Corn Capsicum Chat

1. Corn capsicum chat
   This is very simple and tasty recipe to savour especially during monsoon days.Serve corn chat as an evening snack for kids or as a starter. It’s juicy, crunchy,mildly spiced with crushed black  pepper corns and sautéed with chat masala. Here I present awesome and delicious Corn capsicum chat to rejuvenate our senses. Njoy Cooking,Serving n Savoring!
2. Ingredients
3. Sweet corn : 2 cups( Fresh/frozen)Capsicum: 1 no.

   Onion: 1 big

   Tomato: 1 big

   Coriander leaves: 1 small bunch

   Salt: as required

   Oil: 1 tsp

   Black pepper corns: 1 tsp

   Chat masala: 1 tsp

   Lemon: 1 big no. or 2 tbsp juice

   Method of preparation:

   1. Take 2 cups of sweet corn, rinse under running water  thoroughly.

   2. Pressure cook sweet corn for 2 whistles or boil in water for 15 minutes approximately.Strain the exceess water using colander or strainer.

   3. Chop onion, capsicum and tomato into fine pieces.

   4. Crush the black pepper corns in a mortar pestle or you can add black pepper powder.

   5.  Heat a Kadai pour 1 tsp of oil put crushed pepper,chopped onion, capsicum,chopped tomato and corn kernels. Sauté them just for a minute adding required amount of salt.

   6.  Allow it to cool down. Add 2 tbsp of lemon juice. Garnish with coriander leaves.Now the colourful corn capsicum chat is ready to serve. Refrigerate for 30 minutes and can be served later.

   Tip:

   Here in this recipe I just added chat masala and black pepper.You can add your favourite spices, veggies and herbs too.

Arati Puvvu Koora/Banana Flower Curry

Arati puvvu koora/banana flower curry

Banana flower, which is maroon in colour blossoms to the banana plant . It hangs to the cluster of bananas. Actually the small flowers inside it ,will turn into bananas. Almost in all small  villages and few towns we could see banana plant in houses at their backyards.According to vasthu sastra there are few interpretations in which direction the banana clusters are formed.

Banana flower is considered to be superfood for women. Because apart from all its health benefits especially banana flower is used for menstrual disorders like excessive bleeding, cramps during menstruation.Banana flower is slightly bitter in taste.But with its enormous health benefits one can be easily habituated. The cleaning process is little lengthy and tedious.But the cooking part is very simple.When we were young children we used to do this with mom. We can make curry, Pappu(dal) or even Vadas with banana flower.Here I present simple Arati puvvu koora(banana flower curry) with toor dal.Njoy Cooking,Serving n  Savoring!

Ingredients:

Arati puvvu(Banana flower): 1 no.

Toor dal: 1 tbsp

Salt: As required

Red chilli powder: 1 tsp

Turmeric: A pinch

Tempering:

Oil: 1.5 tbsp

Mustard seeds: 1 tsp

Chana dal: 1 tsp

Urad dal: 1 tsp

Cumin seeds: 1 tsp

Hing: a pinch

Red chillies: 1/2 nos.

curry leaves: few

Method of preparation:

1. In the preparation first comes cleaning process. As I mentioned above in the description the cleaning part is time consuming.But it’s worth to include in our meal with its advantages.

2. Banana flower has got several maroon coloured layers, below which it has got small florets.

3. The individual floret has thin stem called Donga ( thief) and small transparent petal like part thodu bothu( helper). We have to discard them in each floret.

4. After removing them from each floret we can use them immediately or save in zip lock pouch and refrigerate them. But should be cooked in next 24 hours for better results.

5. I always prepare the dish immediately once the cleaning part is done.

6. Keep the florets in water adding salt and turmeric to avoid decolorisation.

7. Take a mixer grinder, put the florets and grind to a coarse paste adding little water.

8. Take handful of the grounded paste and squeeze between Palm n fingers to discard bitterness present in flowers.

9. After pressing keep it in bowl with water. Otherwise colour will change to dark brown colour.

10. Again put them in mixer grinder and grind them again.

11.  Now repeat the step 8 again.

12. Once the cleaning process is finished its ready to be cooked.

13. Take a pressure cooker place the processed banana flower onto a plate and spread 1 tbsp of toor dal onto it.Add required amount of salt and a pinch of turmeric.

14. Steam boil for 5/6 whistles along with rice.

15. Once the pressure cools down remove the lid and keep it outside.

16. Heat  a Kadai pour 1 tbsp oil , add mustard seeds when splutters put Chana dal, urad dal and cumin seeds.

17. Add a pinch of hing, red chillies and few curry leaves. Fry for a minute.

18. Now add the steam boiled Arati puvvu( banana flower) and fry on low flame for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.

19. Already salt is added before keeping in pressure cooker. Check for the salt and if required add little amount of salt and red chilli powder too.

20. Fry for few minutes and transfer into a serving bowl and can be served hot with steamed rice or can be consumed like salad.

Tip:

1. After cleaning the banana flower the small piece(almost 2 inch in size) is left which is very difficult to separate stems n petals from the small florets.Actually this can be consumed directly which flushes the toxins present in our body.Below is the picture of the leftover part of banana flower.
2. The maroonish banana petals are used like( banana) leaves to serve food instead of trashing them.