Meet the crispy,crunchy,munchy,the traditional,natural snack from Kerala - "Ethakka Upperi" or "Kaya Varathathu" meaning Banana chips Kerala style a.k.a Kerala special plantain chips.When the other parts of India are a huge fan of potato chips etc,every Keralite/Mallu crave for the simple Kerala Banana chips .
Each and every banana chips made Kerala style screams "God's own chips !" - every bite will remind you the plentiful banana trees swaying proud just like the coconut trees ,from home to home in Kerala and the aroma and taste of the banana chips traditionally fried in coconut oil will say its simBly nadan - traditional !
Each and every Kerala special celebrations - Onam and Vishu or any wedding or other special occasion,celebrates this simple ethnic Kerala snack as an integral food item which makes the grand feast of Kerala - Sadya ,crunchy and tasty .I wonder if banana chips is officially the first ever snack made in Kerala by our ancestors because of its wide availability in the state since days immemorial .😏
Kerala special banana chips are made with a special kind of banana or plantain called ethakka /nendran in Malayalam.The nendram pazham we locally call it.This plantains are so edible-y versatile meaning - when it is raw,one can make this Banana chips /ethakka chips with it ,when it ripes,they can be cooked and eaten simply or deep fried to make another snacks like ethakka appam/Pazham Pozhi and sharkara puratti or as dessert as payasam or halwa ...
In Kerala, during olden days,almost every house prepared their own fresh batch of Banana chips during festivals mostly.Making Banana chips used to be a family affair then - some peeled the plantains,some sliced the plantains,some fried the plantains and hardly anyone could stop themselves from tasting the plantain chips ...Gone are those golden days,nowadays,these plantain chips are available in almost every convenience store or any supermarket .Tourist often confuse the chips in packets sold in roadside shops to be potato chips mostly, to be surprised later.
Even though the fresh banana chips are not that frequently made at home,it is very easy to make them with only a few ingredients .
And this is how I make Banana chips Kerala style at home :
Ethakka Upperi |Kaya Varathathu
Ingredients
Plantain - 1 No.
Turmeric powder - 1 Tsp
Salt
Coconut oil
Method :Please watch my Banana chips video that will show you step by step how to make ethakka upperi or Kerala Banana chips at home just like,if not better than the store bought Banana chips :
Did you ever think ,when Potato chips have famous brands like Pringles or Bingo or Lays and Nachos or Tortilla chips have brands like Cornitos and Doritos ,why our simple humble Banana chips from Kerala doesn't even have one ?
If you ask me,I think that's because it is simBly nadan ,the brand "KERALA" all in all .
