Crispy Nendran Banana Chips

Nendran, a variety of banana growing in some parts of South India is the most suitable variety for making chips. Traditionally, raw Nendran bananas are skinned, made in to thin slices and then deep fried in coconut oil. During deep frying little bit of water mixed with salt and turmeric powder is added over the slices in the oil to make them salty and also yellow in color.

In our home garden we have a few Nendran banana trees. You can see in the picture that one banana has almost turned to yellow and started to ripen. This is the good time to harvest the bananas. You can use a few raw bunches at the bottom to make Nendran chips and the rest can be eaten as fruit after ripening.

We use a hand-slicer to make thin slices from the bananas. The thickness of the slices can be adjusted as per your liking. However, for Nendran chips do not make very thin or thick slices. About one mm thick slices are good for the chips.

Traditionally, coconut oil is used for deep-frying the Nendran chips, which will give a pleasant aroma while eating. About half a liter of coconut oil will be sufficient for a bunch of large sized bananas.

Here, I have used the bottom-most bunch for making the slices

• Separate bananas from the bunch
• Cut and separate the black end with the perianth
• Make a thin longitudinal cut just to pierce the skin on one of the raised edges
• Now you can very easily peel of the skin
• Store peeled bananas in a container.

The peels can be used as compost. I feed them to my Biogas Digester.

As I mentioned earlier, a mixture of salt and turmeric powder with water needs to be added to the slices being fried. Let us prepare the mix and keep it ready.

• Take about 50 to 60 ml of water in a bowl
• Add about a teaspoon of salt
• Add about a teaspoon of turmeric powder
• Mix well and keep aside

We will use this mix while deep frying the slices.

Adjust the Hand slicer blade so that you will get about one mm thick slices. Either you can make longitudinal slices by keeping the peeled banana at an angle or you can keep it straight which will give you round slices. Normally, Nendran chips are made to a round shape only, so I sliced the bananas keeping it straight.

No need to dry the slices. They can be used for deep frying immediately. You can also make slices directly into the hot oil by holding the banana and the slicer over the oil. Most of the commercial Nendran chips makers do like that only. But take care from the hot oil in the pan if you wish to do like that.

• Heat about 500 ml of coconut oil over medium fire in a pan
• When the oil is hot enough add slices from one or two bananas
• Stir well to make even frying
• When the chips are almost done, add a spoonful of salt+turmeric water over the chips being fried
• The oil may make a little splatter but not much. The chips will absorb the salt and the yellow color from the turmeric. No need to add salt afterwards.
• When the chips are fully done, remove and strain out the oil
• Store the hot chips over a metal plate and allow them to cool

Repeat the same process with remaining banana slices. Your crispy Nendran chips are ready.

The Nendran chips can be stored in an air-tight container for a very long time. Enjoy the chips with a cup of hot coffee any time you like. This also serves as an excellent snack for unexpected guests at your home.