Black-and-white illustration of banana curry cooking in a pan, with bananas, onions, garlic, coriander, ghee in a tin, and a bowl of rice.

Banana Curry (Kela ki Kari) à la Santa Maria

Handwritten banana curry recipe titled “Kela ki Kari à la Santa Maria” in a lined notebook.
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Banana Curry (Kela ki Kari) à la Santa Maria

This is a simple, slightly surprising curry, learned young and cooked often. It was one of the first vegetarian recipes I embraced and I picked it up from a Jack Santa-Maria cookbooks of John’s. It comes together quickly, uses few ingredients, and tastes better than it has any right to. I frequently cooked it at university, at a time when I was learning to feed vegetarian flatmates.
Cuisine Indian
Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4
Author Jack Santa Maria

Equipment

  • Pestle and Mortar

Ingredients

  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp chilli or paprika
  • 2 tsp coriander seeds
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • 3 Tbsp ghee
  • 2 onions chopped
  • 6 bananas sliced
  • 2 Tbsp yoghurt
  • 1 tsp garam masala

Instructions

  • Grind the garlic, salt, chilli or paprika, coriander seeds and turmeric to a paste.
    4 cloves garlic, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp chilli, 2 tsp coriander seeds, ½ tsp turmeric
  • Heat the ghee in a pan and fry the onions until golden. Stir in the spice paste and fry for a few minutes, letting it lose its raw edge.
    3 Tbsp ghee, 2 onions
  • Add the bananas and cook gently until they begin to brown. Stir in the yoghurt and garam masala, and continue cooking until the bananas are soft. Add a little hot water if necessary.
    6 bananas, 2 Tbsp yoghurt, 1 tsp garam masala
  • Serve hot, garnished with chopped coriander leaves, with rice.
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