We always try to expose our kids to every type of cuisine possible. The most hardest to find is Authentic Indian food while you live away from India. But when get an opportunity or find an Indian vegetable/item, we make dishes that we grew up on to show the millions of dishes India is made of! One such thing is Vazhaipoo aka Banana flower! It's pretty common to make dishes with it down south and Kootu is one of the ways to enjoy this delicious flower.. that too Instant-pot way !
Ingredients
1 Vazhaipoo (Banana Flower)
3/4 cup moong dal (Lentils)
2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder (optional)
1-2 green chillies, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 tbsp split urid dal
2 tbsp curry leaves
2 tbsp fresh grated coconut
2 tsp oil
~ 2 cups buttermilk
salt to taste
Instructions
Remove the Vazhaipoo purplish petals to expose the yellowish florets. (Keep one for presentation 😊)
Apply some oil on your hands and start removing the yellowish florets. With delicate press on florets, fluff the flower and expose the hard blackish bulb. Peel that bull off. It's considered hard to digest so we remove and dispose it. Repeat till you have all florets out.
Chop the florets and soak them in butter milk to keep them from turning black
In 6 quart Instant Pot, select “Saute/More” mode with cook time of 8 mins.
Add oil and when hot add urid dal, mustard seeds, green chilies, onions and curry leaves.
Cook for for 1-2 minutes or till urid dal and onions turn golden brown.
Drain buttermilk from banana flower florets and stir them in. Add turmeric powder, salt and cook for 1-2 mins.
Add moong dal, 3 cups of water, salt taste, and mix well.
Cancel Sauté mode and select “Pressure Cook/High” mode with cook time of 6 minutes.
Once done, release pressure naturally (NPR) . Select "Sauté/more" for 3 mins and adjust Kootu consistency as preferred. Add some freshly grated coconut and cook for 1-2 mins.
Turn off Sauté and serve Vazhaipoo Kootu hot with rice/quinoa !
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