This green banana curry (or green plantain curry if using plantains also known as cooking bananas) using unripe green bananas or green plantains uses coconut, spices and green mung beans.
This makes a very easy and yummy South Indian Kerala style vegetarian curry that goes great with rice for lunch or dinner.

You can quickly prepare this raw banana curry in a pressure cooker which helps you to make a quick and easy vegetarian curry for lunch or dinner using any leftover raw green bananas or plantains, coconut and few spices.
We can use raw green plantains or medium to large sized raw green bananas to make this raw banana curry with payar (mung beans).
If you do not have freshly grated coconut, you can also use frozen shredded coconut or dry shredded coconut or dessicated coconut to prepare this banana curry.
Adding ghee in this recipe is totally optional, but I have found that adding ghee adds so much flavor to this curry, so I recommend adding ghee to this raw banana curry with green mung beans.
Also you may slightly adjust the spices and see how you like it.
More Green Banana/Plantain Recipes In This Blog:
Green Banana Thoran/Vazhakka Thoran With Coconut Kerala Recipe
Green Banana/Plantain Stir Fry Recipe
So here is how you can make this easy and quick South Indian Kerala style ethakka curry or kaya curry or vazhakkai curry with payar following this raw banana curry/green plantain curry recipe with green mung beans.
You can buy green mung beans here and dry unsweetened shredded coconut here (if you don't have freshly grated coconut) to prepare this raw banana curry.
So here is how you can make green banana curry with mung beans.
How to make green banana curry with mung beans?
We use the following ingredients to make easy, healthy and delicious South Indian style green banana moong dal curry.
Ingredients to make green banana moong dal curry
1 large green banana or green plantain banana
1 cup green mung beans whole
3 cups water plus more as needed
¼ teaspoon salt or as needed
2 cloves crushed garlic
3 green chilies
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon red chili powder
1 tablespoon coriander powder
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ghee optional
1 cup grated coconut 1 cup
For seasoning
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
5 dry red chilies broken
1 string curry leaves make sure the leaves have no water
Step by step instructions
Wash and peel the green banana or green plantains, chop the plantain in to small cubes. Transfer the sliced green bananas to the pressure cooker.
Wash the green mug beans very well and add this also to the pressure cooker.
Add the water, salt and mix everything well.
Also add the crushed garlic, turmeric powder, red chili powder, 2 green chilies, coriander powder and also ghee, mix everything well and close the pressure cooker with lid.
Cook the contents for about 2 to 3 whistles or for about 10 to 12 minutes of cooking time. Once the cooking is done, switch off the pressure cooker and wait for the cooker to cool down.
Meanwhile grind the coconut, cumin seeds and one green chili really well. Keep this grind coconut mixture aside.
Once the pressure cooker is cooled, open the cooker and see if the green mung beans (cherupayar) and ethakka (green plantain banana) is cooked well and soft.
Stir the contents well and add the grind coconut mixture to the pressure cooker, stir everything well again.
Check the salt and add more if needed, also add more water as needed for the gravy, and stir well to mix the contents.
Heat the contents in medium heat for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally so that the coconut mixture will blend nicely with the cooked plantains and mung beans.
Once the cooking is done, switch off the stove and let us make the seasoning for the curry.
To Prepare The Seasoning
To make the seasoning, heat the oil in a small pan, and when the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds.
When the mustard seeds splutter, add the broked dried red chilies and curry leaves, fry for a few seconds.
Pour the prepared seasoning over the curry, gently mix in.
Serve the easy and delicious mung bean plantain curry with rice and other side dishes for an easy, yummy Kerala style lunch or dinner.
Below you can get the recipe for green banana/plantain curry with green moong dal in detail.
Green Banana Curry/Plantain Curry With Mung Beans
Ingredients
- 1 large green banana or green plantain banana
- 1 cup green mung beans whole
- 3 cups water plus more as needed
- ¼ teaspoon salt or as needed
- 2 cloves crushed garlic
- 3 green chilies
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon ghee optional
- 1 cup grated coconut 1 cup
For seasoning
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 5 dry red chilies broken
- 1 string curry leaves make sure the leaves have no water
Instructions
- Wash and peel the green banana or green plantains, chop the plantain in to small cubes. Transfer the sliced green bananas to the pressure cooker.
- Wash the green mug beans very well and add this also to the pressure cooker.
- Add the water, salt and mix everything well.
- Also add the crushed garlic, turmeric powder, red chili powder, 2 green chilies, coriander powder and also ghee, mix everything well and close the pressure cooker with lid.
- Cook the contents for about 2 to 3 whistles or for about 10 to 12 minutes of cooking time. Once the cooking is done, switch off the pressure cooker and wait for the cooker to cool down.
- Meanwhile grind the coconut, cumin seeds and one green chili really well. Keep this grind coconut mixture aside.
- Once the pressure cooker is cooled, open the cooker and see if the green mung beans (cherupayar) and ethakka (green plantain banana) is cooked well and soft.
- Stir the contents well and add the grind coconut mixture to the pressure cooker, stir everything well again.
- Check the salt and add more if needed, also add more water as needed for the gravy, and stir well to mix the contents.
- Heat the contents in medium heat for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally so that the coconut mixture will blend nicely with the cooked plantains and mung beans. Once the cooking is done, switch off the stove and let us make the seasoning for the curry.
To Prepare The Seasoning
- To make the seasoning, heat the oil in a small pan, and when the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds.
- When the mustard seeds splutter, add the broked dried red chilies and curry leaves, fry for a few seconds.
- Pour the prepared seasoning over the curry, gently mix in. Serve the easy and delicious mung bean plantain curry with rice and other side dishes for an easy, yummy Kerala style lunch or dinner.
Nutrition
Hope you found this post on ethakka curry with cherupayar or green banana curry with green mung beans, coconut and spices helpful in making an easy, yummy curry for a vegetarian South Indian Kerala style lunch or dinner.
Neena
Very useful for young generation.
This is a quick recipe for busy people.
Thankyou so much
Recipe Garden
Hi Neena, I am so glad you find this recipe helpful 🙂 Your feedback is much appreciated! Thank you so much!