PLANTAIN FLOWER KOOTTU..

 

RECIPE:

Ingr:

Plantain flower           1         
Moong dal                   1/2 cup
Tomatoes                    2
Onion                           1
Garlic                           3 cloves 
Gr chillies                    7 - 8
Turmeric                     1/2 tsp
Fennel seeds              2 tsp
Cumin                         1/2 tsp
Curry leaves              1 sprig
Coriander leaves       1 sprig
Mustard                       1/2 tsp
Urad dal                       1/2 tsp
Hing                             a pinch
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Peel, clean, wash and chop the flowerets.
2. Immerse them in buttemilk/water to avoid browning.
3. Soak daal for 20 mts.
4. Chop onion, tomatoes and slit gr chillies.
5. In a cooker place all the ingredients except cumin, hing, mustard and urad dal; 
6. Add 2 cups of hot water and pressure cook till the 1st whistle.
7. Reduce the flame and simmer for 5 mts.
8. Remove from fire and let it cool.
9. Prepare the tempering with mustard, urad dal, hing,cumin and curry leaves.
10. Open the cooker, mix the kootu well .
11. Temper the dish with hing, cumin,mustard seeds, urad dal.
12. Sprinkle with chopped coriander leaves. 
13. Serve hot with rice, roti, puri etc.

Note:
Peeling the plantain flower petals and chopping them is a meticulous job and can take some time but the health benefits of this flower are too many to give it a miss; trying it once in a while is very beneficial.

How to clean the flower:

1. Keep a bowl of buttermilk or plain water besides.
2. Take a little oil to grease your fingers now and then.
3. Open the petal one by one and you will get a bunch of flowerets embedded.
4. Remove the flowerets and hold them in your left hand in the same order.
5. Brush the tops a bit to open up and you will see stiff pistils jutting out.
6. Remove each pistil alongwith a small cap attached to it and repeat the same for all.
7. These pistils and the small white caps are too bitter and hard to cook so be very careful.
8. When all the flowerets have been treated, a tiny bulb will remain in the end which can be chopped and used.
9. Chop these flowerets and immerse in buttermilk or plain water to avoid browning.
10. Now they can be used to make curry, koottu, vada with urad dal or channa dal etc.