137) NANDRABALA UPKARI

NANDRABALA UPKARI

A KONKANI NENDRAN BANANA SIDE DISH

Ingredients:

1)    Fully mature raw Nendran banana – 1 kg. (5 Nos. Approx.)

2)    Dry hot red chilies – 5 Nos.

3)    Mustard seeds – ½ teaspoon

4)    Coconut oil – 2 tablespoons

5)    Powdered salt – 1 teaspoon

To Cook:

Cut off the tips of the Nendran banana. Use a small sharp pocket knife to make 3 or 4 long peel deep slits along the length of the banana. Gently pry away the peel from the banana. Use the peel to make delicious banana peel upkari (see my recipe). Use a sharp knife to cut the banana lengthwise into 2 halves. Divide each half lengthwise again into 2 to make a total of 4 quarters from each banana. Now slice each quarter across into 3 mm. thick pieces. Break the dry hot red chilies each into 2 or 3 pieces.

Set a thick cast iron wok on high heat. Throw in the mustard seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds are about to finish spluttering, tip in the chili pieces and stir for 10 seconds. Now slip in the banana pieces and sprinkle the salt. Stir and lower the heat to minimum. Cover with a lid. Stir occasionally with a thin lightweight flat ladle. If the Nendran is too mature, it may sometimes stick to the wok, in which case you need to dribble a bit more coconut oil. Roast very slowly on low heat with the lid covering the wok most of the time except when you stir gently, taking care not to shatter the pieces.

When the banana turns into a roasted golden brownish yellow colour, switch off the heat and serve the nandrabala upkari hot with rice, cherupayarkanji, rice gruel or with oatmeal porridge you will love this delicious, chewy nandrabala upkari and will want to have more of it.