I try to include vazhaithandu recipes in my cooking at least once in a month as it has lots of health benefits. Whenever I go to Salem, my FIL buys me banana stem and banana flower because finding these vegetables in my place is very rare. Mostly I make Vazhaithandu juice ( Salt version) Or valaithandu thayir pachadi and sometimes poriyal or thogayal. I haven’t tried any gravies/ kulambu or kootu with it. So this time, I wanted to try some kuzhambu with banana stem. I got the recipe from HERE. I made some changes and tried it. It tasted good when mixed with plain rice adding ghee. Banana stem is a bland vegetable. It doesn’t absorb any flavor or taste within it. So in this gravy, the masala gives the taste more than the vegetable. Original recipe called for using black chana along with banana stem. But I had used only vazhaithandu as I wanted to consume more quantity of this vegetable.If you are looking for some different vazhaithandu recipe, try this one. You may like it . Lets see how to make banana stem gravy for rice with step by step pictures !
Banana stem gravy / Vazhaithandu Kuzhambu
How to make vazhaithandu kuzhambu/ Banana stem gravy for rice
Soak tamarind in little water. Grind all the ingredients given under “To grind” adding tamarind to a smooth paste. Set aside.
Wash and chop raw banana stem into small pieces. Keep them immersed in water or buttermilk till use to avoid discoloration. In a pressure cooker base, heat oil and splutter mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds, hing and curry leaves.
Add the ground paste, 1/4 cup water and saute for a minute. Add 1 tsp sambar powder. Mix well. Squeeze the banana stem and add it to the cooker. Add 1 cup of water, required salt and mix well.
Pressure cook in low flame for 2 whistles. Open the cooker after the steam is released. Mix well and check for taste. Add more salt if needed and more water if the gravy is too thick. Mix well and serve with plain rice adding ghee. Tastes the best when mixed with rice & ghee. Ghee helps to enhance the flavor of this gravy.Do add it !
Enjoy !
Note
Sambar powder is not mentioned in the original recipe.But I used it.
Adjust the consistency of the gravy as you like. I made it semi thick.
This gravy thickens as it cools down. So add more water whenever needed.
Try this healthy vazhaithandu gravy for a change. You may love it !
In this post, I have shared how to make instant raw mango pickle recipe in 3 different ways from 3 different states. Yes, Its Andhra style mamidikaya menthi pachadi, Kerala style Nadan mango achar and Tamil nadu style mangai oorugai. Instant raw Mango pickle is a must to do recipe during mango season.It is our family favorite. I have already posted 2 recipes for instant mango pickle which is my mom’s version.
This time just for a change, I wanted to try 3 different styles of making South Indian mango pickle from various cuisines. I followed my mil’s method for Tamil nadu style, referred Sailu’s food for Andhra style & Mia kitchen for Kerala style recipe. All the 3 came out very well & finger licking good. Yesterday I relished a plateful of curd rice with these 3 pickles.
Preparation time, cooking time & Ingredients of this pickle are almost the same. But the method of making has slight variations.Each recipe has its own touch and style. Tamil nadu style raw mango pickle needs less ingredients when compared with Andhra & Kerala. It can be consumed immediately too. Of course I tasted Andhra & Kerala mango pickles immediately after making. Even though they tasted good, I felt they need a setting time of at least one day to know its best taste & flavor.
If you have one big raw mango in hand, you can prepare all these 3 pickle varieties in the next 10 minutes.Its that easy ! Soon I must try Karnataka & North Indian( Punjabi) style pickles too.Ok, lets see how to make Andhra, Kerala & Tamilnadu style Instant mango pickle/ raw mango pickle with step by step photos and a video !
Kashmiri Red chilli powder - 2 tsp ( Add more based on sourness of mango)
Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp
Crushed Garlic - 3 nos
Roasted methi powder - 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds powder - 1 tsp
Asafetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp
Sesame oil - 1.5 tbsp
Salt - as needed
Kerala style manga achar
Raw mango - 1/2 cup
Kashmiri Red chilli powder – 1/2 to 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp
Garlic cloves - 2 nos ( finely chopped)
Ginger - 1/4 tsp ( Finely chopped)
Roasted methi powder - 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds powder - 1 tsp
Asafetida/Hing - 1/8 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Vinegar - 1 tsp
Sesame oil / Gingely oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp
Salt - as needed
Tamil nadu style mangai oorugai
Raw mango - 1/2 cup
Kashmiri Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp
Asafetida/ hing - 1/8 tsp
Roasted methi seeds powder - 1/8 tsp
Salt - as needed
Sesame oil/ Gingely oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
HOW TO MAKE MANGO PICKLE - METHOD
PRE-PREPARATION : Wash and chop raw mango into small pieces. Pat dry in a towel. Make sure there is no moisture in mango pieces. Dry roast 1 tbsp methi seeds till golden brown & aromatic. Let it cool. Grind to a fine powder.Transfer to a bowl. Grind 1 tbsp mustard seeds to fine powder. Keep in a bowl. Wash and chop the raw mango finely.
ANDHRA MANGO PICKLE : In a wide bowl, take 1/2 cup chopped raw mango pieces.In Andhra style pickle, I saw few recipes in which the mango pieces were cut into bite sized pieces. But I chopped it finely. So cut the mango pieces as you wish.
Mix red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt, mustard seeds powder, methi seeds powder and mix well and keep aside. Heat sesame oil in a kadai and add hing. Mix well and switch off the flame. Let the oil cool down. Then add the oil to the spiced mango pieces. Mix well, cover it . You can enjoy with curd rice or mix with plain rice and eat immediately OR mix well and set aside for a day. The next day oil would float on top. Mix well and use it. Refrigerate the leftover pickle in an air tight box. Use clean spoon to handle. It stays good for a week.
KERALA MANGO PICKLE : Take the chopped mango pieces and add salt. Mix well and keep aside for 1 hour. This step is optional. I din’t do it. Heat sesame oil in a kadai. Splutter mustard seeds. Saute finely chopped ginger, garlic for a minute. Add curry leaves. Simmer the flame completely. Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder,mustard powder, methi powder and mix well without burning the spices. Switch off the flame immediately.Add the chopped mango pieces and vinegar. Mix well in the residual heat and check for taste. Add more salt & chilli powder if needed. Let it cool down completely. Remove in a bowl and enjoy with rice.Store in an airtight box, refrigerate it. Use clean spoon to handle. Stays good for a week.
TAMIL NADU STYLE MANGO PICKLE : Take the chopped raw mango pieces in a bowl.Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, methi seeds powder and salt. Mix well and set aside for 10 minutes.Check for taste and add more spice powders if needed. Heat oil in a kadai and splutter mustard seeds. Add this oil to the mango pickle. Mix well and serve immediately. Stays good for a week.
All these pickles stays good for one week if stored & handled properly.Refrigerate it till use. Use clean spoon to handle. Tastes the best with curd rice & Dal rice !Enjoy !
Note
Adjust the quantity of spice powders according to the sourness of raw mango.
In Andhra style pickle, I saw few recipes in which the mango pieces were cut big in size. But I chopped it finely. So cut the mango pieces as you wish.
These pickles can be prepared well in advance if making for parties or guests. The more setting time, the tastier it would be.
Color of the pickle looks bright red in color only if you use Kashmiri chilli powder.
Try this easy, yummy instant mango pickles at home and enjoy with curd rice !
Mango Pachadi / Manga pachadi in Tamil and Arisi paruppu Payasam/Rice moong dal payasam is a must & should neivedyam(Prashad) recipe for Tamil new year(Puthandu) in Tamil nadu. But people make it with their own variations. Some people make this sweet mango pachadi adding sugar. Some make it with ripe mango too. But we make it with raw mango adding jaggery, coconut paste and neem flower ( Veppam poo).
This pachadi has to be prepared with 6 different taste ( sweet, sour, spicy, tangy, bitter, salt) to denote that all the emotions of a person has to be treated equally. Tamil Brahmins make it almost the same way but without coconut. Basically I am a big fan of rawmango recipes. This mangai pachadi is even more special as I make it only once in a year and that too on Tamil new year day. I love this combination of sweet and spicy taste more than Sendhil & Raksha.
Today I have shared our style of making raw mango pachadi with step by step pictures and a video. I have also mentioned the points for variations. Do try it for this Tamil new year celebration and offer God ! Check out my Tamil new year lunch menupost for more neivedyam recipes we prepare on this day.
Mango Pachadi Recipe For Tamil New Year
South Indian Raw Mango sweet pachadi for Tamil new year
Grated jaggery - 1/3 to 1/2 cup ( Based on sourness of mango)
Green chilli - 1 no ( finely chopped)
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Water - As needed ( I used 2 cups)
Grated coconut - 1/4 cup ( Grind to paste)
Neem flower - 1 tsp ( use only for Tamil new year)
To Temper
Cooking oil - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli - 1 no
Curry leaves - Few
Hing/Asafetida - a pinch (optional)
HOW TO MAKE MANGO PACHADI - METHOD
Wash and peel the skin of raw mango. Slice it roughly into big pieces. Set aside. In a mixie jar, take the grated coconut and add required water. Grind to smooth paste. Keep aside.
In a kadai or deep bowl, add 2 cups of water and let it roll boil. Add the mango slices, finely chopped green chillies, salt and cover cook till it turns soft and cooked. ( If the mango is too sour, you may need to add more jaggery for this pachadi. To avoid this, drain the cooked water to remove sourness and then proceed if you wish) . My mango was not too sour. So I din’t drain the water.
After the mango is cooked well and soft, mash it roughly with a ladle. Add the grated jaggery ( If the jaggery has impurities, melt it by adding 1/4 cup water and filter it. Add jaggery syrup to the cooked mango).Add little water to melt the jaggery if needed. Mix well and boil till jaggery melts and raw smell goes off. Now add the coconut paste, mix well till it becomes semi solid in consistency. Switch off the flame and remove the kadai.
Heat a small kadai and dry roast the neem flower till it turns golden brown and crispy. Remove in a plate and crush it well. Heat oil in the same kadai and splutter mustard seeds, urad dal, red chill, hing and curry leaves. Add the seasoning and crushed neem flower to the mango pachadi. Mix well. Offer God and get his blessings !
Enjoy !
Note
Adjust the quantity of jaggery based on the sourness of raw mango.
If the jaggery has impurities, melt it by adding 1/4 cup water and filter it. Add jaggery syrup to the cooked mango.
You may have to add more jaggery if the mango is too sour. To avoid this, drain the excess cooked water and then add jaggery.
We add Neem flower only for Tamil new year otherwise it is not needed.
If you don’t get fresh Neem flower, you can use dried ones.
You can use yellow pumpkin or banana stem to make the same pachadi
Try this sweet mango pachadi for this new year and have a great celebration !
I have heard about this Andhra Raw Mango Dal (Pachi Mamidikaya pappu in Telugu) from my friends. It is nothing but toor dal cooked with raw mango and seasoned with spices. Basically I am a big fan of raw mango recipes. So every year I wait for the mango season to explore new recipes with raw mango and ripe mango as well. This year, I wanted to start my mango recipes with this super easy and quick Andhra style raw mango dal recipe. I got this recipe from my Telugu Brahmin friend Sandhya in my apartment. She taught me this no onion no garlic Andhra style mango pappu. After getting the recipe from her, I browsed & found many recipes with variations. But I blindly followed Sandhya’s recipe as this is my first try. It came out really well. Dal is known to be the best comfort food for rice. This mango dal with a mild tangy and spicy taste is no exception. Sendhil & myself enjoyed this dal by mixing with plain rice adding ghee! I am happy that I learnt an easy and delicious raw mango recipe. Thank u so much Sandhya . As Ugadi festival is fast approaching, most of you must be buying raw mangoes to make Ugadi pachadi. Do try this dal recipe too. You will love it. Ok, Now lets see how to make Andhra mango dal recipe with step by step photos. I will try to share a video recipe soon !
Dry roast 1 tbsp of methi seeds/Fenugreek seeds till it starts to splutter and turn light golden brown in color. Do not burn the seeds while roasting. Remove it when golden and let it cool. Powder it nicely. You can add 1/2 tsp of this powder in this mango dal. Store the remaining powder in a box and use it while making pickles, tamarind rice, vatha kuzhambu etc. My MIL adds a pinch of this powder while making filter coffee decoction. It lends a great flavor and mild bitterness to the coffee.
In a pressure cooker base, take the toor dal and add 2 cups of water. Cook in low flame for 2 whistles.In the mean time, wash and peel the skin of raw mango. ( For variations, you can add chopped mango amd slit green chillies along with toor dal in pressure cooker).
Chop into small pieces and set aside.Discard the seed. In a kadai, heat oil + ghee and splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, pinched red chillies, slit green chillies.Saute for few seconds. Add hing and roasted fenugreek seeds powder. Mix well and add the chopped raw mango pieces.
Saute the mango pieces for few minutes till it turns soft. Now add 1cup of water and add the required salt. Cover the kadai with a lid and cook for few minutes till mango pieces are completely cooked and mushy.Now take a masher and mash the mango pieces roughly.
Remove the cooked toor dal and mash it with a whisk.Add this dal to the cooked mango mixture. Mix well and add 1/2 cup of water if its too thick. Add turmeric powder, required salt and 1/4 tsp chilli powder ( optional). Mix well and boil the dal for few minutes. This dal thickens when it cools down.So adjust its consistency accordingly. Transfer the dal to a bowl and serve hot with rice. Add a tsp of ghee while serving. Tastes yum !!
Enjoy !
Note
Adding methi seeds powder gives a nice flavor to this dal.
I have added more turmeric powder.So mine looked more yellow in color. Please reduce it for mild color.
Try this easy mango recipe in this season and enjoy with rice & roti !
Elephant Yam ( Also known as Elephant foot yam in English, Senai kizhangu in Tamil, Chena in Malayalam, Suran/ Jimikand in Hindi) is a tuberous vegetable which has lots of amazing health benefits. It helps to reduce bad cholesterol, reduces hypertension, good for piles, controls diabetes, balances hormones, rich in anti oxidants etc. I am a big fan of yam chops/ Senai kizhangu roast that is made in dosa tawa. I have tried so many recipes but nothing was like the one I had in a marriage feast. I will share that recipe once I get it perfect. Today’s recipe is a very simple South Indian style Yam fry/ Poriyal recipe for rice that is usually made in my house. I learnt this recipe from my MIL. Generally Yam creates an itchiness in the tongue after eating. To avoid this, my MIL adds tamarind while cooking yam. It helps to reduce the itchy feeling to some extent.Last month I made this yam fry as a side dish for Instant more kuzhambu. It was a nice combo and tasted good. Do try this easy senai kizhangu fry at home and share your feedback with me. I am planning to try more yam recipes like varuval, masiyal, kuzhambu , roast etc.Stay tuned ! Now lets see how to make Elephant Yam Fry recipe with step by step pictures !
Yam fry recipe - Senai Kizhangu poriyal
How to make Yam Fry - Senai kizhangu poriyal for rice
Tamarind extract – 1/4 cup ( Soak gooseberry size tamarind)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
To Temper
Cooking oil - 2 tbsp
Big onion - 1 no ( Sliced)
Curry leaves - few
Hing/asafetida - 2 pinches
Grated coconut - 1/ 4 cup
METHOD
Cut the yam into big slices. Peel its skin and discard the skin.Chop the yam into small cubes or thin 1 inch strips as I did. I chopped it like this after tasting this poriyal in a hotel.
Soak small gooseberry size tamarind and take extract using 1/4 cup water. In a pressure cooker base, take the chopped yam, turmeric powder, salt and 1/4 cup thin tamarind extract. Mix well and pressure cook in high flame for just 2 whistles. Over cooking makes the yam mushy. Adding more water while cooking also makes it mushy. So take care while cooking. You can also cook the yam in a kadai or bowl instead.
Open the cooker after the steam is released. Mix well and drain the excess water if any. Heat oil in a kadai, splutter mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Saute onions till transparent.
Add the cooked yam pieces, sambar powder and mix well for few minutes. Mix well till raw smell goes off. Lastly garnish with grated coconut. Mix well and switch off the flame . Serve hot with sambar or more kuzhambu.Tastes yum !
Enjoy !
Note
For masala flavor, you can add 1/2 tsp of garam masala powder or fennel seeds powder along with sambar powder.
If you wish, you can use lemon juice after switching off the flame and skip tamarind. In that case, cook the yam pieces with plain water.
Yam cooks quickly.So pressure cook it only in high flame adding very less water for just 2 whistles else it will be mashed.
Easy, healthy Elephant Yam poriyal is ready to serve with rice !
. Lets see how to make banana stem gravy for rice with step by step pictures !
How to make vazhaithandu kuzhambu/ Banana stem gravy for rice 
