Vazhaithandu Thair Pachadi (Banana Stem Raita)

As the heat soars, all of us crave cooling and light dishes, without compromising on taste. One vegetable which naturally cools and lends itself to quite a few delicious recipes is the unassuming banana stem. Apart from being high in fibre, which improves digestion, the banana stem also has a huge number of health benefits.

Girija Paati’s Banana Stem Raita or Vazaithandhu Thair Pachadi takes the benefits one step further by combining the amazing banana stem with even more cooling curd or yoghurt. While it takes a bit of effort to peel and prepare the banana stem itself, the rest of the recipe is extremely simple and intuitive. 

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1. Buttermilk – 1 spoon curd mixed in a large bowl of water
2. Vazhaithandu / Banana Stem – 1 piece
3. Rock Salt – to taste
4. Curd – as desired

For the seasoning:

1. Mustard
2. Urad dhal
3. Curry Leaves
4. Dried Red Chilli – 1-2
5. Coriander leaves – chopped finely

To make this a snack - similar to but much lighter than their / curd vadai - just sprinkle a bowl of the raita / thair pachadi with Girija Paati’s Classic Mixture or Boondhi Raita.

Method:

1. Peel the banana stem and chop finely – drop the pieces immediately into the buttermilk
2. Stir the pieces of chopped banana stem till the threads come out
3. Take the banana stem pieces out of the buttermilk mix by hand and add into a cooker along with rock salt
4. Close the cooker, put on the whistle weight and wait for one whistle
5. Open the cooker, once cooled, and allow the banana stem to cool completely
6. Mix the cooled banana stem with the curd to your desired raita / thair pachadi consistency
7. Make a tadka of mustard seeds, urad dhal, red chilli and the curry leaves
8. Add the tadka on the top of the curd mixture, top with coriander, cover with a lid and refrigerate
9. Serve cold and watch it disappear

Download the printable recipe here.

Give it a try and let us know what you think. For the video, visit our Instagram IGTV page and watch how we make this mouth-watering banana stem and curd recipe - Vazhaithandu Thair Pachadi (Banana Stem Raita).

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