Vazhakkai Poriyal | Raw Banana Poriyal

If you considered raw banana as something very usual and menial, then this recipe is going to change that thought of yours! Vazhakkai Poriyal is an easy and tasty South Indian Raw Banana Sabzi, basically a dryish curry made with green, unripe bananas and a handful of spices. This is one of those Raw Banana Recipes which is not just super simple to make but also packs a punch of flavors and textures in it. What’s even better is that this preparation is vegan-friendly too and is a lovely side dish with your dal-chawal.

About Vazhakkai Poriyal

‘Vazhakkai’ is the Tamil name for plantain or raw banana and ‘poriyal’ is a typical dry sautéed dish popular in South Indian cuisine. Because of the name, this recipe is basically a preparation from the cuisine of Tamil Nadu. The ingredients might be similar as compared to other regional poriyals, but the essence is Tamil.

Poriyals are made with a variety of vegetables and often are a common feature in South Indian meals or thali. Not only a poriyal tastes fabulous but it is extremely wholesome as well. Just like this Tamil style Raw Banana Sabzi, other poriyal recipes too have minimal ingredients, yet are high on the nutrition meter.  

Different poriyals are loved in my home too, out of which, this Vazhakkai Poriyal tops the list. Apart from it using a fruit in its raw form, which makes the dish more unique, it is also loaded with health benefits.

Plantains or unripe bananas are great sources of water, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other nutrients. Thus, are essential for the body as these aid in good digestion, help manage weight, normalize high blood pressure, lessens blood sugar levels, etc.

Besides getting done within minutes, this Raw Banana Sabzi also has other ingredients that are common in any and every Indian home kitchen. For instance, dried red chilies, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, curry leaves, etc. Also, I would suggest using coconut oil in making this dish to give it an authentic touch.

Since all the ingredients are also naturally plant-based, this dish is a great choice if you are following a vegan diet or are vegan yourself.

More on this recipe

Whenever I have raw bananas at home, I often make this Vazhakkai Poriyal with them. Coconut and rest of the typical South Indian ingredients are always there in my home kitchen. Since the day I had tried this variation of a poriyal, I had decided to share it here on my blog. It is really a hassle-free, delicious and healthy recipe.

Apart from the taste, what we also like about cooked unripe bananas is the texture. The tempering or tadka in this South Indian style Raw Banana Sabzi recipe also has a lot of flavors, along with the mild sweetness that comes from grated fresh coconut.

This Vazhakkai Poriyal preparation is also a no onion, no garlic recipe. However, if you wish, then you can add both onion and garlic in the recipe. Some more raw banana favorites include Vazhakkai Fry and Vazhakkai Varuval.

This Raw Banana Sabzi is mildly spiced and goes very well as a side dish with sambar-rice, rasam-rice or with any South Indian meal of your choice. You can also have it with chapattis or plain paratha. It can also be packed in the tiffin box.

Step-by-Step Guide

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 chili, 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. Its 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 keep the peels as they are. You can also do so or peel them lightly.  
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.

More Poriyal Recipes To Try!

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Vegetable Recipes

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This Vazhakkai Poriyal recipe from the archives was first published in March 2015. It has been updated and republished in April 2024.