Ingredients: 1/2 cup Plantain Stem – peeled and chopped,2 tablespoons Curd (Dahi / Yogurt),1 cup Water,Salt – a pinch,1 Tomato – roughly chopped,4 cloves Garlic – sliced,1 inch Ginger – chopped,1 tablespoon Coriander Powder (Dhania),1 teaspoon Cumin powder (Jeera),1/2 teaspoon Red Chilli powder,1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi),1/2 teaspoon Black pepper powder,1 tablespoon Lemon juice,1/4 cup Arhar dal (Split Toor Dal) – cooked until soft,1 sprig Curry leaves,1 tablespoon Ghee,1/2 teaspoon Mustard seeds,1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera),1/4 teaspoon SSP Asafoetida (Hing),Coriander (Dhania) Leaves – small bunch finely chopped to garnish
Time in minutes: 40 Servings: 4 Course: Lunch Diet: Vegetarian
Instructions: To begin making the Vazhaithandu Lemon Rasam Recipe, whisk the yogurt salt and water in a bowl. Peel the outer skin of plantain stem/Vazhaithandu and discard it. Place the cut banana stem in the yogurt. This prevents it from getting discoloured.Preheat the pressure cooker over medium heat; once heated, add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and allow it to crackle. Add the ginger, garlic, asafoetida, curry leaves and stir for a few seconds.Finally add the banana stem along with the yogurt water, the tomatoes and all the powders – coriander, cumin, turmeric, red chilli and salt.Stir, cover the pressure cooker & cook for about 3 whistles and turn off the heat.Release the pressure immediately, either by lifting the weight with a fork or by placing the cooker under cold water.Once done, open the cooker and stir in the cooker dal and squeeze in the lemon juice. Add a little water and salt and chilli if required according to your taste. Bring the Vazhaithandu Lemon Rasam Recipe to a brisk boil and allow it to froth up – this will take about 4 to 5 minutes. Once done, turn off the heat and stir in the chopped coriander leaves and stir.Serve the Vazhaithandu Lemon Rasam along with a bowl of steamed rice and a Andhra Style Beetroot Vepudu Recipe (Stir Fried Beetroot) for a lunch or a quick and wholesome weeknight dinner.