Achar Kela Recipe | Raw Banana Achar Masala | Vazhaikkai Masala Recipe
Achar Kela, a delicious dry curry made with plantain (raw banana) and freshly ground achar masala powder. We usually make simple vazhakkai poriyal with coconut or a roasted raw banana which goes well for most of the South Indian Main courses. But for Pulao, it would be nice if we have a spicy and masala rich stir-fry. Pulao is usually mild in spice and hence we need either a spicy gravy or dry curry. This Raw banana Achar Masala is one the perfect accompaniment for pulao. In this dry curry, sliced plantains are half-cooked and then concocted with onions and achar masala till they are soft. The flavor of the freshly ground achar masala gives a unique taste to the dry curry. Relish with pulao or roti and enjoy this dry curry!
Tips for making Achar Kela:
- Pre-cooking raw banana is optional. But some plantains take more time or becomes more stiff if cooked with spices. So half-cooked raw banana are easier to concoct with rest of the masala.
- For achar masala, we can add amchoor and onion seeds (Kalonji).
- Dry roast in medium flame so that the ingredients doesn’t get burnt.
- If you include amchoor in achar masala, we can skip lemon juice or adjust the quantity as needed.
- Gently mix half-cooked raw banana pieces with masala without mushing them.
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Recipe Card for Achar Kela Recipe | Raw Banana Achar Masala | Vazhaikkai Masala Recipe:
Achar Kela Recipe | Raw Banana Achar Masala | Vazhakkai Masala Recipe
Equipments Needed
- Heavy Bottomed Pan
- Heavy Bottomed Pan
- Sauce Pan
Ingredients
- 2 Raw Banana
- 1 Onion Finely chopped
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice
- 1 tbsp Coriander Leaves For Garnishing
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
- 1 Pinch Turmeric Powder
For Achar Masala
- 2 tsp Coriander seeds
- ½ tsp Mustard seeds
- ½ tsp Cumin Seeds
- ¼ tsp Fenugreek seeds
- 2 Kashmiri Red Chili
- 2 Red Chili
- ¼ tsp Fennel Seeds
For Tempering
- 2 tbsp Oil
- 1 tsp Mustard seeds
- Few Curry leaves
Instructions
Preparing Achar Masala
- Heat a pan, add corianders seeds, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, kashmiri red chili and normal red chili.
- Dry roast everything in medium flame till you get a nice aroma and the coriander seeds turn slightly brown.
- Allow the roasted ingredients to cool off and then take it to mixer jar.
- Grind the roasted ingredients to smooth powder.
Cooking Raw Banana
- Wash and peel the skin of raw banana. Slit in half and then chop it in 1/2" thick pieces. Take the raw banana slices in a sauce pan. Add water to soak the raw banana.
- Also add a pinch of turmeric of 1/2 tsp salt to the sauce pan. Keep the sauce pan on flame and cook the raw banana for 5 mins.
- Strain water and set the pre-cooked Raw banana aside.
Start with Tempering
- Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and allow it to sputter. Also add few curry leaves and give a mix.
- To this, now add chopped onion and give a good mix. Add ginger-garlic paste and saute the onions till they are translucent.
- When the onions become translucent, add the pre-cooked Raw banana slices. Gently give a mix.
Making Achar Kela Masala
- Next, add turmeric powder, ground achar masala and salt. Give everything a good mix. Gently mix so that the cooked raw banana pieces don't become mushy.
- Keep in low flame and cook for 5 mins. The masalas gets combined well and raw banana gets cooked with masala nicely.
- Finally garnish with coriander leaves and switch off the flame. Allow it to cool for 2 mins and then add lemon juice and give a final mix.
- Delicious Achar Kela is now ready to serve!
Nutritional Info
INSTRUCTIONS WITH STEP BY STEP PICTURES:
PREPARING ACHAR MASALA
- Heat a pan, add corianders seeds, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds, kashmiri red chili and normal red chili.
- Dry roast everything in medium flame till you get a nice aroma and the coriander seeds turn slightly brown.
- Allow the roasted ingredients to cool off and then take it to mixer jar.
- Grind the roasted ingredients to smooth powder.
COOKING RAW BANANA
- Wash and peel the skin of raw banana. Slit in half and then chop it in 1/2″ thick pieces. Take the raw banana slices in a sauce pan. Add water to soak the raw banana. Also add a pinch of turmeric of 1/2 tsp salt to the sauce pan. Keep the sauce pan on flame and cook the raw banana for 5 mins.
- Strain water and set the pre-cooked Raw banana aside.
START WITH TEMPERING
- Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and allow it to sputter. Also add few curry leaves and give a mix.
- To this, now add chopped onion and give a good mix. Add ginger-garlic paste and saute the onions till they are translucent.
- When the onions become translucent, add the pre-cooked Raw banana slices. Gently give a mix.
MAKING ACHAR KELA MASALA
- Next, add turmeric powder, ground achar masala and salt. Give everything a good mix. Gently mix so that the cooked raw banana pieces don’t become mushy.
- Keep in low flame and cook for 5 mins. The masalas gets combined well and raw banana gets cooked with masala nicely.
- Finally garnish with coriander leaves and switch off the flame. Allow it to cool for 2 mins and then add lemon juice and give a final mix.
- Delicious Achar Kela is now ready to serve!
How much water do I need to add to soak the raw banana?
Add 2 cups of water and boil for 5mins. Then strain the water.