Green plantains recipe with spices and coconut is a South Indian Kerala style vegetarian/vegan side dish to be enjoyed with rice for lunch or dinner.
In Kerala, this green banana stir fry recipe with coconut and spices is known in different names like vazhakka thoran recipe, kaya thoran recipe and also ethakka thoran recipe(although ethakka thoran recipe specifically refers to green plantains recipe).
You can also make this dish using regular green bananas if that is what you have.
This green plantains recipe with coconut and spices is easy to follow, yummy and healthy too. We use grated coconut which is coarsely grind with spices and mixed with cooked green plantain slices.
If grated coconut is not available, you can easily make this dish using shredded unsweetened coconut.
Even though the traditional method is to grind the coconut with spices, if you are using shredded coconut, you may also mix the coconut and spices to the cooked plantains separately, without grinding them together.
Green plantain recipes and ripe plantain recipes are popular in Kerala (South Indian state) as plantains are commonly available in South India and they are used in a variety of dishes.
My favorite plantain recipe is this plantain banana fritters recipe also known as pazham pori or ethakkappam (vazhakkappam) in Kerala, which is made using ripe plantains, which makes a delicious and easy snacks for evening to enjoy with tea or coffee.
Another delicious, yummy and easy recipe using ripe plantain bananas is this fried sweet plantains recipe which can be made quickly!
There are many recipes you can try with ripe plantain bananas and green plantain bananas and they makes a great natural source of healthy carbohydrates or starch.
As I mentioned above, you can also try this recipe with regular green bananas if you don't have green plantain bananas.
So here is how you can make this stir fried green plantains with coconut following this easy green plantains recipe with coconut and spices.
How to make green plantain stir fry with coconut and spices?
We use the following ingredients to make easy & delicious green plantain stir fry with coconut and spices.
Ingredients to make green plantain stir fry
2 medium sized green plantain bananas
1 cup grated or shredded coconut unsweetened
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon red chili powder
2 cloves garlic crushed or use 2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
4 dry red chilies broken
1 string curry leaves make sure there is no water in leaves
3 tablespoons coconut oil
¼ cup water add little more later if needed
½ teaspoon salt adjust as needed
Step by step instructions
Peel the skin of green plantains and cut them into small even sized cubes (You may keep the peels if you like, as they are edible).
Heat 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a large thick bottomed pan and add mustard seeds.
When mustard seeds splutter, add the broken dry red chilies and curry leaves, fry for a few seconds.
Add the chopped green bananas to the pan, add enough salt and lightly fry for about a minute in low heat.
You shouldn’t stir the green bananas at this point, as they tend to stick because of the texture. It is very much fine if they stick to the pan at this point, as it is natural, and it will change as it gets cooked. Make sure you keep the heat low at this time.
Add the water to the pan and as the mixture starts boiling, close the pan with lid and cook the green plantains for about 6 minutes or until the plantains are cooked.
Meanwhile coarsely grind together the coconut and cumin seeds (without adding water), you can use a food processor for this. If you are using shredded coconut, you can skip the grinding and directly add the shredded coconut and cumin powder (instead of cumin seeds).
Peel the skin of green plantains and cut them into small even sized cubes (You may keep the peels if you like, as they are edible).
Heat 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a large thick bottomed pan and add mustard seeds.
When mustard seeds splutter, add the broken dry red chilies and curry leaves, fry for a few seconds.
Add the chopped green bananas to the pan, add enough salt and lightly fry for about a minute in low heat.
You shouldn’t stir the green bananas at this point, as they tend to stick because of the texture. It is very much fine if they stick to the pan at this point, as it is natural, and it will change as it gets cooked. Make sure you keep the heat low at this time.
Add the water to the pan and as the mixture starts boiling, close the pan with lid and cook the green plantains for about 6 minutes or until the plantains are cooked.
Meanwhile coarsely grind together the coconut and cumin seeds (without adding water), you can use a food processor for this.
If you are using shredded coconut, you can skip the grinding and directly add the shredded coconut and cumin powder (instead of cumin seeds).
After 2 minutes of cooking, open the pan and stir the contents gently so everything will be blended nicely.
Green plantains with coconut and spices is now ready to serve, enjoy it hot with rice for lunch or dinner!
Notes: I was out of stock of mustard seeds so I used cumin seeds in place of mustard seeds and skipped grinding cumin seeds with coconut.
But I am giving here the traditional way of preparation which uses mustard seeds for seasoning and cumin seeds to be grind with coconut.
Below you can find the detailed recipe for Indian style green plantain stir fry with spices and coconut.
Green Plantains Stir Fry Recipe With Coconut & Spices
Ingredients
- 2 medium sized green plantain bananas
- 1 cup grated or shredded coconut unsweetened
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- 2 cloves garlic crushed or use 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 4 dry red chilies broken
- 1 string curry leaves make sure there is no water in leaves
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- ¼ cup water add little more later if needed
- ½ teaspoon salt adjust as needed
Instructions
- Peel the skin of green plantains and cut them into small even sized cubes (You may keep the peels if you like, as they are edible).
- Heat 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a large thick bottomed pan and add mustard seeds.
- When mustard seeds splutter, add the broken dry red chilies and curry leaves, fry for a few seconds.
- Add the chopped green bananas to the pan, add enough salt and lightly fry for about a minute in low heat.
- You shouldn't stir the green bananas at this point, as they tend to stick because of the texture. It is very much fine if they stick to the pan at this point, as it is natural, and it will change as it gets cooked. Make sure you keep the heat low at this time.
- Add the water to the pan and as the mixture starts boiling, close the pan with lid and cook the green plantains for about 6 minutes or until the plantains are cooked.
- Meanwhile coarsely grind together the coconut and cumin seeds (without adding water), you can use a food processor for this. If you are using shredded coconut, you can skip the grinding and directly add the shredded coconut and cumin powder (instead of cumin seeds).
- As the green plantains are cooked, gently toss the cooked green plantains using a good spatula. If the plantains appear to be still sticky to the bottom of the pan, it may be because they are not yet cooked. Lightly sticking to the pan is fine, but when you use a good quality spatula to toss them, they will easily come off the pan once they are cooked enough. In case the green bananas are not cooked enough and if there is no water left in the pan, you may add a little more water and then cover and cook for few more minutes. If you add too much water or if you cook for too much time than needed, the plantains will crumble and become mushy in texture.
- Add the grind coconut mixture to the cooked green plantain bananas, add the turmeric powder and red chili powder and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. Gently stir the contents using the spatula and cover the pan and cook the contents for another 2 more minutes.
- After 2 minutes of cooking, open the pan and stir the contents gently so everything will be blended nicely.
- Green plantains with coconut and spices is now ready to serve, enjoy it hot with rice for lunch or dinner!
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