Banana (Plantain) chips / Ethakka upperi

Who doesn't like to munch on snack?? I always thought it's too complicated and time consuming to make this and never thought i could make this banana chips at home, even though i have seen my Mother make this several times, especially during Onam and  summer school break. It's a very popular snack in Kerala.

These are made with both ripe and unripe bananas, thinly sliced and deep fried in coconut oil with some sprinkled salt. Nowadays, you find different flavors in store like the spicy ones with red chilli or black pepper powder. Easy and simple to make.

Ingredients:

2 Raw Bananas
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
Oil for deep frying

Method:

• Take a bowl add some water and little turmeric powder and keep it aside.
• Apply some oil on your palm so that your hands doesn't get sticky.
• Take raw plantain, you can also use ripe one but the chips will taste little sweet.
• Take one plantain give a straight slit on the skin this helps to peel the banana easily.
• Once you peel the outer skin, immerse the plantain into the turmeric water for 10-15 minutes. This will remove the stickiness and has no color adding value.
• Take the plantain out of the water and pat them dry.
• Slice them into thin round pieces, you can use knife or slicer and dry them onto kitchen towel.
• Take a small bowl with little water and add salt and turmeric powder into it and keep it aside. Turmeric powder is added to give color to the chips, even though i didn't see much difference as my Mother never added turmeric mixture. She used to sprinkle salt after taking it out from the flame when the chips are hot.
• Heat oil in a deep and wide pan on medium heat ( coconut oil or any oil of your choice).
• Slide the sliced bananas into the oil without overcrowding them. Occasionally stir and flip them, after few minutes while flipping you will hear crackling sound.
• Add 1 tsp of salt mixture to the chips. Be careful while adding this since oil bubbles up a lot. Do not panic bubbling sound will settle down on it's own.
• Cook for second or so and start taking it out with slotted spoon. Drain it out onto the kitchen towel.
• Follow the same steps with the remaining batches.

Pictorial:

Take a bowl add some water and little turmeric powder and keep it aside.

Apply some oil on your palm so that your hands doesn't get sticky.

Take raw plantain, you can also use ripe one but the chips will taste little sweet.Take one plantain give a straight slit on the skin this helps to peel the banana easily.

                             Open with your thumb and remove all the outer skin.

Once you peel the outer skin, immerse the plantain into the turmeric water for 10-15 minutes. This will remove the stickiness and has no color adding value.

Take the plantain out of the water and pat them dry. Slice them into thin round pieces, you can use knife or slicer and dry them onto kitchen towel.

Slide the sliced bananas into the oil without overcrowding them. Occasionally stir and flip them, after few minutes while flipping you will hear crackling sound.

Add 1 tsp of salt mixture to the chips. Be careful while adding this since oil bubbles up a lot. Do not panic, bubbling sound will settle down on it's own.

Cook for second or so and start taking it out with slotted spoon. Drain it out onto kitchen towel. Follow the same steps with the remaining batches.

Notes:

1. You can use any oil for frying but for authentic taste use coconut oil.
2. Banana chips should be very thin and should be separated while adding to the oil or else it will clump together and will be under cooked. 
3. If you are frying several batches, do a taste test in between to see the salt level as oil already has salt from the earlier batch.