Nendra is also known as Kerala Banana. Which is mainly used in chips, if it is raw and firm or Halwa making, when it is ripe and black.
When Chips is made, all the healthy, iron rich and fibre rich peel will be wasted, and it is some what a bi -product of chips making activity.
This palya is normally prepared on previous night of wedding celebrations in our region. Normally plantain chips are an integral part of any festivity meal and it is prepared well in advance, usually process starts from the previous afternoon and peels will be fresh and ready to be used in the previous night’s dinner menu.
It is a very tasty side dish with hot Rasam or as it is with hot rice topped with ghee.
Taste of this dish will be a mixture of sweet, hot and sour and only Raw Nendra banana peel can be used to make this palya.
Ingredients:
Plantain Peel – of 8 to 10 Raw bananas
Tamarind water – ½ to 1 cup
Salt
Jaggery – 1 to 2 table spoons
Red chilli powder – 2 tea spoons
Fresh grated coconut- ¼ cup
Seasoning:
Coconut oil – 2 table spoons
Mustard – 1 tea spoon
Urad dal – 1 tea spoon
Red chilli – 1
Curry leaves – 2 springs
Method:
-Make thin buttermilk water to immerse the chopping’s:-Take one vessel, put 1 spoon of curd or butter milk and add two cups of water.
-Soak one tea spoon of tamarind in a half to one cup of hot water and make tamarind water and keep.
–Wash Plantain peel and keep aside.
-Chop plantain peel into thin strips and put it into thin buttermilk water.
-Take one tawa, add one table spoon of oil, splutter mustard, add urad dal, red chilli and fry until dal becomes red. Add one spring of curry leaves.
-Pour tamarind water, salt, jaggery, red chilli powder and boil.
-Discard butter milk water and keep chopping’s ready for use.
-When it starts boiling, add drained plantain peel chopping’s.
-Close the lid and cook this in a simmer.
-Check for water in-between. If peel is not cooked add some more water.
-When chopping’s are soft and cooked, after water drains, add grated coconut, remaining 1 table spoon of oil and one spring curry leaf.
-Mix everything and cook for 2 to 3 minutes and then switch off.
-Serve with hot rice topped with ghee or as a side dish with rice and Rasam.