Vazhapoo Thoran

Vazhapoo / Vazhai poo / Plantain flower  is good source of fibre, helps control heavy bleeding during menstural cycle. It is rich in iron content and antioxidants. Believed to be good for diabetics.

This wonder flower can be taken in various forms. As a dry curry or can be cooked and added to the lentil pancake called 'adai', mixed with vadai batter and made as vazhapoo vada etc.

Now I am sharing with you the dry curry recipe called 'vazhapoo thoran' using a combo of tuvar dal and is served as a side dish in dry form.

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How to seclect a flower : If you open the petal, the bunch inside should be fresh i.e. it should not be dull or dark in colour.

How to clean the flower : Cleaning the flower may sound tedious but it is not so. It may also stain your palm. But you can remove those stain by following tips given below :

1. rub oil in your palm and clean the flower (or)
2. after cleaning put some tablesalt and gently scrub it with the regular vessel scrubber sponge (or)
3. Keep washing your palms & fingers in between. That's all

The outcome after a hard labour will always be very good. So is this dish.

Now roll up your sleeves and let us get into cleaning the flower :-)

Open the pink petals and take out the bunch of florets. Remove the florets till it become too much brittle to remove. (about 7-8 layers will come intact)

Take the bunch and rub it over your palm. The florets will be open now. Inside each floret you will see the black stamen. Hold the staemen (black in colour) and remove it. It is difficult to digest hence it need to be removed. The petal, if not tender also need to be removed. (shown in the picture below)

cleaned florets

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Ingredients :-

1. Plantain flower - 1 No.
2. Toor dal - 1/4 cup
3. Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
4. Salt to taste
5. Grated coconut - 4 tbsp
6. Green chilli - 2 Nos. 
7. Coconut oil - 2 tbsp
8. Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
9. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
10. Urad dal - 1 tsp 

Procedure :-

• Boil toor dal adding a pinch of turmeric powder, till it is done. The dal should not turn mushy but only to be cooked till it become soft. Drain and keep aside. (the water can be used in rasam making or to cook any gravy / sambar)

•  Finely chop the cleaned plantain florets.

• Heat a wok, add oil.  Now throw some mustard seeds into it. When it starts spluttering, add a pinch of asfoetida powder.

• Add the chopped florets, turmeric powder, salt. Mix well. Add a tsp of water to it. Now place a deep dish (thali) over it. Pour some water into the thali. This will help the florets to cook without much water and prevent it from sticking.

• Keep stirring in between, lifting the plate.

• In a mixer, add the grated coconut, Green chilli and grind it dry (no water need to be added)

• When the flower is cooked well, add the  cooked & drained toor dal, ground dry masala. Mix well for two minutes. Remove from fire.

• Heat a tsp of oil in a small pan, add a tsp of urad dal and fry till it turns golden brown in colour.

• Add this to the prepared plantain flower, mix well. The crisp dal will make the preparation even more interesting.
• Serve as a side dish to sambar rice / curd rice / morkootan (morkozhambu) rice or just mix with the plain cooked white rice and have.

With tuvar dal (toor dal / arhar dal) it tastes even more yummy and makes it a good combo with rice.