GOING BANANAS !
BAALEKAI BHAKRI
I decided to 'pat' ragi rottis after cooking all the side dishes first, so that everyone could enjoy them hot and straight from the tava. A baalekai / banana curry was also in my menu plan. As I took out the bananas there was a sudden flash! ' Why not rottis out of bananas instead of ragi? '
After all, the banana deluge - an aftermath of our visit to our village - had not yet subsided!
Here is how I prepared the Baalekai Bhakri which was very much relished by my family.
INGREDIENTS
Raw bananas - 4
Rice flour - 2 tbsps
Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Salt - 1 tsp
Gingelly oil - 2 tbsps
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Chopped onions - 1/2 cup
Freshly grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Chopped green chillies - 1 tbsp
Freshly grated ginger - 1 tbsp
Chopped coriander leaves - 2 tbsps
Oil - for roasting
METHOD
1. Cut the raw bananas into two or three pieces.
2. Cover with water and cook with the peel,till soft.
3. Peel the cooked bananas and blend in a mixer along with turmeric powder, asafoetida and salt .
4. Add the rice flour and oil and run the mixer for a few more seconds so that the mixture comes together like a dough.
5. Take out the blend in a bowl and add the chopped onion, grated coconut, green chillies, ginger, cumin seeds and coriander leaves.
6. Knead all the ingredients together and leave it covered for a while.
7. Grease a banana leaf or a butter paper and place a ball of the banana dough on it.
8. Wet your fingers and pat the sticky dough into a moderately thick and round bhakri.
9. Invert the leaf on a greased and heated tava and gently peel it off when the bhakri sits on the tava.
10. Drizzle with oil and gently cook till the bhakri is done.
11. Flip it on the other side and cook on medium flame.
12. Pour one more spoon of oil around the edges and cook till the bhakri gets the golden tiger stripes on both sides.
Serve the Baalekai Bhakri immediately topped with a blob of fresh butter and your favourite vegetables.
