Guests staying at home definitely mean quick snacks since everybody is tired from the shopping, small local trips,talking endlessly etc.One of the many quick snacks I misunderstood, is the simple delicious boiled ripe plantains
I never understood why people boiled an already ripe plantain. The very few times I tasted them, I never liked them any better than having a ripe plantain (I think, they were not done right). But my husband loves it! He would buy plantains from the shop and would ask me to boil it. I would roll my eyes and ask him to eat it just plain. He wouldn't and I ended up eating them plain.
So, I had to 'learn' to boil them. And now I just love it. I think this is a very typical Kerala preparation. I am now a little scared to write traditional Kerala preparation, since these blogging days, I am amused to find so many 'traditional ' recipes done the same way in lot of other places too :)
Plantain is rich in fiber and potassium than her other banana cousins. Plantain is Nenthrakka in Malayalam.
Recipe for Pazham puzhungiyathuRipe Plantain - There are certain things you should keep in mind when you choose to boil them. The skin should be yellow in color and no black spots (means it is getting over-ripe). It should be firm and not soft to touch. Buy semi-ripe plantains and as soon as they turn a complete yellow, you can boil them.
Cut off the two ends and cut into two inch round pieces. Steam them in a steamer basket for 10 minutes or until the yellow skin turns to dark. When steamed, plantains become more digestible (excellent for kids) and the sweetness is enhanced to higher proportions. The plantains we get here at my place, almost tastes like honey when boiled or steamed.If the plantains are a little on the unripe side, they will turn hard when boiling or steaming. So make sure they are ripe but firm.
It can be served as a quick evening snack with tea, or as breakfast with puttu. Some sprinkle grated coconut on them. This is my entry for Meena's Picnic
1 comment:
19 Comments:
At 31/5/06 9:42 PM, RP said...
Mmmmm........my favorite! But you know what, I steam them whole(sometimes cut in half). Once they are done, I peel them and make slices. Haven't heard about serving it with coconut. It is yummy as is, but sometimes we spread ghee on it while it is very hot, and maybe a little sugar if the plantain is not very sweet kind.
At 31/5/06 10:31 PM, starry nights said...
I like plantains steamed also ,one of my favourites.
At 31/5/06 10:55 PM, Immigrant in Canada said...
I like it with a butter and sugar!.. I split hot pazham puzhungi and place a small( ok la not so small piece..) of butter and some sugar..hmmm.heavenly
At 1/6/06 7:37 AM, KeralaGirl said...
Oh good old memories....back home we have this often, but whole plantains steamed and make a cut in the center fill it with ghee and sugar yummyyyyy....also coconut at times...:-)
At 1/6/06 12:06 PM, archanat said...
This used to be my favorite breakfast for years !!!!! My mother use to make a long cut on the skin, and steam it. I used to dust it with little bit of sugar if it was not sweet enough. God, that was yummy, and i used to negelect any other main dish it was accompanying. You are awesome LG
Archana
At 1/6/06 1:08 PM, Vineela said...
HI LG,
New recipe.
Hope to try it one day.
Vineela
At 1/6/06 4:54 PM, Shankari said...
my mom used to make a long slit with the skin on in nenthram pazham and stuff it with fresh grated coconut and jaggery. She used to tie it with a thread and steam.....yummmmmmmmm
At 2/6/06 3:04 AM, indianadoc said...
Your post has triggered a lot of fond memories of yesterdays...the brunch that my mom packed during my school days..a boiled plantain cut into pieces smeared with ghee and sugar..and a boiled egg!!...It also reminds me of all those wonderful Malabar recipes that my mom used to do for evening snack with boiled plantain....I think I should post some of them...
At 2/6/06 8:01 AM, indosungod said...
LG, our Indian store here was owned by a Keralite and we used to get Nenthram Pazham regularly now the ownership has changed hands and no plantains, have to find them ...
At 2/6/06 10:54 AM, ann said...
Hmmm... these plantains look very yummy...unfortunately we dont get this stuff in the place where we live... I never used like boiled plaintains as we used to have it very regularly at home back in kerala. But as i moved out, i started missing these kind of traditional food. It creates a nostalgia. I liked it better with pachamulaku/kanthari pottichathu (A chutney made by coarsly grinding some green chillies shallots and salt and mixing it with a spoon of coconut oil). Try it next time you make it..The sweet,hot combination is really tasty..
At 2/6/06 3:26 PM, Nabeela said...
Thank you for adding me to your blogroll!! I feel so honored.
If only i was good with programming, i'd add my links of fav food-blogs too
At 2/6/06 3:38 PM, darshini said...
YummmmmAY !! I happen to be a Mallu too ... and mmmmmMM.... pazham puzhingyathu for morning b'fast !! HOT ....slit open...remove the seeds...spread sum cold amul butter ...so it melts in there....and finally a lil bit of sugar...to get the crunchy effect in the mouth ! and yummmmm ! cut it up... n jus dont even think of leaving one bit of it !! lip smaking !!
At 2/6/06 10:29 PM, Evil Jonny said...
Interesting idea! I'll have to try it.
At 4/6/06 4:46 PM, Priya Balabhaskaran said...
Hi LG, After coming to the US, I just forgot this recipe:) Back in India, we used to have this quite often as evening snack and for breakfast. I love nethrakka when it steamed and served. We don't add coconut, that is new to me. We have a Indian store which has more on kearla foods and gorceries. Will try soon:) Thanks for sharing this recipe:)
At 5/6/06 1:32 AM, ദേവരാഗം said...
bachelors' /lazy hubby's short cut
1. buy bananas
2. snip off the useless stuff at both ends & make a long threading on the skin with a knife.
3. place them (max 3 at a time) on the platter
4. set wattage around 360 & timing to 3 minutes (little more if load is more)
5. Let them cool a little bit, but not completely.
subham!!
At 5/6/06 4:31 AM, Sumitha Shibu said...
I never liked eating pazham puzhungiyathu back in India,loved it when fried.But now.......I havent seen the ripe plantains even once in any Indian shops here!
At 5/6/06 3:17 PM, renuramanath said...
wow LG ! great post. so, come out with all our fav food items and the show the world that eating doesn't begin and end with pasta and pizza.
ghee, sugar, even jaggery - all go nicely with pazham nurukku (as we proud thrissurians call it). or, try with pappadam. crisp, yellow, nadan pappadam, mashed into the pazham nurukku.... !
At 7/6/06 9:24 PM, L G said...
thank you all for posting your favourite combinations with this nostalgic recipe.
At 16/6/06 8:17 AM, yum said...
This is great LG! My new favourite snack.
Healthy, Easy, Tasty :)
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