BANANA STEM CHUTNEY

Tender banana stem is used as a food item in a few places in India. It has numerous health benefits, I had always known it is extremely good for the digestive tract as it has a lot of fiber, a few years back when the hubby developed kidney stones we learned the juice from tender fresh banana stem is extremely good for flushing out kidney stones. That apart due to its high fiber content it benefits people having issues with their blood sugar as well as people who want to manage their weight.

 

Even though it has so many health benefits I realize we do not have it very often. I need to include it in my daily meals more regularly. It can be made in myriad ways. Today I am going to share a chutney recipe which my mother made a few months back.

 Ingredients

2 cups chopped tender banana stem,

1 cup fresh grated coconut,

10 red chillies,

¼ tsp asafoetida,

½ cup urad dal,

Salt to taste

A tamarind ball about the size of a amla,

1 teaspoon coconut oil

Method

Cook the chopped tender banana stem in some water, just enough to cook it. Do not add excess water.

Heat the coconut oil and add the urad dal once it starts turns light brown add the chopped red chillies and the asafoetida. Let it fry till the urad dal turns golden brown.

Now let it cool, once it is cooled down add all the other ingredients and grind it to form the chutney. Do not add any water while grinding. Also do not grind it very finely.

This can be served with rice, any lentil preparation and stir-fried vegetables. It also goes well with just plain curd rice. The next time around I am going to try it with plain steamed rice and a drizzle of raw coconut oil.