Paruppu Usili-Vazhaipoo Paruppu Usili Recipe

Paruppu Usili is a Traditional South Indian (tamil) curry/side dish prepared with lentils and vegetables. Usually paruppu usili is made with vegetables like cabbage, banana flower (vazhaipoo), french beans and cluster beans. This is very popular among tamil brahmins. I have prepared it in typical Iyer style. Since usili has lentils in it, when ever I prepare paruppu usili , I avoid preparing sambar, instead I prepare mor kuzhambu or vatha kuzhambu.Today let us learn how to make paruppu usili using this easy paruppu usili (iyer) recipe

How to prepare Vazhaipoo Paruppu Usili (plantain/banana flower)

Ingredients needed

Plantain flower – 1 medium size

Tur dal – 1/3 cup
Bengal gram / channa dal -1/4 cup
Red chilli -2
Green chilli -2
Turmeric powder – a pinch
Hing/Asafoetida – a generous pinch
Salt as required

For the seasoning

Oil – 2 tsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – few

Preparation

Wash and soak bengal gram (kadalai paruppu) and tur dal for 2 hours. Grind it along with green chilli, red chilli, salt and hing coarsely without adding water. Keep it aside.

Clean plantain flower and chop it finely. Keep it in diluted buttermilk till use. Refer the link below

How to clean Plantain flower?

Method

Pressure cook banana flower (vazhaipoo) with needed salt and turmeric powder for 2 whistles. Drain the water and keep it aside. See picture below-

Cooked vazhaipoo
Steam the ground dal in a greased idly pan or steamer. When dal is cooked, allow it to cool. Then blend it in a mixie just for a few seconds. (use the ordinary blade but use the whipper button)

You can crumble the dal with your hands also but using the blender gives you uniform particles.



Steamed and crumbled dal

Now the dal and the vegetables are cooked and kept ready.

1.Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add curry leaves and the crumbled dal. Fry for a few minutes.

2.Then add plantain flower and fry both together for a few minutes. Check for salt.

Serve as a side dish with steamed  rice paired with any kuzhambu varieties.

Variations– Instead of plantain flower, you can use cabbage, french beans or cluster beans.

More Paruppu usili recipes

Cluster beans paruppu usili (Kothavarangai)

Meet you all again with another interesting recipe, till then it is bye from Padhu of Padhuskitchen.com

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