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Pazham nirachathu
Coconut-stuffed fried plantains
Pazham nirachathu: Malabar plantains stuffed with sweet coconut, fried in batter
IndianEvery Malabar iftar spread has a plate of pazham nirachathu: ripe plantains slit open, packed with grated coconut, sugar and cardamom fried with ghee and cashews, then dipped in a thin flour batter and shallow-fried. The outside turns crisp and lacy, the plantain goes soft and caramel-sweet and the coconut stays moist. Chef's tip: slit the plantain without cutting through the far side or the ends, so the filling stays inside the pocket.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the filling
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 10 cashewschopped
- 1 tbsp raisins
- 2 tbsp sugar
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
For the plantains
- 4 tbsp plain flour
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 pinch ground turmeric
- ¼ cup waterabout
- 6 tbsp vegetable oilfor shallow-frying
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat the 1 tbsp ghee in a small pan. Fry the 10 cashews and 1 tbsp raisins for 1 minute, then add the 2 ⅞ oz grated coconut, fresh or frozen, 2 tbsp sugar and ¼ tsp ground cardamom and stir for 2–3 minutes until the sugar melts and the coconut looks glossy. Cool.
4 minStep 2: Peel the 2 ripe plantains (yellow with black spots) and cut each in half across. Slit each piece lengthways down one side, leaving the ends and the far side whole, and gently open it into a pocket.
5 minStep 3: Press the filling into the pockets.
3 minStep 4: Whisk the 4 tbsp plain flour, 1 tsp sugar, 1 pinch ground turmeric and ¼ cup water into a thin batter, like single cream.
2 minStep 5: Heat the 6 tbsp vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Dip each plantain in batter, slit side up, and fry for 4–5 minutes, turning, until golden all over. The plantain is ready when a knife slides in easily. A common mistake is a hot pan, which burns the batter before the plantain softens.
10 minStep 6: Drain on kitchen paper and serve warm.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pazham nirachathu take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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