Recipe for savory banana chips that remind me of home

Photo: abillion

Recipe for banana chips by Ann Mary Mathew

Beaches, backwaters, and banana chips — there's lots to love about Kerala. Growing up, I spent most of my years in Singapore, with a yearly visit back home to India. The best part about returning — if you ask me — has to be enjoying local favorite foods and snacks. Banana chips are particularly popular in Kerala, where green, unripe bananas are thinly sliced and then deep-fried in coconut oil to be served as savory tea snacks.

These chips are made with Nendran bananas (a type of plantain grown in Kerala), but you can also make these with other unripe bananas. The chips get their striking golden yellow color from the abundance of turmeric powder. A key ingredient in the recipe is coconut oil, which is a cooking oil also used extensively in South Indian cooking. It gives the banana chips a distinct, nutty flavor.

See also: An onion bhaji recipe for snack time

Equipment needed
Deep frying pan
A bowl

Ingredients
5 raw bananas
A bowl of water
2 tablespoons of salt
1 tablespoon turmeric powder (add more if needed)
2 cups of coconut oil (more if needed depending on your pan)

Method

Place the peeled whole bananas in a bowl with the turmeric powder solution for 20 minutes. Add more water, if desired.

Tip: The turmeric powder might stain your hands, add a few drops of coconut oil on your hands to avoid this, or use a spoon.

Remove the soaked bananas from the bowl, it might look a bit discolored but that’s okay.

Slice your bananas thinly.

Heat up a deep frying pan with two cups of oil. Gently dip the banana slices into the cast iron once it starts sizzling with coconut oil. Continue to deep fry the slices until golden yellow and crispy.

Remove coconut chips from oil and place them on some kitchen towels to drain excess oil. Sprinkle salt to taste.

These chips are best eaten when served warm, or else pack them in an airtight container to enjoy later.