Banana flower sautéed with red chillies, tamarind, and urad dal, then ground to a paste.
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Serves: 20 people
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How to Prepare
Clean the vazhaipoo (banana flower) by removing the outer layers and chopping the inner florets finely. Soak in buttermilk or water with a pinch of turmeric to prevent discoloration.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a kadai. Add 10 dried red chilies
5 tablespoons of urad dal, and 2 tablespoons of chana dal. Fry until golden brown and aromatic, then set aside to cool.
In the same kadai, add the chopped vazhaipoo with a pinch of salt and cook for 8-10 minutes until soft. Add 1 cup of tamarind paste and mix well. Cook for another 2 minutes, then let it cool.
In a mixer grinder, first grind the roasted dal and chilies into a coarse powder.
Add the cooked vazhaipoo-tamarind mixture to the grinder along with salt to taste. Grind into a coarse paste. Add a little water if needed to adjust consistency.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the kadai. Add 2 teaspoons of mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add a pinch of asafoetida and 10-12 curry leaves. Pour this tempering over the thogayal.
Mix well and serve with hot rice or as a side dish with dosa or idli.