Vazhakkai Poriyal | Raw Banana Poriyal | Raw Banana Sabzi

Vazhakkai Poriyal is a traditional South Indian dry curry made with raw unripe banana, known as vazhakkai in Tamil. The banana is tempered with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, chillies, curry leaves, and asafoetida and cooked. Freshly grated coconut is added towards the end for flavor and texture. This plant based dish is commonly served with steamed rice, sambar or rasam.

About Vazhakkai Poriyal

Vazhakkai Poriyal is a typical South Indian poriyal, a dry sautéed dish that is commonly made in Tamil Nadu homes. While poriyals are prepared across South India using different vegetables, this version has a distinctly Tamil-style tempering and flavor.

Poriyals made with various vegetables are a regular part of everyday meals in Tamil Nadu cuisine. They are easy dishes made with minimal ingredients and simple cooking methods.

This raw banana poriyal is no different. It uses basic pantry ingredients like mustard seeds, cumin, urad dal, dried red chilies, green chillies, curry leaves, and fresh coconut.

Vazhakkai Poriyal is one of the most made poriyals in my home. Raw banana gives the dish a nice bite and texture, and the coconut added at the end balances the spices well. The tempering in coconut oil brings in a lot of flavor without making the dish heavy.

The recipe is naturally vegan and also a no onion, no garlic preparation. If you prefer, you can add onion or garlic.

It pairs well with sambar-rice, rasam-rice, Vatha Kulambu, or any South Indian meal. It also works well with chapati or plain paratha and can be packed for tiffin.

You can also explore my collection of Raw Banana Recipes. A few favorites include Banana Fry and Vazhakkai Varuval.

How to make Vazhakkai Poriyal

Preparation

1. Rinse 3 small to medium size raw bananas first. Peel lightly. I usually remove the black spots and keep the peels as they are. Dice and add in a bowl containing water, so that they don’t darken.

Making Vazhakkai Poriyal

2. Heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a shallow frying pan. Keep the heat to low and add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds and 1 teaspoon urad dal (husked and split black gram).

Sauté till the mustard seeds crackle and the urad dal turn golden. Fry these on low heat ensuring that they don’t burn.

Tip: Coconut oil gives a very good taste. But you can use sunflower oil, peanut oil or any neutral flavored oil.

Note: Before you begin frying the spices and lentils, drain the diced raw banana of all the water and keep aside.

3. Then, add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and fry till they splutter. Keep stirring them.

4. Then, add 1 to 2 dried red chilli, 1 green chilli (chopped), a pinch of asafoetida (hing) and 8 to 10 curry leaves.

5. Stir and fry till the red chilies change color. Take care not to burn the red chilies.

6. Now, add the raw banana pieces and salt as required.

7. Add ¼ to ⅓ cup water or as required. Mix very well.

8. Cover the pan with a lid.

9. On a low heat, simmer till the banana pieces have cooked well and softened. Check a couple of time, if the water dries up in the pan, then add some more water.

10. When the banana pieces have cooked, there should be no water in the pan. If there is some water, simmer without the lid, till all the water dries. Then, add 3 tablespoons grated fresh coconut.

If you don’t have fresh coconut, then add desiccated coconut.

11. Mix the coconut with the rest of the banana stir fry. Switch off the heat.

12. Add 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves. Mix again.

13. Serve Vazhakkai Poriyal with Sambar-rice, Rasam-rice or any kulambu gravy-rice. It can also be had with roti or plain paratha. It’s an excellent healthy side dish and can also be packed for lunch box.

Expert Tips

1. I usually remove the black spots from the raw bananas and also lightly remove the peels. You can also do the same or peel them completely.  
2. After chopping the raw bananas, put the pieces in water. This way the unripe banana pieces won’t darken.
3. It is most apt to use coconut oil to cook this recipe. But, if you don’t like it that much, use sunflower oil, peanut oil or any other neutral flavored oil.
4. If you want a spicier dish, add some green chilies in it.
5. Before you begin frying the spices and lentils, drain the chopped plantain pieces well.
6. If the water dries up while cooking the raw banana pieces, add some water.
7. There should be no water left in the pan after the unripe banana pieces are cooked. If there is some water, then simmer without a lid till the water dries.
8. No fresh grated coconut in hand? Use desiccated coconut instead.
9. Scale the recipe proportionately for making a larger batch.

Explore More Poriyal Varieties

• Carrot Poriyal
• Cabbage Poriyal
• Beetroot Poriyal
• Kovakkai Poriyal

Step by Step Photo Guide Above

Vazhakkai Poriyal | Raw Banana Poriyal

Author: Dassana Amit

5 from 5 votes

Vazhakkai Poriyal is a simple South Indian dry dish made with raw banana or plantain. The banana is cooked with a basic tempering of spices and curry leaves. Freshly grated coconut is mixed in at the end for taste and texture. This plant-based dish is served as a side with rice, sambar, or rasam.

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Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings3

CourseSide Dish

DietVegan, Vegetarian

CuisineSouth Indian, Tamil Nadu

Ingredients

• ▢ 3 small to medium raw bananas (plantain or vazhakkai)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• ▢ 1 or 2 dry red chili – seeds removed
• ▢ 1 green chilli – chopped
• ▢ ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
• ▢ 1 teaspoon urad dal (husked and split black gram)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• ▢ 8 to 10 curry leaves
• ▢ 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
• ▢ ¼ to ⅓ cup water or add as required
• ▢ 3 tablespoon grated coconut
• ▢ 2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)

Instructions

Preparation

• Rinse the raw unripe bananas first. Peel them lightly. I usually remove the black spots and keep the peels as they are. 
• Dice them and add them in a bowl containing water, so that they don’t darken.

Making raw banana poriyal

• Heat 1 tbsp coconut oil in a shallow frying pan. Keep the flame to a low and add mustard seeds and urad dal.
• Sauté till the mustard seeds crackle and the urad dal turn golden
• Then add cumin seeds and sauté till they splutter.
• Then add the dry red chilli, chopped green chillies, a pinch of asafoetida and curry leaves.
• Stir and saute till the red chilies change their color and.
• Now add the raw banana and salt.
• Add ¼ cup water. Stir very well.
• Cover the pan with a lid.
• On a low flame simmer till the bananas have cooked well and softened. Do check a couple of times when the bananas are cooking. If the water dries up in the pan then add some more water.
• When the bananas have cooked, there should be no water in the pan. If there is then simmer without the lid, till all the water dries. Then add 3 tbsp grated coconut.
• Mix the coconut with the rest of the banana stir fry.
• Add chopped coriander leaves. Mix again.
• Serve banana poriyal with sambar-rice, rasam-rice or any kulambu gravy-rice or any South Indian meal. It can also be packed in a lunch box or had with chapati or plain paratha.

Dassana’s Notes

• The recipe can be doubled or tripled.
• For a spicy version add more green chillies or red chillies.
• If you don’t have fresh coconut then add desiccated coconut.
• Coconut oil gives a very good taste. But you can use sunflower oil or peanut oil or any neutral flavored oil.

Nutrition

Calories: 308kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 12mg | Potassium: 968mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 2280IU | Vitamin C: 107.8mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1.7mg

Vazhakkai Poriyal recipe from the archives was first published on March 2015.