Vazakkai vada (raw banana vada) Recipe

Raw banana is called vazakkai in tamil and this recipe is an old and almost forgotten one which used to be made in the beautiful city of ooty. An octogenarian who ran a small tea and snack stall gave me this information while i was sipping a hot cup of the most delicious tasting orange pekoe variety freshly sourced from the lush tea gardens. She told me that as bananas did not grow in the cold climate, they were sourced from the city of coimbatore-the nearest tamil nadu banana growing region as early as the 1950s-70s. They were carefully preserved-the ripe ones in jaggery syrup and the raw ones were boiled, mashed and refrigerated. I fell in love with this vada at the first bite-it was piping hot from the frying pan, crispy on the outside and soft and flavourful with a whole burst of flavors in the mouth. This vada is so easy and delicious.