Kachikela thelni | Raw banana stir fry

I enjoy learning traditional dishes for their simplicity and amazing taste. Traditional dishes require only few ingredients but requires careful and skillful cooking to get that perfect taste. I get immense satisfaction learning and replicating them. 

Thelni is one such traditional Sourashtra preparation. Thelni is a sort of dry dish preparation which  is a cross between a poriyal and ambad. Poriyal is completely stir fried preparation requiring only onions, no tomatoes and garnished with scrapped coconut. Ambad is a Sourashtrian gravy preparation. Theni is neither of the two but has characteristics of both.

This kachikela thelni is so good with sambar and mor kuzhambu. 

Ingredients

2 medium sized raw banana

1 medium sized onion

1 large sized tomato

2 big garlic cloves ( chopped into round disc)

1 green chilli ( finely chopped)

Few curry leaves (torn)

Few chopped coriander leaves

2 ts sambar powder

1/4 ts turmeric powder

1/4 ts hing

1 ts mustard seed

1/2 ts urad dal
1 tbs chana dal

Preparation

- Peel the skin of raw banana. Cut them into round discs. And cut the round disc again into half. Boil them until half cooked. Or pressure cook them with just little water and salt for just one whistle and release air immediately. Take them out into a bowl discarding the boiled water.

- To the boiled raw banana add chopped garlic cloves, chopped green chilli, turmeric powder, sambar powder, hing, curry leaves and coriander leaves. Add necessary salt and let it set aside for 10-15 minutes.

- Meanwhile heat little oil in a kadai. Crackle mustard seed and urad dal. Add chana dal and let change color a bit. Add finely chopped onions and sauté until translucent. Add chopped tomatoes now with little salt and cook in medium flame until they turn mushy. Now add the marinated raw banana masala. Combine and stir in high flame for few seconds. Now turn the flame completely to simmer and allow it to cook for 10-15 minutes uncovered tossing periodically until raw banana becomes completely dry and looks stir fried.