
Artikai Vepudu
A South Indian dry stir-fry of tender green bananas coated in a crisp, nutty mixture of spices, gram flour, and desiccated coconut. It has an earthy, savoury flavour with gentle heat.
Turmeric for frying
0.3 gAdded to the pan with the bananas (step 2)Finishing spices
7 gAdded towards the end of cooking (step 4)Everything else
Method
- Peel 4 bananas and cut them into rounds roughly 1 cm (½ inch) thick.
- Warm 114 g vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, then tip in the sliced bananas along with the turmeric for frying and fry for 12 to 15 minutes.
- Splash in a small amount of water, cover the pan with a lid, and simmer gently for 2 minutes.
- Remove the lid and stir in the finishing spices, 30 g dried coconut, 1 teaspoon gram flour, and salt to taste, then fry for another 2 minutes until thoroughly coated and fragrant.
Don't have something?

Unripe green banana

Raw bananaUse the same weight; peel and boil until tender. It behaves almost identically.
Green plantainUse the same weight; peel and cook a little longer. It is firmer and starchier.
PotatoUse the same weight; cut to the same size. It is softer and less starchy, so the dish loses some body.

Vegetable oil

Peanut oilUse 1:1 by weight. Handles high-heat frying identically and introduces a very subtle, pleasant nuttiness.
GheeUse 1:1 by weight. Yields a much richer, authentic aroma and a glossy, heavier mouthfeel.
Mustard oilUse 1:1 by weight. Heat until smoking, then cool slightly before cooking to temper its intensely pungent, sharp mustard kick.

Ground turmeric

Ground gingerUse 50% of the weight. Mimics turmeric's warm, earthy, rhizome background, but provides none of the golden-yellow colour.
SaffronSteep a tiny pinch (0.1 g per 2 g turmeric) in 2 tbsp warm water; use to match the rich golden hue. Contributes an aristocratic, honeyed floral flavour rather than earthy bitterness.

Ground coriander

Coriander seedsDry-roast lightly in a pan and grind to a fine powder; use equal weight (1:1). Offers a noticeably fresher, brighter citrus note.
Ground cuminUse 50% to 75% of the weight. Lacks the floral, citrusy profile of coriander and turns the gravy heavier, earthier, and darker.
Garam masalaUse 50% of the weight and stir in near the end of cooking. Adds warmth and depth since it contains ground coriander, but introduces stronger spices like clove and cinnamon.

Chilli powder

Red chilli powderUse 100% of the weight. Provides direct, sharp heat and red colour in equal measure.
Kashmiri chilli powderUse 150% to 200% of the weight if matching colour, but add a pinch of black pepper or hot chilli if you need equivalent fiery heat.
Cayenne pepperUse 75% to 100% of the weight. Offers a sharp, clean heat with slightly less earthy depth and less crimson colour.

Dried coconut

Desiccated coconutUse equal weight; texture is much finer, so roast very cautiously over low heat if the recipe requires browning for spice pastes.
Fresh coconutFinely slice or grate and use 140% of the weight to offset the extra water, or dry-roast in a bare pan until moisture evaporates completely.

Gram flour

Chickpea flourUse the same weight. Gram flour is chickpea flour, so this is an exact swap with the same nutty flavour and binding.
Plain flourUse about 75–80% of the weight, e.g. 80 g for 100 g gram flour, and add a pinch of turmeric for colour. Less nutty and less crisp; good only for thickening or simple batters.
Rice flourUse the same weight for crispness, but it does not bind like gram flour; mix with a little plain flour if making pakora batter.
Similar dishes

- Same: Kachche Kele ke Kofte also uses green bananas and chickpea flour prepared with coconut, ground coriander, turmeric, and vegetable oil.
- Different: Instead of a dry stir-fry, Kachche Kele ke Kofte shapes the bananas into fried dumplings simmered in a gravy flavoured with cumin, green chillies, Kashmiri garam masala, yoghurt, and sugar.

- Same: Artikai Pachadi also features green bananas cooked with vegetable oil, ground turmeric, and salt.
- Different: Instead of dry stir-frying the bananas in a large amount of oil with dried coconut and chilli powder, Artikai Pachadi folds boiled bananas into plain yogurt with fresh ginger, green chillies, fresh coriander, and a mustard-and-dal tempering.

- Same: Artikai Kura is also a dry South Indian stir-fry of unripe green banana with turmeric, gram flour, desiccated coconut, and salt.
- Different: Artikai Kura adds onions, green chillies, garlic paste, and clove, uses more gram flour and coconut, and lacks this dish’s ground coriander and chilli powder.

- Same: Both dishes are savoury preparations made with green bananas or plantains cooked in vegetable oil with salt.
- Different: Vazhaippazham Chips is deep-fried in a much larger quantity of oil and contains only salt, omitting the ground coriander, turmeric, chilli powder, and dried coconut used in this stir-fry.



















