Preparation

Cup of Yum
1. Take cumin seeds and black pepper in a mortar-pestle. Crush coarsely and keep aside.
2. Peel, rinse and chop the pearl onions in thick slices. 
3. Peel and chop the plantains in small cubes just before you start cooking. If you chop them earlier then they darken. Thus you need to soak them in water to avoid darkening.

Making vazhakkai varuval

1. Heat 2 tablespoons coconut oil. Instead of coconut oil you can use peanut oil or sunflower oil also.
2. Keep heat to a low or medium-low and add mustard seeds. Let them splutter.
3. Then add the thickly sliced pearl onions, chopped or slit green chili and curry leaves.
4. Sauté for about 2 minutes on a low heat. Next add the chopped plantain cubes and mix well.
5. On a low heat begin to sauté plantain.
6. Do keep a check and stir after every 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Sauté plantain till they are half done or half cooked on a low heat. 
8. Then add crushed cumin seeds and black pepper.
9. Next add turmeric powder, kashmiri red chili powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder and fennel powder. Also add salt as per taste.
10. Mix the spice powders very well with the plantains.
11. Continue to sauté till plantains are cooked and tender.
12. Stir regularly at intervals so that the plantains are cooked evenly or else the bottom layer gets too browned. So frequent stirrings are required. 
13. Sauté till plantains are slightly crisp and cooked tender.
14. Serve Vazhakkai Fry hot or warm as a side dish with any South Indian meal. You can even garnish Vazhakkai Varuval with some chopped coriander leaves if you like.