What we get here in abundance is banana peppers in all seasons. Italians, the majority of population in this small town love their banana peppers, I guess. Usually I stuff banana peppers and cook them like I did cherry peppers.
Mika, my blog friend, posted a wonderful recipe with banana peppers, last month. I tried it today and we both (Vijay & I) really liked it. It is very easy to prepare too.
Take four banana peppers. Wash & dry, slit them in the middle and remove the seeds. Cut them into bite-sized pieces.
In a pan, heat one teaspoon of peanut oil, do the popu or tadka (toasting cumin, mustard seeds and minced garlic). Add the cut banana pepper pieces. Cover and cook them, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, until they are tender to touch. Stir in spicy dalia powder, pinch of salt and turmeric, then cook for few more minutes and serve.
Tasted real good and hot with spinach dal and rice.
A Meal with Banana Pepper Curry ~ (Banana Pepper Curry, Rice, Spinach Dal and Rice Papads)
Thanks Mika for sharing this recipe, we really liked it.
Hi Indira-glad that you and Vijay liked it. Thanks for your nice comments. Since you are also a spice lover, I hope it was not too hot for you. Your meal looks delicious.
Comment by mika — November 18, 2005 @ 4:05 pm
oh this looks awesome.. i have never heard of banana peppers b4.. the recipe seems to easy and looks delicious too.. shall definetely try this recipe and give u the feedback..indira do u have more recipes on curries like spinach dal or any kind of kuzhambu (in tamil) that go with rice
Comment by priya,ar — November 18, 2005 @ 4:17 pm
Mika.. after 4 days of eating everything(because of travel) except rice, this meal I prepared today with banana pepper curry tasted like heaven. I highlighted the ‘hot’ thing, as a subtle warning to the newbies, who wants to try it, that’s all. We both really liked it. Thanks again Mika.
Priya, ar..Please do and let me know. Did you check the ‘Recipes blogged sofar’ page? I listed atleast 20 different types of curries I posted on this blog. Check them out and see anything you like,want to try.
Comment by Indira — November 18, 2005 @ 4:42 pm
Indira, This dish looks nice and makes me want to try it. Is it spicier than the normal green peppers? I’ve seen these peppers in the market, but were afraid that they were HOT.
Comment by Kay — November 20, 2005 @ 9:52 pm
indira and mika: thank you for a wonderful recipe. i tried it today: very, very tasty!
Comment by hima — November 20, 2005 @ 11:33 pm
If you mean green bell peppers, yes these banana peppers are definitely hotter but mild compared to green chillies like serranos etc.,.
Because they are hot, we always combine and eat them with other mild or bland food like rice & dal. (This type of curry is never a whole meal for us, only a side dish.)Adding few drops of ghee also helps to reduce the heat from these peppers. Hope this helps.
Hima.. I am glad it turned out tasty. Thanks for the feedback.
Comment by Indira — November 21, 2005 @ 12:18 am
Hi Indira,
I like your blog. You know how diverse Indian cuisine is, so though I have traveled to the South (am from Mumbai) and tried a lot of dishes, what I see on your blog is the essence of home cooking. I am also happy to see you put vegetables like gourd and gherkins to good use. With a few variety of vegetables available here in the U.S. its good to know my options. Keep up the good work!
Btw I tried the capsicum subzi with dalia powder and it was awesome. Its going to become my staple!! Thanks
Comment by Winie — January 5, 2006 @ 10:28 am