Plantains Sauteed in Butter/Ghee..

The dog days of summer.. long hot days, humid days, a handful of thundershowers.. well.. any day a better summer than last year's wet, unseasonably cold summer.
Someone left a comment saying, " its summer outside my window" and I just realized my bog is still showing fall!!! Well, long hours of work and managing the house doesn't leave time for blogging anymore but I had to change the fall picture!!
Now its Ramzan season and all thoughts of food are centered around the traditional for me at least. 
Ramzan's fast  is a loooong day here this time and barely any time left to do the  2-3 courses of food after breaking fast. Guess we have to wait a long time before wee get winter fasts here!

Ramzan, Iftars..and Plantains..go hand in hand for me..
How many ways can you eat the humble plantains? Ask a Keralite/Mallu..
Pazham Narachathu/Plantains stuffed with coconut and sugar, or scrambled sweet egg.
Pazham Porichathu/ Plantains dipped in batter and fried.
Pazham Vattiyathu/ Plantains cut and sauteed in ghee.
Pazham Ulathiyathu/ Scrambled Plantains with coconut and sugar.
Unnakayi/ Mashed Plantains stuffed with coconut.

This one above is the simplest way to satisfy a dessert craving.. Slice Plantains into slices horizontally or vertically. Heat 2 tsp of Butter/Ghee and saute the plantains for 2-3 minutes on each side on medium heat. When they look golden halfway through the thickness, flip them and cook the other side. Sprinkle sugar and let it melt and as it starts crusting, remove and serve. Traditionally , the sugar is sprinkled after the plantains are removed onto a plate, but the slightly crusted sugar also tastes yum.
Try it on its own.. or in the Americano way.. with vanilla ice cream..:)
Don't ask if you can saute this in olive oil or vegetable oil to make it healthy...its not really meant to be.. it's meant to be enjoyed in moderation.

how to make Marinated Chicken Thighs

"This is a great basic marinade for grilling meats, and the pink peppercorns add a nice spicy kick"



Ingredients 2 cups fresh parsley leaves, chopped 8 large sprigs fresh thyme, chopped 4 large sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 small shallot, diced 2 tablespoons cracked black peppercorns 2 tablespoons cracked pink peppercorns 1 1/4 cups extra-virgin olive oil 8 skin-on chicken thighs Flaky salt, such as Maldon, for seasoning Salad, for serving

Directions

  

Mix the parsley, thyme, rosemary, garlic, shallots, black peppercorns and pink peppercorns together in a bowl. Add the olive oil to cover the herbs/spices. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the marinade.

  Place the chicken thighs in a resealable plastic bag. Add the marinade and marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Preheat the grill to medium.

Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade, pat with a paper towel and place, fleshy-side down, on the hot grill. Grill until cooked through, turning once, 7 to 8 minutes per side. Finish with the reserved 2 tablespoons of marinade and some flaky salt. Serve on top of your favorite salad.