CELEBRITY MASTER CHEF DR KAVIRAJ KHIALANI
A banana is an elongated, edible fruit botanically a berry produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus Musa. In some countries, bananas used for cooking may be called “plantains”, distinguishing them from dessert bananas.
On maturity, bananas are yellow and about 6-inch long, whereas plantains are green or black and approximately 12-inch long. The main physical difference between plantains and greens bananas is that plantains have narrow and elongated ends that seem pointy, whereas green bananas have short, rounded ends.
Health Benefits of Raw Bananas
- Raw bananas are rich in fiber content and are a great source for our body, they are also considered heart healthy foods.
- Raw bananas are good for diabetics and are also loaded with vitamins.
- Raw bananas are well composed with resistant starch and also they are good for weight loss.
- Raw bananas help in cleaning up the digestive tract and also relieves us from stomach cramps.
- Raw bananas are also a rich source of potassium and can also benefit in lowering our blood pressure issues.
Here are a few of my favorite easy to dish out Recipes with Raw Bananas
QUICK FIX RAW BANANA
Ingredients
2-3 no raw bananas, peeled and cubed
2 tsp oil
1 tsp ghee
¼ tsp hing
½ tsp mustard seeds
6-8 curry leaves
2 red chilies, slit
1 green chili, slit
1 tsp ginger, chopped
Salt to taste
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp cumin powder
½ tsp coriander powder
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp jaggery, grated
½ cup water
2-3 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped
Method
Pre-prep all the ingredients for the quick fix raw banana recipe. Heat oil and ghee in a pan, add in the ingredients for the tadka and allow them to splutter and crackle for a few seconds, add in the ginger and raw banana pieces and mix well. Add salt and all the powdered spices, mix and add little water and cover and simmer for 12-15 mins until the bananas get a nice soft and mushy yet firm texture. Turn off the flame, add in the lime juice and little grated jaggery as well for a nice flavor, finally add in fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with phulkas, a tossed green salad and a bowl of curd.
LENTIL AND RAW BANANA DUET
Ingredients
2-3 raw bananas, boiled and peeled, cut into small cubes
1 cup yellow lentils/ moong dal, boiled with salt, water, turmeric.
1 small green capsicum, chopped
2 tsp oil
1 tsp ghee
¼ tsp hing
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp mustard seeds
2 red chilies, slit
4-6 no curry leaves
1 green chili, slit
1 tsp garlic, chopped
1 tsp ginger, chopped
1 small onion, sliced
Salt to taste
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
½ cup curd, beaten up
2 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped
1 tsp lime juice/ 1 tsp aamchur powder
2-3 tbsp. fried peanuts
Method
Pre-prep all the ingredients for the raw banana recipe as listed. Heat oil and ghee in a pan, add in the ingredients for the tempering one by one and allow to release their flavors into the pan for a few seconds. Add in the ginger, garlic, onions, and saute them for a few minutes. Now add in the boiled and cut raw banana and boiled yellow moong dal, add in salt and all the spices to taste. Mix well. Add in the beaten curd and a little water and cover and cook for 4-6 mins. Add little lime juice and or aamchur powder at the end before serving and garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with rotis/ puries, along with some mango pickle/ fried papad/ raita.
DUM WALI KAACHE KELE KI BIRYANI
Ingredients
2-3 no raw bananas, peeled, sliced, parboiled and fried.
For the biryani masala:
2 tbsp. oil
1 tbsp. ghee
1 cup sliced onions
2 no bay leaves
3-4 no peppercorns
1-piece cinnamon stick
2-3 green cardamoms.
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp green chili paste
Salt to taste
½ cup curd, beaten
½ cup tomato puree
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp kasuri methi
1 cup water
1 cup boiled green peas
½ cup mix of coriander and mint leaves
2 cups boiled basmati rice
½ cup fried onions
¼ cup fried cashews and raisins
2-3 tsp rosewater
1-2 tsp saffron soaked in ¼ cup warm milk
Method
Pre-prep all the ingredients for the kache kele ki biryani. Heat oil and ghee in a pan, add in the whole spices, onions and saute them to a light brown color, add in ginger, garlic, green chili pastes. Add in the tomato puree, salt and all powdered spices, kasuri methi and bhunao for 2-3 mins, add in the beaten curd and in the peas and raw banana pieces and cover and cook for 5-6 mins. Open the same container and top with cooked rice and add in all the biryani garnishes and cover and keep on dum, low flame tava underneath and a little heavy weight on top and cook on a low flame for 12-16 mins. Open and mix lightly and serve hot with papad, pickle, raita.
RAW BANANA IN TEMPERED YOGHURT MIX
Ingredients
2-3 no raw bananas, boiled, peeled, cubed
2 tbsp. oil
1 tbsp. ghee
¼ tsp hing
1 tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
4-6 no curry leaves
1-2 red chilies, slit
1-2 green chilies, slit
Salt to taste
1 cup curd, beaten
2 tsp cashew paste
¼ cup cream
2 tsp jaggery, grated
½ tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp rose water
2-3 tbsp. fried/ blanched almonds
2 tsp coriander leaves
Method
Pre-prep all the ingredients for the recipe as listed. Heat oil and ghee in a thick bottomed pan, add in the ingredients one by one and to temper it and allow tempering for a few seconds. Add in the raw banana cubes, salt, and all powdered spices and mix well. Add little water if needed and cook for 2 mins, add in the curd, cashew paste and fresh cream and simmer it for 10-12 mins. Add in jaggery and rose water, adjust the texture, flavor and seasonings to taste and cook for 2-3 mins. Turn off the flame and serve hot garnish it with a fried red chili, fresh coriander leaves, fried/blanched almonds/ cashews etc.
RAW BANANA TADKA CURRY
Ingredients
2-3 no raw bananas, parboiled, peeled and cubed
2 tsp oil
2 tsp ghee
2 tbsp. besan
1 cup curd, beaten
2 cups water, and as needed.
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp hing
½ tsp methi seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ginger, chopped
1-2 red chilies, slit
1-2 green chilies, slit
½ tsp cumin powder
½ tsp coriander powder
¼ tsp red chili powder
1 tsp kasuri methi
2-3 tbsp. coriander leaves
2 tsp jaggery, grated
Method
Pre-prep all the ingredients for the recipe as per the list. Heat oil and ghee in a thick bottomed pan, add in the ingredients for the tempering and allow to crackle and splutter for a few seconds. Add in the mixture of besan and saute for a few seconds, add in turmeric and powdered spices, kasuri methi and curd with water and allow to blend in well, mix to avoid lump formation. Now add in the salt and jaggery as desired to taste to balance the sourness in the kadhi and simmer for 12-18 mins, until well cooked and thickened as well. Add fresh coriander and mix well. Serve this kadhi with hot steamed rice/ brown rice/ tempered jeera rice etc and some papad, pickle/ salad on the side.
MASALEDAAR RAW BANANA STIR FRY
Ingredients
2-3 no, raw bananas, parboiled, peeled and cubed
2 tsp oil
2 tsp ghee
6-8 no shallots/ madras onions, peeled and cut 1 x 4
¼ tsp hing
5-7 no curry leaves
1 tsp ginger, chopped
1 tsp garlic, chopped
1-2 red chilies, slit
Salt to taste
½ cup water
2 tsp jaggery, grated
2-3 tsp tamarind pulp
2-3 tbsp. coriander leaves
2-3 tbsp. roasted powdered peanut powder
2-3 tbsp. desiccated coconut
2 tsp lime juice
½ tsp aamchur powder
For the roasted spice mix
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp black sesame seeds
Method
Pre-prep all the ingredients for the raw banana stir fry recipe. Slow roast the spices on a tava for a couple of mins, allow to cool and then grind to a powder and keep aside. Heat oil and ghee in a pan add in the hing, curry leaves, tempering ingredients like chilies, and ginger, garlic, shallots/ madras onions and mix well. Add in the raw banana cubes, salt to taste and the roasted powdered spice mix, peanut powder, desiccated coconut, tamarind pulp, jaggery to balance the flavor of the dish, add in little water to allow cooking, cover and allow a simmer for 5-7 mins, check for texture, salt and balance it accordingly. Add in the fresh coriander leaves, lime juice/ aamchur powder and mix well. Serve hot garnished with chilies/ ginger juliennes etc and enjoy this with some hot puries, rotis/ phulkas with some boondi raita, papad/salad.
NE Food & Hospitality Editor Dr Kaviraj Khialani conferred with Human Rights Nobel Award
Celebrity Master Chef Dr Kaviraj Khialani is a Mumbai-based hotel-restaurant and food consultant. He is specialised in over 33 international cuisines and has quality experience with hotels and airlines as a part of his long journey of over two decades in his chosen field. Chef Kaviraj is a renowned author, academician, food designer, writer and has also been awarded several national awards and global recognitions for his talent & outstanding achievements. Besides having been featured on several food shows on ColorsTV and Star Plus he is a mentor, coach and guide to aspiring to be future chefs and hoteliers of tomorrow.
He can be contacted at twitter: @kaviraj_chef, Mobile: 91 9820939336.
