Green Plantains: Two Ways – Chips and Stir-Fried

My New York City neighborhood has a lot of variety when it comes to grocery stores. There are fancy gourmet stores, supermarkets, and tiny ethnic grocery stores.  I get very good bargains sometimes and I end up with more stuff than I can use. These green plantain chips and stir-fry were the result of one such barrgain….8 green plantains for a dollar!  How could I pass that offer? So I ended up with a batch of crunchy plantain chips and a simple stir-fry that was ideal for lunch with rice and dal curry.

To make the plantain chips, I peeled and sliced the plantains into thin strips.  I fried the chips in canola oil in a deep wok and sprinkled the hot chips with a mixture of salt, chilli powder and amchur (dried mango powder) as soon as they were off the stove. Amchur powder gives the chips a tanginess that complements the heat from the chilli powder.  It is available in Indian grocery stores.

Yeah, I know fried stuff is bad for you and it clogs your arteries and all that, but never mind, these chips are crunchy, salty, tangy, spicy in one bite. 

Green Plantain Stir-Fry

This stir-fry is simple and easy with very few ingredients.  I used green plantains cut into half lengthwise and then into half-moons. I heated some oil in a pan and added black mustard seeds.  When the mustard seeds had popped, I added some thinly sliced onions, a few curry leaves (optional), and one finely chopped green chilli. A pinch of salt and turmeric was sprinkled on the onions.  Then added the sliced bananas and a little water.  I closed the pan and cooked the plantains for about five minutes, then removed the cover and cooked for another five minutes until the water had evaporated and the plantains were cooked.  It is an easy side dish that is ideal for vegans and vegetarians.  I had it for lunch with basmati rice and dal curry (lentil curry).

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Vegetable Upma

One of the most popular breakfasts in Southern India,  upma (or vegetable upma, as in this case), is easy, quick, and delicious.  Every mom and homemaker in South India whips up upma in a matter of minutes for a delicious mini meal, school lunch, or after-school snack for hungry kids.  What is upma anyway?  Upma is made with semolina (farina, rava, sooji), and sometimes vegetables get into the mix too. Innovative home cooks have often replaced semolina with bread, quinoa, rice flakes, and oats to make upma.  Upma is also called uppittu or khara bhath.

Although I must confess, in every house, there are some folks who will run miles from upma, and others who love it. I love upma when it is warm and fragrant with mustard seeds, green chillies, and cilantro, not to mention fresh vegetables.  It tastes even better if you have some toasted cashew nuts to garnish.  Upma makes for a quick weeknight dinner too….and I often make upma when I am alone at home.  Leftover upma makes for a nice lunch too.  I customize upma with fresh veggies that I have at the time, but I definitely add some peas and carrot to make a really colorful upma.  Here you  will find one upma that is yellow, and another non-yellow version.

So, what is the difference – can you tell?  Hmmm……just a pinch of turmeric, which gives the upma a lovely yellow color, rendering it a pilaf-like look.

Here are the ingredients I used for the upma:

 1 cup semolina

1 onion, finely chopped

1 cup mixed vegetables, carrots, peas, beans, etc.

1 small tomato, finely chopped

2 green chillies, finely diced

1″ piece ginger, grated

A few curry leaves

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

Roasted cashew nuts to garnish (optional)

Coriander leaves for garnish

2 tsp oil

Salt to taste

A pinch of turmeric

 And, these are the directions:

1. Roast the semolina in a pan until it turns golden brown and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

2. Heat oil in the same pan and add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. When the mustard seeds splutter, add the onions, green chillies and ginger.  (Reduce the green chillies or avoid it if you aren’t fond of the heat of chillies).  Fry for a few minutes until the onions turns golden brown.

3. Add vegetables, tomato, salt, and turmeric. Stir together and combine.  Add about 3 cups water and cook covered until the vegetables are done.

4. Lower the heat and slowly add the roasted semolina, stirring constantly to avoid any lumps. Continue to cook on a low heat until the water is evaporated, about 5 minutes.

5. Remove and garnish with cilantro leaves and cashew nuts (if using). 

6. Serve warm with chutney (optional).

 

 A tad of fresh ghee or melted butter drizzled on the upma gives it extra flavor and (calories!).  Yum.