Kerala Banana Chips Recipe

banana chips or wafers served in a black bowl.

4.67 from 3 votes

Banana chips are a crispy snack made from unripe bananas, fried in vegetable oil, and seasoned with salt or black pepper. In contrast, Kerala Banana Chips (Ethakka Upperi) are made with Nendran bananas, fried in coconut oil, and seasoned with turmeric and salt, giving them a unique flavor, crisp texture, and vibrant color. A popular treat in Kerala, these banana wafers are a key part of the Sadya feast and enjoyed as a savory snack.

Prep Time35

Cook Time20

Total Time55

Course: Snacks, Starters

Cuisine: Kerala, South Indian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Servings: Jar

Calories: 225kcal

Author: Dassana Amit

Ingredients

For soaking bananas

3 or (500 to 550 grams) nendran bananas - unripe
4 cups water
1 teaspoon turmeric powder

For salt solution

½ cup water
1 tablespoon salt

For frying

1.5 cups coconut oil

Equipments required

mandoline slicer
mesh strainer or kitchen paper towels
splatter screen or mesh screen

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preparation

Rinse 3 unripe nendran bananas and dry them with a clean kitchen towel. The bananas have to be completely unripe with a green skin.
In a large bowl take 4 cups water and add 1 teaspoon turmeric powder.
Mix very well with a spoon.
Now peel the nendran plantains. Don't throw away the peels. With the peels you can make delicious banana peel thoran.
Halve the peeled bananas and place them in the turmeric water for 30 to 40 minutes. They should be completely immersed in the water.
Before frying, take ½ cup water in another bowl along with 1 tablespoon salt.
Mix very well. Keep the salt solution aside.
Now take two banana pieces and wipe them dry with a clean kitchen towel.
They should be thoroughly dried before you slice them. Ensure there are no water droplets or any moisture on them.

Making kerala banana chips

Heat 1.5 cups coconut oil in a kadai for deep frying.
If you do not have coconut oil, then you can use sunflower oil or any oil for frying. Keep the heat to medium.
For slicing bananas its better to use a mandoline slicer as the slices are thin. Thin slices make for crispy chips.
Add a thin slice of one or two banana chips in the oil. If they come up steadily on top, the oil is ready.
The oil has to be medium hot, so fry on medium heat. Do not fry on low heat as the banana chips will absorb too much oil.
Using the mandoline slicer directly slice the banana over the oil. Be careful while doing so.
Alternatively you can slice the banana chips in a tray or plate and add the slices in the oil.
As soon as you add the slices stir them with a slotted spoon. Do not overcrowd the kadai with the banana slices while frying.
Begin to fry on medium heat and in between you can turn over the banana chips.
Keep on turning them and frying until they become lightly crisp.
Then sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the salt solution on the oil. For a more salty taste you can sprinkle 2 teaspoons salt water. But be careful when doing this as the oil sizzles and splutters a lot.
As soon as the oil bubbles and sizzles, quickly cover the kadai with a splatter screen or mesh screen (if you have one) or else skip. With the splatter screen the oil does not splutter outside.
After adding the salt solution, continue to fry until the sizzling and bubbling sound stops.
The banana chips will be completely crispy and when you move them towards the side of the pan, you will hear a crispy sound.
With a large slotted spoon, remove the banana chips draining the extra oil in the kadai.
Place the chips in a large mesh strainer which is placed below a pan or bowl. This helps in draining the extra oil if any.
Alternatively you can also place the fried banana wafers on kitchen paper towels.
This way fry the banana chips in batches. While frying the later batches, if the chips taste too salty, then you can opt to add ½ teaspoon of the salt solution to the hot oil.
As soon as the banana wafers cool down at room temperature, place them in a jar. Cover tightly and store at room temperature.
Enjoy Nendran Banana Chips as a snack.

Notes

If using regular plantains, then use 3 large plantains weighing 500 to 550 grams.
Instead of coconut oil, you can use sunflower oil for frying.
If you do not have a mandoline slicer, then with a knife slice the bananas very thinly on a chopping board. Then add them in the hot oil.
Fry chips on medium heat. On a low heat, the banana chips absorbs a lot of oil. On a high heat they won't cook properly and evenly.
Note that the approximate nutrition info is for 1 cup of Kerala banana chips.

Nutrition