Chettinad Vazhakkai Kola Urrundai | Vegeterian Kheema Balls | Step by Step Recipe

Chettinad cuisine is the cuisine of the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu, South India. Chettinad cuisine is one of the spiciest and the most aromatic, famous for its use of a variety of spices used in preparing mainly non-vegetarian food. Chettiars usually don't eat beef and pork. Chettinad cuisine offers a variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Some of the popular vegetarian dishes include idiyappam, paniyaram, kozhakattai, masala paniyaram,  kavuni arisi & athirasam.

Chettinad Vazhakkai Kola Urrundai is a delicious starter to a meal also can be versatile as a side or served in a curry too. Cooked raw banana is well mashed and spiced up with freshly roast and ground paste and then deep fried to get a golden crust. A simple yet delightful way to use up raw bananas, you can do variations by using cooked beets, carrots along with potatos too. A real vegetarian meaty treat served as a snack, side or even adored in a spicy curry/ kozhambhu.

CHETTINAD VAZHAKKAI KOLA RECIPE

Makes ~ 12 medium sized kola

Prep & cook time ~ 30-40 mins

Ingredients

Vazhakkai (medium size) - 3 nos

Besan flour / Kada maavu (roasted) - 2 tbsp

Oil - to deep fry

To Roast & Grind 

Oil - 1 tbsp

Small onion/ peal onions -12 nos

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp

Kas kas-1 teaspoon
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoonCashews -8
Green chilli-5
Curry leaves - 1 spring
Grated coconut-2 tablespoons

Method

• Keep a pan of water to boil in the stove on high flame, wash the raw banana skin chop as chunks and put in the boiling water. Cook till the raw banana is cooked and a knife inserted into the pieces comes smooth. Switch off, discard the water and line the cooked raw banana pieces on a plate

• In a pan heat oil, roast the ingredients under to roast and grind in low flame such that it is well cooked. Grind into a paste using a mixer and set aside. Peel the skin of the raw banana pieces and set aside

• Mash the raw banana pieces using the back of a folk, do not over mash as you want texture to the kolas. Add this mash raw banana to a bowl along with the ground paste and salt mix well. Next add the roasted besan flour and mix well. Make sure the mix is dry and easy to form balls. 

• Form balls with all the raw banana mix and deep fry them in medium hot oil. Using a slotted spoon remove from the pan and place on a kitchen towel/ tissues

Serve hot with a cup of coffee/ tea

Cooks Wisdom

- Do not over cook the raw banana else the result will be a smooth kofta instead of one with texture
- I used besan/ gram flour to bind the kola, make sure you do not over add as it tends to overpower in taste, in case the mix is too wet you can add some bread crumbs but this is not an authentic way to do chettinad kolas
- Make sure that the oil is not too hot else the kolas will brown and burn fast
- I made some changes to original recipe by using besan flour instead of pottukadalai and added curry leaves for more flavour