Pacha Kaya (Raw Banana) Thoran

Cochin being my hometown, Kerala local delicacies are a part of our diet. We enjoy the spicy and tangy coconut based recipes. One of our favourite among them is Thoran.  Thoran is a malayalam word for a dry curry made using any vegetable and grated coconut. Red chillies /green chillies, onions, garlic and jeera are used to give an extra flavour to the dish. I tasted the below dish in a Kerala joint here. Since then wanted to give it a try. We loved the flavours..Do try and give me the feedback.

Ingredients:
Green raw banana - 4 nos (I used the small variety )

Salt -  to taste

For the mixture:

Coconut grated - 2 tbsp

Green chilli - 2 (i used the medium spicy ones)

Turmeric/haldi powder - 1/4 tsp

Small red onions/ shallots/ sambhar onions - 2 nos

Garlic - 1 big pod ( if small then 3 pods)

Jeera/ cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Seasoning:

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp 

Jeera/ Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Urad Dal - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Method:

• Wash and lightly peel the outer skin of the raw bananas. Chop them into medium size pieces.
• Take oil in a pan, add the seasonings one by one. When the urad dal starts getting brown, add the chopped banana pieces. 
• Sprinkle some water and add salt to taste. Cover and cook till done. 
• Keep stirring and sprinkling water in between to avoid burning. 
• Meanwhile grind coconut, onion, green chillies, garlic, jeera to a coarse paste ( just two or three seconds).Do not add water. 

• Once the banana pieces get cooked. Add this mixture to that and stir well.  
• Saute for a few seconds till all the pieces get well coated with the mixture.

• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves (optional). Yummy Pacha Kaya Thoran is ready to serve. 

Enjoy Cooking!!

Note: You can substitute red chillies for green chillies. You can even pre-cook the banana pieces in turmeric and salt water.