Pullikutti uperi

I've fond memories of my grandmother in village make this absolutely delicious dish with home grown raw bananas, bhindi, brinjal and arbi leaves. Its one of the long lost forgotten recipes and many don't know how to make it. Its made only at homes where still families prepare typical palakkad iyer cuisine.

Sharing with you the original recipe we follow at our homes.

Pullikutti uperi with arbi leaves, a traditional Palakkad side dish.

Recipe for Pullikutti Uperi

Ingredients

Raw banana - 2
bindi - 10
brinjal - 5 (trim and cut all three vegtable into evenly 2 inch long slices)
Arbi/chembu leaves - wash and cut into two parts in the middle. Roll the leaves and either you can tie thread or toothpick.
salt as required
hing powder - 1/4 tsp
Coconut oil _ 2 tbsp

Tamarind - a gooseberry size (Soak in hot water and pressure cook and extract thick pulp) or you can soak tamarind in hot water for 10 minutes and extract the pulp.

Green chilly - 1(make a small hole)
ginger a small piece
curry leaves a few

Dry roast ( You can keep the rest of this powder)
Raw rice/boiled rice - 2 table spoon
red chilly - 2
methi seeds - a few
Sesame seeds 1/2 tsp
hing/kayam - a small piece

In a dry pan fry all the ingredients in slow fire into crispy golden colour and powder coarsely.

Method of preparation

In a heated kadai pour one teaspoon oil add evenly cut bindi, brinjal cook for about 5 minutes. Now add raw banana, turmeric powder mix well allow it to cook in high flame, keep tossing it now and then. You can sprinkle a little water. Add arbi/chembu leaves and allow the vegetables to cook well by placing a lid on top. But make sure you check the vegetables now and then. Once all the vegetables are cooked well add tamarind pulp allow the pulp to blend well with the cooked vegetables. Add salt, ginger and green chilli. Once all vegetables are 95 % cooked add roasted  rice powder and mix well with the vegetables.This adds great taste to the puli kutti uperi. Off the stove.

In a small pan pour coconut oil add mustard, urad dhal, methi seeds, let it splutter, add curry leaves and pour it on top of prepared Pullikutti uperi. Close the lid after 15 minutes you can serve it.

(I have removed the toothpick before serving. If you are using thread please remove it before serving)

 Note : You can preserve the left over rice powder and use it when you make puli kutti uperi next time!