Nendrabale Kele (Kerala Banana) Chips (Wafers).

"Hot Nendrabale Kele (Kerala Banana) Chips (Wafers)" ... somehow getting these raw bananas for making of chips is difficult for me as I have to go to the main market for buying it which again may or might not be available ... somehow managed to catch hold of a few raw ones ... but by evening 2 of them could not resist getting ripened ... so manage to prepare only a large bowl of chips ... Karum Kurum ... Sigh almost emptied …. 

** Nendrabale Kele (Kerala Banana) Chips (Wafers) is a world famous snack / chips and almost all Indians are aware of it. Decades back these bananas were available only in the southern parts of India and elsewhere they are known as Kerala cooking bananas while we Konkani Saraswats call it Nendrabale Kele. Development of country has now spread it wide across the country and the world and now are available in most of the prominent cities. This is the most sought after raw banana for preparing of chips / wafers and nothing beats the taste of these freshly deep fried chips hot from the kadai. I grown up watching my Mom prepare them in huge tins and that which we siblings along with our cousins finished off within few days during our holidays. As these chips are famous and known to almost everybody, there is nothing new that I can share here so, I am sharing the recipe right away. Just see to it that you buy very raw bananas with dark green shade of bananas as they begin to ripen fast, you should prepare them immediately. The one’s I bought was slightly ripened by evening, so that is one thing you have to keep in your mind when you want to prepare these chips. 

** Here is the Method of preparing "Hot Nendrabale Kele (Kerala Banana) Chips (Wafers)" … My Mom’s Style … 

** In a small bowl add in 1 cup of water with 2 tsp of salt and mix well. Keep this ready aside. This is to be added into the oil when the chips are half done. The procedure adds in salt to the wafers and also gives the wafers/chips that added crispiness. Some people add in a little bit of turmeric/haldi powder too, but I do, in fact I don’t think any Amchi does. The traditional Konkani Saraswat Method of preparing the wafers do not follow that method as the bananas when deep fried turn yellow in color when deep fried and there is not point in doing so. Prepare the salt water and keep it ready aside.

** Preparing the Bananas for making Chips / Wafers : With a sharp knife make a sharp cut only on the outer skin portion of the banana lengthwise all round the banana. The cut should be just deep enough on the skin portion and should not cut the banana within. So keep a keen watch for it and be careful. You can make about six such cuts all round the bananas. This is done to remove the outer skin of the bananas properly as otherwise it become difficult as it is raw. 

** Keep a thick bottomed kadai with plenty of oil for deep frying on heat as you prepare the bananas. Now with the help of sharp knife try removing the outside skin where you have made the cut by holding the knife at 90 deg angle and lifting the skin. You can watch any you tube for the same or ask your relative of friendly neighbor for the same. Watching someone do this live is the best method to learn kitchen tricks as nothing beats observation. 

** Once you peel off the skin of the bananas you need to put them in water if you are preparing the chips in bulk so that they do not blacken. I have not done so as I prepared wafers out of only about 5 large sized bananas. I peeled off the skin of 2 first and as frying was going on simultaneously removed the others, you can follow this method too. In case you are preparing in bulk put it in normal water. But before you start making chips, it has to be removed and put on a thick cotton towel and dried well and then sliced to wafers. 

** Check the oil, it has to come to a smoking point, then lower the heat and wait for 3-4 minutes. Now hold the slicing machine on your left hand about 12 inches above the hot oil horizontally giving a 40 deg angle and then with your right hand slice each banana rapidly to fall directly into the oil. Tricky ?? yes, but once you learn it is breeze work. Slice that much bananas only how much the kadai will hold. Do not overcrowd the kadai there should be enough space for the wafers to get cooked and keep the heat between high to medium high and maintain the same throughout frying of chips. 

** Warning : If you are new you must be VERY CAREFUL while preparing the chips directly on the kadai. Many other chips sometimes are sliced into a tray and then added into the oil, but banana wafers / chips are always done directly into the oil, as they tend to otherwise stick to each other and droping them into oil with hands becomes that much more difficult. When done directly into the hot oil, as the thin wafers fall into the oil, they get coated immediately with hot oil, and this is what keep them separate thought the frying process. 

** Again, remember the heat level of the oil should be constant and there should be not variation in it or else the chips will not get evenly fried, they will either be overdone or less done and remain soft. Also, the important point is your hands should be steady. As you hold the slicer on the left hand if your hands are unsteady there is the risk of it slipping off your hand, so is the case with banana, they should not slip off and fall into the hot oil which may result into a mess and the hot oil getting not only spilt over, but on hands. So, be careful, watch someone do it and then follow the same. 

** Once the sizzling sound of cooking the chips lessens add in 2-3 tblsp of the prepared salt water gently into the oil, taking care to stay a little bit far lest the bubbles erupt on your hand. The sizzling of the salt water stops in a few minutes and that is the indication that the wafers are done. Now with the help of a slotted/ringed spatula remove the wafers from the oil holding it for a few second above the oil, for excess oil to get drained into the kadai. Put them in a tray with has been lined with an absorbent paper. Proceed with the remaining bananas in similar method and prepare the wafers / chips till all are done. 

** "Hot Nendrabale Kele (Kerala Banana) Chips (Wafers)" are done and ready to be served. You can serve them fresh as a snack during tiffin time with some hot tea/coffe/soup and relish the same. Once it is cooled, put it in an airtight container and store in a dry place. They remain good for almost three weeks provided they remain that long. I do not prepare in bulk as we prefer having them fresh, so they are over maximum with a week in my home. But if you have children who are always demanding for more, do make an attempt to try these out and store them, specially during holidays and enjoy them also with your family and friends. 

** There are many more varieties of wafers / chips that can be prepared with different types of veggies and I will be including them soon enough. Till then do try these out and enjoy the winter season relishing them with some hot soup. You can use the search option or go via the label section for wafer / chips and try out some of the other chips posted before in the blog. Do try out various dishes from the blog and if you like them please do leave in a comment and if you have any doubts too you can do the same, I will try to get back to your as soon as possible. 

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** I am happy to inform you that I have also started a food group for by the name "KONKANI DELICACIES" which is over and year old, with about 19K strong members. It is a pleasure to inform that you will find in the group many more recipes posted by our expert members and you too can share some of your own. The link to the group is posted on the left side of the blog page. Do join us in our culinary journey. I strongly believe in Sharing and always endorse that "Sharing Is Caring" … Thank You ….