Homemade Banana Chips Recipe | Raw Banana Wafers (2 Ways)

Banana Chips is one snack that is liked by many people and can be easily made at home. In this post, I am sharing two such methods.

• Recipe 1 – Easy and Simple Banana Chips that can be made from any variety of raw unripe bananas.
• Recipe 2 – Kerala Style Banana Chips made with unripe nendran bananas and coconut oil.

Easy Banana Chips Recipe

These are easy and simple homemade tasty banana chips that I often make at home. Since they can be made with any variety of unripe bananas. I generally use Robusta Bananas.

These banana chips are good tea time snacks or any time snack when you want to munch something while reading a book or enjoying the monsoon rains. I generally like to have some homemade snacks at home for this purpose.

These Banana chips can also be had in fasting or Vrat during the Navratri festival.

Before the fasting period starts, you can just make a good batch and store in an air-tight container. These are fried, so obviously they will be loaded with calories.

Tips for making banana chips

1. I have sliced the banana with a mandoline in a bowl of water first. The slices are kept in the water, so that they don’t darken. I then drained them batch by batch, wiped them dry with clean kitchen towels and then fried. You can also directly slice the banana in the oil and fry. Though this requires some practice.
2. Also, you really need to make these slices thin, so I would suggest using a slicer which slices very thinly.
3. While frying, don’t add too much of the slices and don’t overcrowd. The slices stick to each other and don’t become crisp. So you have to fry in batches.
4. I have seasoned the banana chips with black pepper & salt. Though you can use red chili powder or your own choice of herbs and spices.
5. These banana chips can be baked too. However, I did not have great results with baked banana or potato chips. So I got back to the old method of frying them.

Keep in mind, that your fingers will also blacken when slicing the raw banana, but thats a small price you have to pay to enjoy these homemade banana chips.

I did not throw the banana peels. I soaked them in water and kept in the fridge. The next day I made a really really good banana peel thoran with them.

So whenever you use raw banana, you don’t need to throw the peels. You can make a nice stir fried dish or sabzi with them.

I already have similar snack recipes on my blog like:

• Potato chips
• French fries
• Potato wedges

Note: This Banana Chips Recipe is from the archives (August 2013) and has been republished and updated on 14th September 2020.

Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.

Banana Chips

By Dassana Amit

These are easy and simple homemade tasty banana chips made from raw unripe bananas.

4.89 from 18 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Cuisine Indian

Course Snacks

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Servings 4

Units

Ingredients

• ▢ 4 medium sized raw bananas
• ▢ 3 to 4 cups water
• ▢ salt as required
• ▢ freshly crushed black pepper as required
• ▢ oil for deep frying

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Instructions

 

preparing banana chips slices

• Peel one banana first.
• Pour the water in a bowl.
• Using a mandoline slicer, slice the banana directly into a bowl of water. So that the slices fall in the water.
• Take another banana and slice in the same way. slice the rest of the banana in a similar way.
• Heat oil for deep frying in a kadai or wok.
• Remove some of the banana slices from the bowl of water and dry them with clean kitchen towels or napkins.

frying banana chips

• When the oil is medium hot, add the slices and fry on medium heat. don't overcrowd.
• Stir with a slotted spoon so that the slices don't stick to each other.
• Fry till you see the sizzling & bubbles in the oil becoming less and less and almost disappear.
• The slices would have changed color and become crisp also.
• Remove the fried banana chips with slotted spoon and then drain on paper towels.
• When they are cooled, immediately place them in an airtight jar or a container and cover the lid tightly.
• Fry the remaining raw slices in batches in similar manner.
• When all the banana chips are done and inside the jar, then sprinkle salt and pepper in the jar. Shake the jar.
• Serve them whenever you or your family wants them.

About Kerala Style Banana Chips

These Kerala banana chips are crispy and tasty chips made with unripe nendran bananas and coconut oil. Its the frying in coconut oil and the firm texture of the nendran bananas that sets these crispy chips apart from the regular fried Banana chips.

These banana chips are also known as ethakka upperi in Malayalam language. They are also served in the onam sadya meal.

Growing up nendran chips used to a favorite with us siblings as my dad would get them for us from his visits in Kerala. We used to call these banana wafers.

Nendran plantains are not easily available everywhere in India, so you can use other varieties of unripe raw bananas. In Kerala cuisine, raw bananas (plantain) or ripe bananas are added in many recipes.

In this recipe post, I am sharing a Detailed method to get the perfect taste and texture in the fried banana wafers. these homemade chips taste better than the store brought banana chips. They are so good and tasty.

While its easy to deep fry any dish, The method for deep frying nendran banana chips is different. Using the method as mentioned in the step by step post below, you can fry any quantity of banana chips. You can easily halve or double the recipe.

How to make Kerala banana chips

1. Rinse 500 to 550 grams or 3 unripe nendran bananas and dry them with a clean kitchen towel. The bananas have to be completely unripe with a green skin.

2. In a large bowl take 4 cups water.

3. Add 1 teaspoon turmeric powder.

4. Mix very well with a spoon.

5. Now peel the nendran plantains. Don’t throw away the peels.

6. Halve them and place them in the turmeric water for 30 to 40 minutes. They should be completely immersed in the water. Keeping the bananas in turmeric water helps to get rid of the stickiness and prevents the bananas from darkening .

7. Before frying, take ½ cup water in a bowl.

8. Add 1 tablespoon salt.

9. Mix very well. Keep the salt solution aside.

10. Now take two banana pieces and wipe them dry with a clean kitchen towel. They should be completely dry before you slice them.

Frying Kerala banana chips

11. Heat 1.5 cups coconut oil in a heavy kadai for deep frying. If you do not have coconut oil, then you can use sunflower oil or any oil for frying. Keep the flame to medium.

12. Add a thin slice of one or two banana chips in the oil. If they come up steadily on top, the oil is ready. The oil has to be medium hot, so fry on medium flame. Do not fry on low flame as then chips will absorb too much oil.

13. for slicing bananas its better to use a mandoline slicer as the slices are thin. Thin slices make for crispy chips.

14. Using the mandolin slicer directly slice over the oil. Be careful while doing so. Alternatively you can slice the banana chips with the mandolin slicer on a tray or plate and then add the slices in the oil.

15. As soon as you add the slices stir them with a slotted spoon.

16. Do not overcrowd the kadai with the banana slices while frying.

17. Begin to fry on medium flame.

18. In between, you can turn over the banana chips.

19. Fry the chips till they start turning crisp.

20. Keep on turning them and frying till they become lightly crisp. As soon as the bananas are added in oil, it takes about 5 to 6 minutes for the bananas to become lightly crisp. Timing will vary with the thickness & make of the kadai, the intensity of flame and the amount of banana chips added to oil.

21. As soon as they become lightly crisp, then sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the salt solution on the oil. For a more salty taste you can sprinkle 2 teaspoons salt water. Sprinkle salt solution all over and evenly.

22. Be careful when doing this as the oil sizzles and splutters.

23. As soon as the oil bubbles and sizzles, cover the kadai with a splatter screen or mesh screen (if you have one) or else skip. The splatter screen prevents the oil from spluttering outside.

24. After adding the salt solution, continue to fry for 2 to 3 minutes or till the sizzling and bubbling sound stops. When the bubbling sound becomes less or goes away, that time you can remove the splatter screen.

25. The banana chips have to be completely crisp and when you move them towards the side of the pan with the slotted spoon, you should hear the crispy sound.

26. With a large slotted spoon, remove the chips draining the extra oil in the kadai.

27. Place the banana chips in another sieve which is placed below a pan or bowl. This helps in draining the extra oil if any.

28. Alternatively you can also place the fried banana wafers on kitchen paper towels to remove excess oil. This way fry the banana chips in batches. For 3 nendran plantains, I fried in 3 batches. While frying the later batches, if the chips taste too salty, then you can add ½ teaspoon of the salt solution.

29. As soon as the banana wafers cool down at room temperature, place them in a jar. Cover tightly and store at room temperature.

30. Enjoy nendran banana chips as a snack.

Kerala Banana Chips

By Dassana Amit

These Kerala banana chips are crispy and tasty chips made with unripe nendran bananas and coconut oil.

4.73 from 11 votes

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Prep Time 35 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Cuisine Kerala, South Indian

Course Snacks, Starters

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Servings 1 large jar

Units

Ingredients

for soaking bananas

• ▢ 500 to 550 grams unripe nendran bananas or 3 unripe nendran bananas
• ▢ 4 cups water
• ▢ 1 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)

for salt solution

• ▢ ½ cup water
• ▢ 1 tablespoon salt

for frying:

• ▢ 1.5 cups coconut oil

equipments required

• ▢ mandoline slicer
• ▢ strainer or kitchen paper towels
• ▢ splatter screen or mesh screen

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark while making the recipe

Instructions

 

preparation

• Rinse 3 unripe nendran bananas and dry them with a clean kitchen towel. The bananas have to be completely unripe with a green skin.
• In a large bowl take 4 cups water and add 1 teaspoon turmeric powder.
• Mix very well with a spoon.
  
• Now peel the nendran plantains. Don't throw away the peels. With the peels you can make delicious banana peel thoran.
  
• Halve the peeled bananas and place them in the turmeric water for 30 to 40 minutes. They should be completely immersed in the water.
  
• Before frying, take ½ cup water in a bowl along with 1 tablespoon salt.
• Mix very well. Keep the salt solution aside.
• Now take two banana pieces and wipe them dry with a clean kitchen towel. They should be completley dry before you slice them.

making ethakka upperi or kerala banana chips

• Heat 1.5 cups coconut oil in a kadai for deep frying. If you do not have coconut oil, then you can use sunflower oil or any oil for frying. Keep the flame to medium.
• For slicing bananas its better to use a mandoline slicer as the slices are thin. Thin slices make for crispy chips.
• Add a thin slice of one or two banana chips in the oil. If they come up steadily on top, the oil is ready. The oil has to be medium hot, so fry on medium flame. Do not fry on low flame as then the banana chips will absorb too much oil.
• Using the mandoline slicer directly slice the banana over the oil. Be careful while doing so. Alternatively you can slice the banana chips in a tray or plate and add the slices in the oil.
• As soon as you add the slices stir them with a slotted spoon. Do not overcrowd the kadai with the banana slices while frying.
• Begin to fry on medium flame and in between you can turn over the banana chips.
• Keep on turning them and frying till they become lightly crisp.
• Then sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the salt solution on the oil. For a more salty taste you can sprinkle 2 teaspoons salt water. be careful when doing this as the oil sizzles and splutters.
• As soon as the oil bubbles and sizzles, quickly cover the kadai with a splatter screen or mesh screen (if you have one) or else skip. With the splatter screen the oil does not splutter outside.
• After adding the salt solution, continue to fry till the sizzling and bubbling sound stops.
• The banana chips will be completely crisp and when you move them towards the side of the pan, you will hear a crispy sound.
• With a large slotted spoon, remove the banana chips draining the extra oil in the kadai.
• Place the chips in another sieve which is placed below a pan or bowl. This helps in draining the extra oil if any.
• Alternatively you can also place the fried banana wafers on kitchen paper towels. This way fry the banana chips in batches. While frying the later batches, if the chips taste too salty, then you can add ½ teaspoon of the salt solution.
• As soon as the banana wafers cool down at room temperature, place them in a jar. Cover tightly and store at room temperature.
• Enjoy nendran banana chips as a snack.

Notes

Few tips for making ethakka upperi:

• If using regular plantains, then use 3 large plantains weighing 500 to 550 grams. 
• Instead of coconut oil, you can use sunflower oil for frying. 
• If you do not have a mandoline slicer, then with a knife slice the bananas very thinly on a chopping board. Then add them in the hot oil. 
• Fry chips on medium flame. On a low heat, the banana chips absorbs a lot of oil. On a high flame they won't cook properly and evenly. 

Note that the approx nutrition info is for 1 cup of kerala banana chips. 

Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)

Nutrition Facts

Kerala Banana Chips

Amount Per Serving

Calories 225 Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Fat 9g14%

Saturated Fat 7g44%

Sodium 1763mg77%

Potassium 636mg18%

Carbohydrates 40g13%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 19g21%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 1409IU28%

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%

Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 1mg5%

Vitamin B6 1mg50%

Vitamin C 23mg28%

Vitamin E 1mg7%

Vitamin K 1µg1%

Calcium 11mg1%

Vitamin B9 (Folate) 28µg7%

Iron 1mg6%

Magnesium 49mg12%

Phosphorus 43mg4%

Zinc 1mg7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.