The Indian Food Court

Although in general banana chips have long overshadowed by its more popular cousin (potato chips), there is still much about banana chips that can be relished as you will soon discover. In fact, banana chips is so popular among people here in Karnataka that it is not only a time pass but a party dish and also prepared as a combination for breakfast for weddings and other functions.

Banana chips is prepared out of the bananas available in Kerala only – popularly known as Nendra. The Nendra bananas are relatively large in size as shown in the image below. Chips turn out not only very crispy and in fact only chips made from Nendra take on colors on their own. Commercially available chips are prepared from other types of banana and typically turn out hard, not crispy.

I borrowed this recipe from my friend in kerala (Ernakulam, 1984) who prepares and sells it commercially.

What you need to have:

Nendra Bananas – 4-5

Oil to fry – 500 ml

Salt water a little

Nendra Banans

1. Wash, clean and just mark with the tip of a knife in such a way that it doesn’t touch the pulp of it as shown in the image below.

Banana being marked to peal

2. Keep marking around 6 times lengthwise in such a way that the whole big banana is marked in all and start pealing slowly with the blunt side of the knife and continue pealing with your thumb as shown in the image below.

Marked banana being pealed

3. Peal it completely on the places marked as shown above and both partly pealed and pealed bananas are shown in the image below

4. Wash it under tap water to remove left over skin and apply turmeric powder to the whole banana as shown in the image below and set it aside for 5 minutes and wash it again so that only a layer of the powder covers it.

Turmeric powder on the bananas

5. Place a wide pan/kadai on the flame with cooking oil. On heating just scrap bananas in the oil directly and keep stirring as shown in the image below.(I normally use Saffola gold heart oil for my cooking )

6. When it turns almost crispy pour 1 teaspoon salt solution to it. As soon as you add salt solution there will be a hissing sound. Keep stirring and when the sound stops, just drain the chips and keep it aside.

Ready to serve Banana chips

On cooling store it in airtight containers.

What to remember:

1. Just prepare a salt solution with 2 teaspoons of salt and 1/2 cup of water. If on frying chips run short of salt add a little salt to it. Keep reducing salt water to the next lot of frying chips, since oil contains salt added earlier. If preparing in lots please make sure that adding of salt solution should be reduced proportionately.

3. Sprinkling salt powder after frying will not work as it does for potato chips since bananas are not porous as potato.

4. If deep fried in fresh oil it will even remain afresh at room temperature for even 20-25 days.

How long it takes: 45 minute