Plantain Stem Recipe ( Kerala Style - Upperi )

In Kerala we have so many recipes with which we cook plantain stems. Most of the keralites have banana / plantain trees in their homes and so the stem is available everywhere. This is one such recipe.



Ingredients for the upperi:

1 tender bit of Plantain stem ( 2 cups chopped )

¼ tsp Turmeric powder

Coriander leaves (optional )

Salt

¼ Cup Rice ( roasted and powdered)

1 ½ tsp pepper powder

¼ tsp mustard seeds

¼ tsp split black gram dal ( broken dal will be better )

handful curry leaves pinched into bits

2 tsp oil



Method:

 

Clean and remove fibre from plantain stem.  Chop them into small pieces and place in a bowl of  salted water otherwise the colour will get brownish.

Fry the rice in a pan until it turns crispy and golden. Dry Grind to a nice powder.

Boil the chopped plantain stem in 2 cups of water with turmeric powder and salt. Once it?s cooked, remove and drain the water.

Heat oil in a pan splutter mustard seeds and add black gram dal, curry leaves, pepper powder and the ground rice powder. Sauté it for 2 minutes, finally add the cooked plantain stem and mix them well.

Garnish with coriander leaves. Plantain is ready to be served as a side dish with rice and rotis.