Banana Chips

Recipe: 7 Steps To Make Crunchy Chips For Onam Sadhya

Banana chips, also known as ethakka upperi in Malayalam, are a beloved staple in festival celebrations in Kerala, especially in Onam. During this festival, sadhya, a meal consisting of a variety of classic vegetarian dishes, is usually served on a vazhayila (a banana leaf). Banana chips are a must-serve item in this lavish feast due to their unique flavour and crunch. Below, you will find a step-by-step guide to prepare the Banana Chips Recipe from scratch for this grand festival.

In Kerala, unripe Nendran bananas are used for making the authentic banana chips recipe. They stand out due to their rich flavour and firm texture, delivering a perfect balance of sweetness and starchiness that helps to give each chip an ideal taste and crispiness. But these nendran bananas are not easily available across India. So it's better to use other varieties of raw bananas. Therefore, the taste and texture may differ slightly.

Select three completely unripe bananas that have a green skin. Then, rinse them and dry with a clean kitchen towel. Now, take a bowl and add four cups of water and one teaspoon of turmeric powder to it and mix it well with a spoon. Once the bananas are completely dry, peel them using a vegetable peeler. Cut them in half and place them in the turmeric water bowl for half an hour. This process helps to prevent the bananas from darkening and removing stickiness. Make sure you do not throw away the peels, as you can use them to make a tasty banana peel thoran.

Prepare a salt solution before frying, as it is essential to give the banana chips their classic salty flavour. To make this, in a bowl, add half a cup of water and one tablespoon of salt. Mix it very well and keep the salt solution aside. In some recipes, chefs add salt to the turmeric water itself and also sprinkle the salt after frying the banana chips. However, this is a classic Kerala-style method that uses salt solution instead of dry salt, as it ensures the salt coats the chips effectively and evenly.

Banana chips are fried in pure coconut oil. If this oil is not available, then you can use sunflower or regular vegetable oil. In a heavy-bottomed pan, add 1.5 cups of coconut oil. Make sure to keep the heat medium throughout the frying process. Do not fry your chips on low heat as they can absorb too much oil and fail to turn crispy; on the other hand, high heat can turn your chips uncooked and can burn them.

Take out the banana pieces from the turmeric water bowl and pat them dry properly using a clean towel. Now, using a mandoline slicer, slice the bananas thinly, as thin slices result in crispy chips. Slice the bananas directly in the hot oil, and be careful while doing so, as the oil can splatter. Instead, you can slice the banana onto a plate and then pour them into the oil. Use a spoon to stir the banana slices in the oil and avoid overcrowding the khadai. Make sure to fry for five to six minutes, turning the banana chips occasionally, until they become lightly crispy.

When you notice that the chips are becoming lightly crispy, then sprinkle one teaspoon of salt solution evenly into the oil. If you have a salty tooth, then you can sprinkle 2 teaspoons of salt solution. Be cautious while doing so, as the oil sizzles and can cause harm. To prevent the oil from splashing out, you can cover your heavy-bottomed pan with a lid or splatter screen. Keep frying after adding this salt solution until the sizzling sound stops completely. It will take around 2 to 3 minutes to stop the bubbling completely.

Once bubbling disappears and chips are turned perfectly crisp, take them out using a slotted spoon and transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels. This way, fry the banana chips in batches. Make sure each batch is equally salty. If you notice that some batches taste too salty, then reduce the use of the salt solution. As soon as the banana chips cool down at room temperature, transfer them to an airtight jar. Store them in a dry place and enjoy during your Onam sadhya.