Banana chips

In south India, if you visit any bakery shop, you can find banana chips known as yellow chips also because of its colour. I always call it as yellow chips instead of banana chips. In Tamil nadu, Karnataka and Kerala every where we get it and other places also. Whenever my father visits to kerela , the banana chips will be in demand though I get it in Chennai, just for a change to taste the banana chips of kerela.

My mother also prepares banana chips but it won t be like the shops one, but I like it very much. It is easy to prepare. We have it with plain rice and any dal and any veg dish. It is served as a additional side dish like poppa dam (crispy rice and urad dal crackers). In this the raw banana is used small and thick in size, it will not be the long ones. In Chennai, near marina beach, you can see that few dwellers sell bajjis ( fritters fried with besan batter), they use that small raw bananas, which iam using it . You can use any raw banana which is available to you.

Ingredients

Raw banana – 2
Chilli powder – 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/4th (optional)
Salt - as required
Oil - for deep frying

Method

Peel the skin of banana and slice it round shape, with the help of a knife. Can use slicer but it will make the slices very thin, can try if you like very thin slices. If you see in the picture it will not be very thin or thick. It is up to you how you want to slice it.

Heat oil in a kadai, when the oil gets hot, drop the banana slices slowly one by one and fry it with a slotted spoon.

To know weather the oil is hot, drop any small bit size bread, it will come up in a form of fried crumbs or drop one slice of banana, if it gets fried well and floats up immediately, then oil is hot.
Cook it on the medium flame.

Try to separate the banana slices as they attach to each other or stick to each other.
Be careful while frying, as the oil can sizzle sometimes.
When the banana chips are fried well and edges are golden brown can remove it on a plate.

The banana chips are now golden brown and cooked thoroughly.
Remove it with a slotted spoon and drain it on the kitchen paper.
When the chips are hot, it is necessary to sprinkle salt and turmeric and chilli powder according to your taste.
Sprinkle salt and chilli powder, turmeric on chips mix well.

I mix salt, turmeric powder and chilli powder, after removing chips from the plate, not adding it in the oil itself.
If the chips get cold it will not mix well, so the salt and chilli powder is added when it is hot.
It is like a snack or can serve with plain rice with other side dishes.