Balekayi palya | Raw banana curry
By Leena Hegde, Puttanamane
Balekayi is unripe or raw banana. This banana curry is a simple side dish served with plain rice and tastes fantastic. Boiled and grated raw bananas are stir fried with tempered spices and aromatics like curry leaves and green chilli. In this recipe I have used sanna menasu or tiny green chilli which makes this curry tastier. You can use any green chilli that is available.
Any kind of raw banana can be used to make this curry. Taste will slightly vary with the banana variety. This delicious and simple to make dry curry can be eaten as is as a side or can be mixed with plain rice.
Sanna menasu
Sanna menasu is a small / tiny green chilli aka bird’s eye chilli. This chilli is widely used in havyaka cuisines. Usually this tiny chilli is found locally in the wild and areca nut gardens, and is not formally cultivated.
There is a similar looking another variety in this small green chilli family, which characteristically point upwards. We call this as melmukada menasu which literally mean upward face chilli. This is more hot / spicy than sanna menasu. But sanna menasu is tastier than melmukada menasu.
Prep time
35 mins
Cook time
-
Cool off time
-
Total time
35 mins
Course
Curry
Diet
Vegan, Vegetarian
Difficulty level
Easy
Servings
200 g
Ingredients
-
250 g raw banana
- 10 curry leaves
- 1 green chilli
- ½ lemon or 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon bengal gram (kadle bele / chana dal)
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeerige / jeera)
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 generous pinch turmeric powder
- ½ tablespoon oil
- Salt as required
- Water as required
Cookware / Utensils
-
Pan
- Bowl(s)
- Spoon
- Grater
Instructions
Instructions
How to make raw banana curry
- Wash bananas well in water.
- Take them in a pan, add enough water, and boil them on medium to high flame.
- Cook the bananas well, but it should not become soggy.
- Switch off the heat and take out the bananas and keep aside. Let them cool.
- Once cooled or hot enough to touch, peel the bananas.
- Grate them, cover and keep aside.
- Rinse coriander leaves, and green chilli. Chop them and keep aside.
- Heat ½ tablespoon of oil in a thick pan on low heat.
- Add ½ teaspoon bengal gram. Let them get fried for a few seconds.
- Then add cumin seeds, and mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle.
- Add a generous pinch turmeric powder.
- Now add chopped green chilli and coriander leaves. Mix well.
- Add the grated bananas. Mix well.
- Add salt as required. Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Mix well, and switch off the heat.
- Serve with plain rice as a side dish.
Step by step guide
How to make raw banana curry
1. Wash bananas well in water.
2. Take them in a pan, add enough water, and boil them on medium to high flame.
3. Cook the bananas well, but it should not become soggy. Switch off the heat and take out the bananas and keep aside. Let them cool.
4. Once cooled or hot enough to touch, peel the bananas.
5. Grate them. Cover, and keep aside.
6. Rinse coriander leaves, and green chilli. Chop them and keep aside.
7. Heat ½ tablespoon of oil in a thick pan on low heat.
8. Add ½ teaspoon bengal gram. Let them get fried for a few seconds.
9. Then add cumin seeds, and mustard seeds. Let the mustard seeds crackle.
10. Add a generous pinch turmeric powder.
11. Now add chopped green chilli and coriander leaves. Mix well.
12. Add the grated bananas. Mix well.
13. Add salt as required. Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Mix well, and switch off the heat.
14. Serve with plain rice as side dish.
Notes
-
Cook the bananas really well. However, cooked bananas should be firm enough to grate them.
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Tove or Tovve | Dal
Shunthi tambli | Ginger tambli
Hirekaayi tambli | Ridge gourd tambli
Shiya appehuli | Sweet appehuli
Mavinakaayi marige bajji | Mango raita
Kittale sippe gojju | Orange peel relish
Hasi appehuli | Raw mango appehuli
Balekayi palya | Raw banana curry
Mavina hannina sasime | Mango sasime
Haagal kaayi hulimelara | Bitter gourd curry
Batate or Aloo hashi | Potato raita
Haagalkaayi hashi | Bitter gourd raita
Dappa appehuli | Raw mango gravy
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