 Sweet Fried Bananas |
I remember these from my childhood – my grandmother used to make these every once in a while, and less frequently, my mother too. Less frequently, because they use a different type of banana called ‘Narenda-parram’ (pronounced quite differently -na-ainda-payyam or whereabouts), which aren’t widely available in North India. Much firmer than the normally available variety, these are the bananas used to make the very popular fried banana crisps/chips. They have a different flavor too.
Making this is quite simple. Just peel them, slice in half lengthways and fry in clarified butter (ghee). Then sprinkle with sugar and perhaps a little powdered cinnamon and you’re set. Children love it and so do I! - Sid |
Sweet Fried Bananas
– September 17, 2008Posted in: Columns & Recipes
mmmmmmmmmmm……….., mmmmmmmmmmm……….., mmmmmmmmmmm……….., mmmmmmmmmmm……….., mmmmmmmmmmm………..
WAAAHHHVVVV(Saif style)
Sweet n Hot Fried Bananas…
This one is surely for tail-less apes(us humans) n not for jungle ones. ;P
Ooh I remember these from my childhood too! A Kerala specialty that my mom adopted.
Living in the South, fritters were always on the menu when the fruit was in season…
I’ve never tried fired bananas before but this sounds so simple and yummy! I will definitely have to try :]
@Jas: Good to see you back!
@Natasha:
@Angel: You must! I’m not sure you’ll find the same bananas, so you may wish to find a firm variety.
Its Nendra payyam. Theres no english equivalent for the pronounciation of this word.
Simply put its the large yellow bananas that grow in hot wet tropical climates only.
Apparently, all the bananas sold in UK are the same variety, wherever they come from – can you imagine if the whole crop became diseased? There would be no bananas for me!
You could try using them. While the flavor is different, it still tastes quite nice. The only other issue is of firmness – but I guess we won’t know till we try.
Its nice to see that my pronunciation of the word has been vindicated by your mom
I whipped up a batch of your fried sweet bananas for my husband David and he LOVED them.
Thanks for sharing,
“chiff0nade” (now posting as Louis Wyers since my wonderful wedding).
Clearwater Beach, FL 33767
realchiffonade@gmail.com
(727) 467-9009
@Chiff0nade: Please go away.
It’s so simple and looks so delicious!
That’s not Chiffonade.
That’s Charles Treuter, the Tastespotting Stalker, (also known as DocChuck) posing as her.
He’s a twisted internet troll.
Read about him here (“I don’t own the dog!”)
http://www.newsgroper.com/gordon-ramsay/2007/12/21/a-recipe-inspired-by-paula-deen?page=1
@Van Gearhart: ‘twisted’ is right… I’ve read that one. thanks!
@Hillary: Thanks!
Actually, since I am the REAL “chiff0nade”, a graduate of Peter Kump’s Culinary school in my hometown of Brooklyn, NY, and the Senior Adviser of SeriousEats website, I am a bit disturbed at whoever it is that is posting as ME!
I am VERY famous since I am the owner of the CassandraCrossing website.
NOW, having said that, I simply ADORE your fried sweet bananas. And I will be recommending your recipe to all of the wonderful women on my websites, the CassandraCrossing and SeriousEats.
Louise (“chiff0nade” and “therealchiffonade”)
Clearwater Beach, FL 33767
(727) 467-9009
See what I mean?
Check out his My Space page: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=413052639
banana are delicious and good for the health. there a saying an apple a day keeps the doctor away. now it was rephrase like this ” a banana a day keeps the doctor away. banana is more nutritious than the apple.
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That sounds like a great idea to put ghee on bananas. hmmmm…I think I have my next project.
@Daniel: If you go by Indian tastes, anything with ghee sprinkled over is good.
Having said that, ghee fried bananas aren’t that common – so go ahead and try it out – I’m sure you’ll love them.
Being from Australia, I hadn’t heard of doing anything special with bananas, until I ‘came across’ Gordon Ramsay ‘s Cookalong Live – in the Asian Night Episode (which I think is number 5) – They were great, so I’ll give this twist a try.
Thanks you!
@Chief Plonker:
Let us know how they turn out!
To coin and English phrase – it wasn’t my cup of tea – but my guests enjoyed it (or so they said!) – I think I made Gordon Ramsay proud!
Yum! I’m back from a trip with the family and I think the kids will really enjoy these – I’ll give them a shot. I always look for new recipes and always come back to your site first! Thanks Sid!
@David: Thanks and hope you had a good trip. I’m sure your kids will enjoy them… perhaps a scoop of vanilla ice cream with the hot fried bananas may be worth a try.
@David: Just saw your post about the ‘Really cool recipe site…’ – thank you!
A beautiful photo! I just saved your recipe–unfortunately I will probably serve it over ice cream.
)
@Linda: Thank you – I think the ice cream will go well. Perhaps some brown sugar instead of normal sugar will be nice too.
That’s called Nendram Pazham and its majorly grown in Kerala. The dish what you call as Sweet fried bananas are famously called Pazham Pori in Kerala and its highly common and available at all eateries including tea shops and hotels.
It’s a traditional food of kerala.
Regards
B.S.Prasad
@Prasad: Thanks for stopping by. I *knew* I had the english transliteration wrong.
Yes, it is a traditional malayali dish, which I first ate with my grandmother, who was a malayali.
I love your blog, it is surprising who your country has many dishes similar to the ones of my country. My grandma has a large banana plantation and in the morning will place the bananas inside the fire until the skin was all black, then she will open it and place the slice banana in a bowl of milk for us kids. This was a great breakfast, anyway I love them fried too.
@Mely: Thank you. Those roasted bananas sounds interesting. Perhaps I could try to do the same in my oven.
dear Bs prasad. pazham pori is nedra payam dipped in maida batter and deep fried in coconut oil..
as far as i know this is called payam vaatiyathu.. try this seperately with butter,, khee , coconut oil of palm oil and you will have differently tasting payam vaatiyathu… this goes best with pathiri ( very thin rould roti’s made up of rice dough)
and sid… keep up the good work….. i think you should try out the various malabari delicassies like.. unnakkaya , payam narachathu, mutta mala, chattipathiri. ( my fav ) erachi pathiri. alsa……
@Arthaf: Thanks! I do want to try out more south Indian stuff, especially food from Kerala… finding the ingredients sometimes becomes a hassle though.
Arthaf , I must thank you for reminding me of the Vast and extremely delicious Malabar Muslim Cuisine. My mother used to rave about Mutta mala and arachi pathiri. Could you share the recipes with us for both these dishes? My mother used to replicate the “arachi Biryani” as well.
Forgive me for being honest vinny…… I have no recipes up my sleeve right now. . . . whenever i have ….. would definetely share them with you… Coz I get more engrossed in just feasting on these items than get into the nitty grittys.. My mom Cooks ……. and I like an ideal son eat all that she cooks.. Fish Dum Biryani must be an alien affair for many but it is a routine whenever i am home… . . .
Sid . . Needed your help…
Could you suggest some good restaurants specializing in Kerala Food…. Somewhere in or around south delhi … thanks
Got the recipe…… . here it is…….
Mutta Mala and Kinnathappam
Servings : 2
Time Taken : 15-30 mins
Ingredients
For Mutta Mala:
eggs – 15
sugar – 500gms
water – 3cups
For Kinnathappam:
eggs – 15
cardamom powder – 6 nos.
left over syrup from mutta mala
Separate the yolks and whites of the egg. Keep the whites for kinnathappam.
Strain the egg yolk through a muslin cloth into a clean dry bowl.
Clean a coconut shell and make a very small hole at the center.
Put sugar and 2 cups of water in a wide heavy vessel. Add a little egg white, rubbing it well.
Place it on the fire. When it boils remove all the scum.
Remove it from the fire and strain through a muslin cloth.
Heat it again and make syrup of one string consistency.
Take the coconut shell and fill it with egg yolk, stopping the hole with the finger.
Remove your finger and pour the yolk in the boiling syrup in a circular motion to form chain like strings.
Pour it continuously until the egg yolk in the shell has all been used up. By this time the yolk will be cooked.
Reduce the heat and sprinkle a little cold water.
Remove the egg strings from the syrup with out breaking them.
Spread in a thali and keep slightly raised to remove the excess syrup.
Use up all the eggs yolks this way. When the syrup becomes thick add a little water to bring it back to one string consistency.
Arrange the mutta mala or the garlands in a large plate and put kinnathappam in the middle.
Note the left over syrup can be used for kinnathappam.
Method for Kinnathappam:
Beat the egg whites well.
Cool the mutta mala syrup and add it to the egg white.
Beat till frothy. Add cardamom powder.
Heat water in pressure cooker.
Grease a wide vessel and pour in the beaten egg white.
Steam it in the pressure cooker till firm.
Remove and cool.
Cut into diamond shaped pieces and serves with the muttamala.
Note: Duck eggs are better because the yolk will be red
Making time: 1 hour
Makes: 4-5 serving
Shelf life: Best fresh
pst….. I am not a great fan of Mutta mala though
An ethnic Moplah feast
The Malayalam speaking Muslims of Kerala, more particularly in the northern districts known as Malabar, are known as Moplahs. The term is derived from Mapillai, meaning newlywed groom or son-in-law of the house (both in Tamil and Malayalam). It might also have come from Mahapillai or a person held in esteem and respect. Their ancestry goes back to the Arabs who had come to trade with Kerala, famed for its pepper and spices not to mention the ubiquitous coconut and its many byproducts. The trade had been going on for long, well before the birth of Prophet Muhammad and continued with the advent of Islam. The local chieftains of Kerala with its long coastline welcomed traders from beyond the seas and the local inhabitants did not lag behind in receiving them with open arms.
Many sailors had to stay behind during the monsoon. It was but natural for them to intermarry with the locals. In course of time religious conversions came as a matter of course, especially when the local Malayalis found they could free themselves from the shackles of caste by adopting the new battle.
It should be remembered that not only the first mosque but the first church and the first synagogue were built in Kerala long before foreign hordes stepped on the Indian soil more for loot and plunder than to spread their religion.
The Moplahs continued to speak Malayalam, their mother tongue, and did not care to learn Arabic in a scientific way. However, they developed a sub cultural identity of their own even though they adopted local customs, even to the extent of adopting the matrilinear joint family system in many parts of Kerala.
Rice was the staple item of food and they used coconut oil in cooking. However they displayed marked variations in some food items which came to be associated with the Moplah cuisine. Along with wheat chappatis they had their own rice variants called pathiris (probably the name is derived from Urdu/Hindi word pathli, meaning thin), wafer thin rice dosais cooked over a tava and garnished with coconut milk, and a thicker variety made of ground rice.
Cooked rice was the staple diet. Boiled rice was cooked in the usual way but the average Moplah household preferred par-boiled rice to raw rice. Fried rice called neichoru or ghee rice, was a delicacy meant for special occasions. This dish has now “graduated” into biryani or pulav which must have originally come from Samarkhand with the Moghuls and migrated through the Deccan and the rule of the Arcot Nawabs into Kerala. The Moplah genius has developed many variants of the biryani, some of which are spicy hot to suit local palates.
One particular dish needs special mention as it seems to be totally Arab in origin. The Aleesa is a thick porridge of wheat and lamb meat or chicken generally garnished with ghee and usually eaten with sugar. It can be very filling and is served at marriage feasts as the second item on the menu, before the rice. It used to be a “must” to be served to the puthiyapila or the newlywed groom.
Another Moplah speciality is the Mutta Mala, literally “egg garland”, made from pure egg yolk and cooked in sugar syrup without a trace of oil or fat. Making this noodle like dish requires considerable expertise as the only device used is made from a smooth coconut shell spoon with a hole in the middle, the handle being polished bamboo. The golden yellow egg noodle is spread thinly on a porcelain dish and surrounded by white creamish sweet pudding like pieces made from the white of the egg, thereby ensuring that no part of the egg, except the shell, is wasted. This is a north Malabar speciality and not popular in southern Kerala.
In olden days the groom’s party is first served Mutta Mala followed by Aleesa, the third delicacy being the richly cooked meat or chicken biryani. Why the two sweet dishes are first served followed by biryani is anybody’s guess; though a cynical explanation is that the sweet dishes are meant to kill the appetite of the guests who accompany the groom.
By and large Moplahs are non vegetarians and they insist on the slain fowl being formally cut at the jugular vein to drain the blood. Fish is a much relished item on the menu and is prepared in a variety of ways. Stuffed fish and chicken are special varieties served on festive occasions. Not that vegetables are taboo. Far from it, they form a staple item at all meals. The lowly drumstick including even the leaves, tapioca and yam are all prized vegetables on the menu. Pumpkin is used in the place of the present day potato in meat curries. The average Moplah meal has hardly anything exotic to mark them as outlandish. Puttu, steamed rice cakes served with Kadalai (or fish according to taste, has been the staple Moplah breakfast in most households, rich or poor, as it is in Sri Lanka.
The Moplah marriage is a simple contractual affair, generally the Kazi performing the ceremony between the groom and the bride’s father or male guardian before witnesses and usually entering details on the marriage register kept for the purpose. Although the marriage is arranged by the family elders it is necessary that the girl and groom must meet and each approve of the other and the Kazi must make sure of their mutual consent. A mahar or bride price must be fixed before hand and given over to the girl’s representative in front of the gathering or at least an assurance given that it would be paid.
(The fixing of a dowry payable to the groom is unknown in Islam although now it is flouted in practice).
@Arthaf: Thank you for the recipe and that information – made for very interesting reading! I’m sorry to say, I’m not aware of any Malayali Food restaurant in and around Delhi. The only one I’m aware of is the stall in Delhi Haat, which serves decent food and includes one of my favorites – appams with coconut chicken and potato stew.
What an interesting read, thank you. Since I am interested in all things Indian I enjoyed your short history lesson, more so as it included food.
Ok. . I could not find any good Malayali eating joint here. I thought maybe you could help…
anyways. the search is on………….
will let you know when i find one sid,,,,,
Toni. .. . Thanks……. I m interested in anything which involves Good food. so stumbled upon this article.,,
Arthaf ! Whew! that was indeed very informative. I am glad I reminded you of Mutta mala. My mother was from Cannanore in Kerala and she was a wonderful cook who copied all the recipes she could. However Mutta mala was not one of them. She also spoke of a ‘muzinga’ a peculiar eggy smell that could put off some people from eating Mutta mala. I have never seen or tasted the dish since I was born and raised in Mumbai. However I had an Amai ( mother’s brother’s wife ) who used to make a wonderful fish biryani. I can still savor the smell of that Biryani. She used an “Urulu” (a deep wide heavy bottomed copper vessel) to make it.
I think I would definitely add “attending a Moplah wedding” to my wish list. Thank You Arthaf.! Shall definitely let you know if I can find some kerala restaurants in Delhi. There are one or two definitely and I will try and get you the location. Leela Penta is definitely one of them. ” Ambience Mall, Gurgaon is the location.
I was just wondering how come the person who asked for the recipe never bothered to look…….
Glad you reminded me of all those good foods. I am working in delhi in the hotel industry and never miss an oppertunity to get back home and hog on the delicasies,… my mother makes wonderful fish biryani , made best with Nai meen. . . everytime i visit this blog and see the pix and write ups my mouth starts watering., . . life would have been such a waste if we humans didnt know how to cook. . .. would definitely try out Leela penta .. thanks a tonne for the advise
Ah! fried nenthra pazham!! loved it as a kid!! We used to snack on it in the evening returning from school. Long tym since I had one.
@Shilpa: Glad you like it!
@abhiram: no problem.
I’m sorry, I don’t recall our last interaction – could you help refresh my memory please?
@Abhiram: Sure. My grandmother was a Malayali and she used to cook them for us.
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For the truth about Charles Treuter/Charles R Treuter/Charles Richard Treuter/DocChuck and 50+ handles (according to one Charles Richard Treuter’s emails to his brothers, Kenneth W. Treuter and Douglas V. Treuter, [add his brothers' names to Charles' handles inasmuch as he is now ILLEGALLY using their names to post his bullshit, racism, perversions and outrageous and outlandish lies]) make your way to a very thorough and thoughtful exposé of this vile and potentially DANGEROUS troll and wasted human existence:
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