Desi Health Bites – Plantain Cutlets

Today I tried a new dish using plantains. We eat plantain once a week, but normally we make a dry subzi/stir fry out it or simply fry with rava. Eating the same type of dish every week does get a bit boring at times. So I keep on trying new recipes. Today I tried an innovative and healthy dish using plantains. It is Plantain cutlets. Normally cutlets are made up of potato, but I replaced the filling by a spicy and tangy plantain mixture. I have used chilly powder and green chilies to make it spicy and tamarind paste for making it tangy. These cutlets taste even better than the regular subzi and can be served either at lunch as a side or during snacks time. If you have a fussy eater who normally does not eat plantain subzi, you can make these cutlets and ensure that he/she gets proper nutrition.

I have used Fortune Rice Bran Health Oil for making these healthy Plantain cutlets. This is one of the healthiest oil to be used in cooking food. No, this oil is not extracted from rice, but it is extracted from rice bran which is a nutritious brown layer between the grain and the husk. Bran is the only source of “oryzanol” which is helps in reducing cholesterol and also in preventing heart diseases. This oil is also very popular all over the world. In Japan it is known as “heart oil” and in some other countries it is known as “health oil”. It is not made from rice and therefore it can be consumed during fasts too.

I have started using this oil in day-to-day cooking because it has numerous health benefits. It helps in reducing bad cholesterol as it contains “Oryzanol” which is an antioxidant and this antioxidant is found in the bran of rice. It helps to reduce bad cholesterol and increases the good cholesterol, thus keeping the heart healthy.

Apart from keeping the heart healthy, it also enhances the immune system as it contains antioxidants which improves health by fighting free radicals that harm the immune system. Fortune Rice Bran Health oil has natural antioxidants that help build strong immunity.

Ingredients:                                        Makes: 8, Prep. Time: 30 Min’s
1 medium sized Plantain
3 tablespoon finely chopped onion/1 medium sized onion
4 tablespoon finely chopped coriander
1 tsp finely chopped green chili
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp chili powder
4 garlic pods
1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
1 marble sized ball of tamarind/2 tablespoon tamarind paste
2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp salt

For Frying the cutlets:
1/2 cup Rava/semolina
1/4 tsp salt
2-3 tablespoon Fortune Rice Bran Oil

Procedure:
Soak the tamarind in 4 tablespoon water for 20 Min’s.
After 20 Min’s smash it and make a paste. This gives 2 tablespoon tamarind paste.
You can also buy tamarind paste from market and use it.

Wash and cut the raw banana into 2 pieces.
Pressure cook it for 4 whistles.
When the pressure from the cooker goes low, open the cooker.
Peel the banana pieces.
Finely chop the banana and mash it with your hands.
You can use a masher too.

Add chopped onion, chopped coriander leaves, chopped green chilly, cumin seeds, turmeric and chilly powder and salt.
Mix everything nicely.
Add tamarind paste, finely chopped garlic and ginger-garlic paste. Mix well.
Shape into round small shapes like table-tennis balls/lemons.
Gently flatten the balls, but maintain the height to 1 cm.

Mix the rava and salt in a plate. Gently roll the cutlets into the rava and coat it nicely.
Add Fortune Rice Bran oil to a tava/frying pan.
Once it heats, shallow fry the cutlets in the oil.
Flip to the other side after 10 Min’s and fry for another 10 Min’s.

Serve with tomato sauce or chutney of your choice.