smell of the spice powder turns off andd the cooked dhal shredded coconut and ghee.
Turn off the stove and mix well.
Serve with rice or chapathi.

Plakkai Kootu

Ingredients:

• Plakkai - 250gm (1/2)
• Small onions - 10 to 12
• Thoor dhal - 1/4 cup
• Chilli powder - 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Shredded coconut - 2 tbsp
• Curry leaves - 2 strings
• Ghee - 1 tbsp
• Jeera - 2 tsp

Method:

Deskin and chop the plakkai into small pieces.
Peel and slice the onions.
In a pressure pan put together the chopped plakkai pieces, onions, thoor dhal, chilli powder, turmeric powder and 2 to 3 cups of water. Close the pan and cook for 3 to 4 whistles.
Open the cooker and check if it is well cooked and let it boil. Add salt and allow it to cook for some time.
Add the shredded coconut, curry leaves and ghee. Rub the jeera between palm and add to it.
Serve with hot rice.

Note: To add more taste 1/2 cup of milk could be added.

Plakkai urulai chops

Ingredients:

• Plakkai (unripe Jackfruit) - 250 gm
• Potato - 2
• Onion - 1
• Tomato - 1
• Garlic - 4 to 6 clove
• Chilli powder - 3 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 3 tbsp
• Mustard - 1/2 tsp
• Urudh dhal - 1/2 tsp
• Bay leaf - 1
• Asafoetida - 1/2 tspr
• Red chilli - 2
• Curry leaves - 1 string

To grind

• Coconut - 1/4 cup
• Aniseed - 2 tsp
• Kasa kasa - 2 tsp

Method:

Deskin the plakkai. Cut them into an inch thick triangles. Cut the pitato into 1" thick pieces.

Cook the plakkai pieces in little water and salt.

Chop the onions and tomato. Crush the garlic and remove the peel.

In a pan heat oil season with mustard, urudh dhal red chillies, bay leaf, asafoetida and curry leaves.  

Add the garlic, onion saute well. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook well. Now add chilli powder, turmeric powder.

Drain and add the plakkai pieces and potato pieces add 1/2 glass of water and salt. Pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles.

Open the pan and let it boil/cook till all water is absorbed and oil starts to separate.

Add the ground coconut paste. Cook well.

Can be served with rice.

Note: Health conscious people can reduce the quantity of oil. plakkai takes a little longer time to cook and hence have asked to boil for 10 min and then pressure cook. Also the stickiness will go woth that boiled water hence i have asked ti drain and discard the water. Apply oil in fingers and palms and the knife balde while cutting the plakkai to avoid stickiness.