“Gabbo- Piyava Chettambado (Plantain/ Banana Stem- Onion Fritters)” …it's always exciting to give some makeover to oridinal dishes/ snacks and when they turn out perfect it really makes it worthwhile ... chettambado are crisp deep fried fritters that can be served either during meals with dal- chawal or at teatime with some coconut chutney … this time I gave a small twist and tried it out with addition of finely chopped gabbo/ banana stem and it tastes wonderful … Yummilicious …
** When my friend sanju asked, are you not tired of trying new varieties of chettambado ??? I bluntly replied NO and snatched the plate away from her hand before she finished of the 4th piece grinning about mischievously. Well, in a way she is right, I have tried so many of them and I am sure there are more to come to her and my delight. Though I serve them for meals sanju prefers to relish them either dunked in coconut chutney or tomato ketchup whichever is available at the moment. Sometimes I do envy her sitting swinging her legs and enjoying it while sipping on to some cold drink while I do all the frying. But, trust sanju to be always there to give a boost to my morale, she is such a lovely soul.
** For those who are new to “Chettambado”, it is a favorite GSB/ Konkani Saraswat snack usually also known as “Dal Vada” elsewhere that is usually served with coconut chutney for best of taste though it can be served as side dish during meals too. A delicious deep- fried fritter that you can just not say NO to and be it children, youngsters or older ones they all love this snack very much and in my home I try preparing them in various combinations often. Today, I have prepared it with addition of gabbo (in Konkani) which is banana/ plantain stem that is easily available almost everywhere and it tastes wonderful. No, wonder sanju not only relished it but packed and took some home too.
** I am sure most of you know the health benefits of plantain (banana) stem/ gabbo, if not you can always check out with elders at home or on net for more information. For those reluctant to use the banana stem or are unaware of its uses, I must admit that though the taste is bland, it is the immense nutritional value of the stem that counts. So, the next time you find them in your market do purchase and try it out, there are plenty of recipes included in my blog. and which I will be adding on further too. I am also sharing a common link to both gabbo and chettambado recipes shared in the Blog at the bottom of this recipe which you can browse through in leisure and try them out as and when possible.
** Coming to the chopping/ cutting part of banana stem, it is something you need to observe keenly when someone does it or watch on You Tube if possible. Cutting and cleaning the stem is important and one needs to learn it properly to be careful and cut it the right way. The excess fiber in plantain stem that hangs out as threads while cutting needs to be separated as it is neither pleasing nor appealing and is also difficult to swallow if left as it is. I learnt the method from Amma and I have shared a picture of the same, which I hope is helpful. Without running into more details, let me move on to the recipe of this chettambado, do try it and enjoy with your family and friends, sure to be loved by all.
** Here is my own simple recipe for “Gabbe- Piyava Chettambado (Plantain/ Banana Stem- Onion Fritters)” … My Style, try it, tastes great ….
** Ingredients :
Chana Dal/ Bengal Gram Dal : 2 cups
Raw Rice/ Tandul/Akki : ¼ to ½ cup
Gabbo/ Plantain (Banana) Stem : 1 cup finely chopped
Onion/ Piyavu/ Kanda : 1 large sized finely chopped.
Coconut/ Nariyal/ Soyi : 3-4 tblsp freshly grated.
Kashmiri Red Chilly/ Kumte Mirsanga/ Byadgi Mirchi : 10-12
Tamarind/ Chinchama/ Imly : a small pinch
Hing/ Asfoetida Powder : 1 tsp
Salt/ Namak/ Meeta : to taste
** Oil/ Tela/ Tela : as required for deep frying.
** Wash and soak Chana Dal/ Bengal Gram Dal along with Rice/ Tandul/Akki in plenty of water for 2-3 hrs. Once again, wash well and drain off all excess water by putting it in an colander and keeping it aside for 25-30 minutes.
** Note : Draining of all excess water is a very important step for preparation of perfect textured chettambados as we need to grind evenly to a coarse texture without any traces of water, so do follow this method and do not skip it.
** Cut cylindrical piece of plantain stem into 3 inch sized pieces. Remove the outermost cover that’s inedible and then cut the stem into fine/ small sized pieces. Soak them immediately in plenty of water to avoid discoloration of the same.
** If the outer coverings have gone darker or looks spoilt/ inedible they can be easily peeled off and discarded before cutting them. Use only the bright, firm white innermost part for cooking. Use very sharp edged knife for cutting as this will give lesser wastage of threads that leaves through the sides as you cut the stem pieces.
** As you cut the slices, you will find there are threads coming out of cut pieces, these are fibers that should be pulled off and discarded. Take care to see that the final chopped pieces do not have any loose threads hanging out of them.
** In all for this chettambado/ fritters, I have used 1 heaped cup of finely chopped pieces. Add the finely chopped banana stem pieces into water until required time. Peel off the outer skin and finely chop the onion and keep it aside ready.
** Add drained chana dal- rice into food processor grinder along with red chilly chopped to pieces, coconut gratings, pinch of tamarind and grind to a semi coarse mixture WITHOUT ADDING WATER. Mix all ingredients well often in between the grinding process to get evenly ground mixture. The ground dal- rice should be of rava consistency, so be careful and avoid grinding it to a fine ground paste.
** Note : I do not add any water while grinding the chettambado mixture, the very purpose for which I use my food processor which gives excellent results when it comes to coarse grinding without water. However, in case you are using mixer grinder and it is becoming difficult to grind then just sprinkle some water in between grinding and mixing if absolutely necessary only. I repeat, the ground final mixture should be rava like grainy texture and should come to binding consistency when rolled in palm and in no way should turn out to be a paste to get perfect texture chettambado while deep frying.
** Remove and add ground mixture into a wide bowl. Drain banana stem pieces taking care to see that there is no trace of water and add it to the ground mixture. Add in finely chopped onions, salt to taste, hing powder and mix all together to a binding consistency. The texture should be that chettambado/ fritters which when rolled loosely into balls between palms should turn out smoother without breaking up or giving cracks.
** Note : If you find it a difficult to prepare vadas without cracking up you can keep the mixture in fridge for 25-30 minutes and then try out the same for easier binding. I do not keep it in fridge as with practice you will learn to gently roll it between palms but you may do so if desired or need to prepare them later or after a few hours. You can also prepare the mixture and keep it overnight in fridge if you have guests next day.
** To Prepare Chettambado/ Vadas/ Fritters : Take about 2-3 tblsp of prepared mixture in hand depending upon the size of chettambado you desire, roll it to a smooth ball shape, gently press it slightly to flatten evenly without building in cracks. Prepare and keep a few ready to be fried while the oil in kadai gets heated.
** Note : If the mixture still cracks up when rolling or is too soft to be rolled, then add 1-2 tblsp of rice flour to the mixture, mix well and then prepare the vadas. If you do not have rice flour, you can also add besan/ bengal gram four.
** Note : If you are new to preparing vadas, then remember to prepare a few vadas and keep ready on a plate to be fried while the oil is being heated. Also, once you add them to oil and it is being fried, prepare and keep the next batch of chettambado rolled and ready for easy frying. Once you are used to this method of preparation, then you learn to prepare them fast and add into hot oil as they are done simultaneously.
** For Deep Frying the Chettamados : When the oil reaches smoking point, lower the heat to minimum and wait for few minutes. Add in the prepared chettambados one by one gently into the oil. Do not overcrowd the kadai as there should be enough space for them to get evenly fried. Raise the heat to medium and fry evenly until it turns crispy on all sides and cooked well from within by flipping it often.
** Note : If you are new to deep frying method and are unsure of the temperature of oil, then drop a small droplet of the mixture into the hot oil for checking the right temperature required for perfect frying of vadas. If the pieces sinks down to the bottom and then in a few seconds sizzles and comes up the surface then it is of the right heat. If it sinks to the bottom for more than 15-20 seconds it means the oil needs to be heated a little bit more. These are small tricks you learn on practice so do not worry, just go ahead.
** It takes about 8-10 minutes to be done. Remove with a slotted/ ringed spatula, draining off excess oil and put it on an absorbent paper for the excess oil to drain off completely. Continue preparing with the remaining mixture in similar way in batches to make the chettambados taking care to see that the heat of oil is constantly maintained by increasing if necessary or decreasing if too hot which is very important for proper frying.
** “Gabbe- Piyava Chettambado (Plantain/ Banana Stem- Onion Fritters)” is done and ready to be served. Always serve chettambado fresh and hot immediately after frying, at tea time as a snack with some coconut chutney or any other chutney/ dip or tomato ketchup for best taste. You can serve it during meals along with other items too or as a starter during events, it tastes awesome either way you serve it, so go ahead and just give it a try, I am sure your family and friends will love them.
** Chettambado is one our favorite dish at home and I often prepare it with variations as and what veggies are available at home and each one of them have turned out equally tasty. We simple love to relish these more so during lunchtime as is the usual method in my community, however, my friends love it as snack. Children simply gorge on them, so be prepared to have plenty in hand to avoid disappointments especially if they bring along their friends too. Do try it out and enjoy with your family and friends.
** As I had already posted step by step procedure in many of the chettambado recipes, I have not included the same here. Sharing a link of taikile chettambado which is similar to this one and has pictures which will enable you to grasp the same better if need be. Also sharing a common link to all chettambado recipes posted in my Blog to date, do browse through the same and try out that which appeals to you ….
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