Banana (Nandrabale Kele) Halwa.

Banana (Nandrabale Kele) Halwa garnished with Almond Flakes .... Simple, sweet and delicious Dessert ...... No one can say no to ..... Yumz .....

Nendra Bale is a kind of Bannana that is widely used in southern parts of India. This is a very common banana that is large in size and is best eaten either steamed or cooked in some form as the banana is considered difficult to digest unlike other bananas that are eaten as it is when ripe. This banana is used in many ways. When unripe we can prepare chips / wafers of the same and as they ripen halwa is prepared of the same. Many a variety of sweet dishes are also prepared out of the same. Nendrabale Halvo a halwa that is thick and sliced and keeps fresh for over 3 weeks is the most famous of all. I have already posted many dishes, halvo, steamed, bajo, fritters, podi, with kajoor  etc. This halwa is the most simple one of them all. Yet very tasty and can be prepared in a jiffy. Also this halwa can be relished both hot or cold as per individual choice. You can serve the same as Naivedyam too or prepare them on any auspicious day too. Without running into much details let me share the recipe, but remember to use nendrabale banana for this one as other variety of banana will neither give you the same texture nor the taste. I have added in a picture of the same so that you can identify the banana if your are not aware of the same. By and large this is available all over the world in southern Indian stores. 

You will need about 4 large sized Nendrabale Bananas for this halwa. 

Peel of the skin of nendrabale bananas and cut them into pieces or rings. 

Put them all in a thick bottomed kadai / pan with 1 large tablespoon of fresh homemade ghee and mix well. Put on medium heat with ¼ th cup of water. Cover and let cook stirring in between often. Crush the bananas as your stir them so that they become a pulpy mass as you cook. Once the banana is cooked well, it turns out very soft and pulpy. So mash it well. 

Now add in 1 cup of sugar and mix well. The amount of sugar to be added depends upon individual liking of sweetness. Plus or minus depending upon how much you like. But I have added one cup which is sweet enough for my liking. The sugar will melt and the mixture will become thinner. Let it simmer till it become thicker and turns out mushy. The water should not leaves from the sides of the mixture. It may take about 5-8 mins on medium heat. Remove and allow to cool a bit. Add in ¼ tsp of cardamom powder and 1 tblsp of almond flakes to garnish the halwa. 

The Nendrabale Kele / Banana Halwa is ready to be served. You can add in some roasted cashew pieces too. But goes best with almond. You can have the same with roti, poori or any other pancake or toast of your choice or serve it just as it is. Which is what we south Indian do. We love this dish as it as a dessert. So go ahead and prepare the same and enjoy with your family and friends. You can prepare this one a day in advance and serve it later on. If you want to serve hot just microwave for 1 minute and serve it hot. You can serve the same as Naivedyam too.