Vazhakkai Milagu Kootu Recipe - Plantains Pepper Curry

Vazhakkai Milagu Kootu is a delicious way of cooking plantains or raw banana stem in this delicious sharp and spicy pepper based curry. Serve it along with some steamed rice, and rasam for a simple comforting meal.

Vazhakkai Milagu Kootu is a delicious recipe of plantain stem,cooked in a curry made from freshly roasted masala, that adds great flavours to the curry.

Kootu are essentially a part of the elaborate South Indian meal platter, where the vegetables are cooked with or without lentils in a coconut based masala. 

Serve this Vazhakkai Milagu Kootu, along with Steamed Rice and Jeera Rasam for a simple meal for a weekday lunch.

Cuisine: South Indian Recipes

Course: Lunch

Diet: Vegetarian

Equipments Used: Kadai (Wok) / Heavy Bottomed Pan

Prep in

5 M

Cooks in

15 M

Total in

20 M

Makes:

4 Servings

Ingredients

• 2 Plantain Stem , cut into cubes
• 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon Urad dal
• 1 Dry red chilli
• Salt , to taste
• 2 teaspoon Cooking oil
Ingredients for the pepper masala
• 3 tablespoons Fresh coconut , grated
• 2 teaspoons Chana dal (Bengal Gram Dal)
• 2 teaspoons Whole Black Peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon Cumin (Jeera) seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon Asafoetida (hing)
• 1 Dry red chilli
• 1 teaspoon Cooking oil

How to make Vazhakkai Milagu Kootu Recipe - Plantains Pepper Curry

1. To begin making the Vazhakkai Milagu Kootu , make cuts on the layer of banana stem and then discard the outer covering. Slice the banana stem and as you do, you will find the fibre coming out every time you slice into stem, keep taking them out while proceeding. Once sliced, take each slice and chop them to about 1 cm pieces and then keep it immersed in a bowl of water until further use to avoid discolouration.
2. To make the pepper masala, heat oil in a small tadka pan, add the chana dal, pepper corns, asafoetida, red chilli and roast till the dal becomes golden brown.
3. Add this to the mixer jar, add the grated coconut, cumin seeds and make a smooth paste adding little water at a time. Keep aside.
4. Drain the cut plantains from water and add it to a saucepan, add a cup of water, season with salt and cook until soft. This will take around 10 minutes.
5. To this add the prepared pepper masala, mix well and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Now, make a tadka by heating oil in a small todka pan, add the mustard seeds, urad dal, red chilli, curry leaves.
7. Once it splutters, add this to the simmering Vazhakkai Milagu Kootu, mix well and switch off the heat and serve hot. 
8. Serve this Vazhakkai Milagu Kootu, along with Steamed Rice and Jeera Rasam for a simple meal for a weekday lunch.