Banana Berati / Plantain Preserve:

Whenever you have large stock of over ripe bananas, this is one such procedure one can follow and finish off all the stock and preserve this for future use. This preserve stays good almost a year or more in the freezer. It is a very handy when you want to make banana payasam/kheer or HalwaHere I have used yellow small variety of banana from Mangalore and we call this as Kadali.

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Ingredients:

Over ripe banana – 22

Sugar – 1 bowl 

Method:

 Put all the peeled bananas to mixer grinder and make a smooth paste.

  Measure this by using any bowl of your choice. If this paste is 3 cups in quantity take one cup of sugar in that same measurement cup.

  So, your ratio of banana paste and sugar will be 3:1.

Take one thick bottomed kadai, put this paste and keep gas flame in a very low flame and cook for a while.

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       When it changes its colour to milky white, then to a pale colour and when you smell the banana flavour in the air, add sugar and mix this in a regular interval.

   After some time, it will turn into a pinkish or reddish colour and it will start to leave the sides of the kadai. Now it is the time to remove it from the fire.

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   Keep as it is and when it reaches room temperature; store it in an airtight container or a zip lock.

   You can do this in a microwave as well. Only thing, you should remove the glass bowl at regular intervals and give a stir and proceed as given above.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mango Jam:

Who doesn’t love Mango? Unfortunately, all good things only last a while, but no worries, one can preserve mango by making some homemade jams to savour even after its season ends.!

I started making this Jam almost 3 years back and want to share my recipe before it vanishes from the market for this year. So, yesterday I made this and I’m sharing it with you all-

Thanks to my dear friend Poornima, who provides me with a whole lot of home grown organic Mango’s from their garden.

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Now I will proceed towards the procedure-

Ingredients:

Mango’s – 500 Grams

Sugar- 500 grams

Saffron – 8 to 10 strands

Red chilli flakes – 1 teaspoon

Method:

 Wash, Peel the mangoes and chop.

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  Make puree by putting it in a mixer/ juice jar without adding any water.

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  Sieve this pulp to remove fibres (Here I have taken little fibrous home-grown variety)

  Collect the smooth pulp and heat it in a low fire, until it starts boiling.

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 Add sugar, saffron and red chilli flakes and cook until it is done.

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  To check the doneness, take some water in a small bowl, drop the cooked mixture in it, immediately it should form a thick mass. If it dissolves, then you should proceed cooking.

 When it is done, remove from the fire and cool completely.

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 Store this in a clean, dry bottle and refrigerate.

NOTE:

-If you use very sweet mango, adjust the quantity of sugar.

-If you use Alphonso variety, no need of sieving and you can directly proceed towards cooking after making pulp.

– If Mango is very sweet, then add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice at the end to give little tangy taste.