Plantains or ‘bananas that can be cooked’ as opposed to sweeter or ripe bananas which are consumed as desserts, are a staple food in the tropical regions of the world, ranking as the tenth most important staple food worldwide. Banana Curry, thus, is treated much the same way as potatoes because they have a similar neutral flavour and texture when the unripe fruit is cooked by steaming, boiling or frying. Banana Curry is a favourite dish in Southern Indian cuisine and is eaten year-round.
Since bananas fruit all year round, plantains are a reliable, all-season staple food, particularly in developing countries with inadequate food storage, preservation and transportation facilities. In Africa, plantains and bananas provide more than 25 per cent of the caloric requirements for over 70 million people. Plantain plantations are vulnerable to destruction by hurricanes because Musa does not withstand high winds well.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 25-30 minutes
Servings: 3
Ingredients For Banana Curry
- 200 gm raw banana (Peeled and chopped )
- 8 to 10 garlic cloves
- 4 to 5 green chilis (whole)
- 1 inch ginger
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- Salt to taste
- 2 to 3 tbsp mustard oil
- 1.5 tsp cumin Seeds
- ¼ tsp to carom Seeds
- 4 medium onions (Grated)
- 1/2 cup tomato (Puree)
- 1 tsp ground Red Chilli
- 11/2 tsp ground Kashmiri red chilli
- 2 cups plain yoghurt
- 3 tsp fenugreek leaves (Dried)
- 1-2 tsp garam masala
- 3 tbsp coriander leaves
Method Banana Curry
- In a mixie, pour in garlic cloves, ginger, green chilies, and mustard seeds
- Blend all ingredients to make a fine paste
- Once done set aside
- In a mixing bowl, add banana pieces, turmeric powder, coriander powder, salt, and mustard oil
- Mix well to incorporate all the ingredients
- Add about 1 tsp of previously prepared paste
- Mix well
- Fry the coated banana pieces
- Fry until brown, this process will take about 4 to 5 minutes
- Once done set aside
- In a pan, heat oil
- Add cumin seeds, carom seeds, and onion
- Saute for 3 minutes
- Add tomato puree
- Saute until oil separates from the mixture
- Add the masala that was prepared previously
- Mix it well
- Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, and Kashmiri red chilli powder
- Mix well until all the ingredients are mixed well
- Pour in 1 cup of plain yoghurt
- Stir continuously until oil separates from the mixture
- Add fried bananas and combine all the ingredients
- Add salt, mix well, add then add 1 cup of water
- Cover and cook for 1 minute
- Once done add dried fenugreek leaves, garam masala, and coriander greens
- Mix well
- Once done, turn off the heat
An average plantain provides about 920 kilojoules or 220 kilocalories of food energy and is a good source of potassium and dietary fibre. The sap from the fruit peel, as well as the entire plant, can stain clothing and hands and can be difficult to remove.