Vazhaippoo (Plantain Flower) Paruppu Usili

Now we will see the paruppu usili side dish.  This can be prepared from plantain flower(vaazhaipoo), beans, cluster beans(koththavarai), ridge gourd(pudalai)  cabbage, drumstick leaves and from fenugreek leaves(venthaya keerai).

Now here we are going to see the preparation from plantain flower.  Take a small flower.  Remove the flaps of the flower and take the florets only. Remove the stamen and cut them into smalll pieces and put them in diluted buttermilk. It will be in the buttermilk till you cook, so that the colour of the vegetable should not change to dark.  Or you can cook it by adding 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder and the required salt.

Cooked vazhaipoo


For Paruppu Usili

Thur dhal/Arhar  one Cup

Chana dhal?bengal gram 1/2 Cup

Red Chillies 10 Nos.

Salt to taste and Asafoetida

For frying 

Any cooking oil one small cup or 100 grams.

For Tempering 

Mustard seeds, Urad dhal and Curry leaves

Wash the dhals and soak them for 2 hours.  Grind it along with red chillies, salt and hing. Add water if necessary.  Keep it aside.

golden broun coloured paruppu usili


Now heat the oil in a frying pan or thick bottomed Kadai. Add mustard seeds, and Urad dhal.  Add curry leaves. Add the grinded dhal paste and fry for a few minutes.  When it comes to golden brown colour  add the already cooked plantain flower and fry for another 2 minutes. Remove it from the fire and serve hot with rice paired with any kuzambu varieties.  It will be a wonderful side dish.

mixed with vazhaipoo


You can prepare all the paruppu usili in this same method.  For murungai keerai and venthaya keerai paruppu usili, you have to mix the chopped keerai in to the grinded dhal paste and steam it in idli cooker. After steaming only you can fry them in oil. We will see it in the next post.