Vazhapindi Cherupayar Curry / Banana Stem - Green Gram Curry

Ingredients:

1/2 cup green gram / cherupayar

2 1/2 cup vazhapindi / / banana stem, finely chopped

1 cup grated coconut

8 shallots

5 green chillies

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/4 tsp kashmiri chilli powder

1/2 tsp + 1/4 tsp turmeric powder

3 garlic cloves

2 sprig curry leaves

salt to taste

3 dry red chillies

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tbsp coconut oil

Preparation:

1. Soak cherupayar / green gram in water for 3 hours.
2. Cut the banana stem into thin rounds and pull the fibre from the edges using fingers and remove them. Then chop into fine pieces and soak them in water till you use.
3. Grind together grated coconut, 1 shallot, 1 green chilli, cumin seeds, kashmiri chilli powder, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, garlic and 2-3 curry leaves to a paste adding little water and keep it aside.
4. In a pressure cooker, add green gram, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, salt and enough water and cook for 1 whistle. Drain the green gram from the cooker and keep it aside.
5. In the cooker with same water used for cooking green gram, add drained banana stem, 4 sliced shallots, 4 green chillies, 1 sprig curry leaves and water if required and cook for 2 whistles.
6. Add cooked green gram into this and mix well. When it boils, add the ground coconut paste and mix well and cook for few minutes over low-medium flame until the raw taste is gone.
7. Adjust the salt and switch off the flame.
8. Heat coconut oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add 3 sliced shallots, dry red chillies and curry leaves and fry.
9. Pour this over the curry and mix well and serve hot with rice…