Recipe - Aratikaya chips (kache kele ke chips)

Raw plantain chips

Summary

Plantains has high dietary fiber, vitamin c, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. It is good for people suffering with asthma, bronchitis, cancer. By eating plantain or banana, for diabetics, it temporarily increases the blood sugar and insulin level, and also due to the high dietary fiber may lower the risk of type 2 diabetes. Source: Puritan

Plantains can be used for cooking different types of food depending on the ripeness. Raw plantain can be used for making fritters, chips by deep frying, steam cooked to make curries. Banana chips are famous in Kerala and in Gujarati's. The taste may differ from both the regions but the process is almost the same.

I learnt making banana chips from a Gujarati friend of mine. The process is fairly easy, the result is a healthy and nutritious home made snack with better ingredients.

Ingredients

• Raw plantain - 1
• Salt - 1/2 teaspoon
• Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Oil to deep fry - 2 cups to deep fry

Process:

Make thin slices of plaintain with the help of slicer or with knife. I prefer the slicer. Knief kind of cuts it uneven thinckness. The thicker the slick the soggier are th chips. I prefer to slice them very thin, to get the wafer taste and look.

Preheat oil in a deep skillet/kadai. I prefer to slice plantain into the kadai, as I am making the chips (that's how I learnt :-)). You can always slice them in the side and transfer the sliced plantain into the kadai. Deep fry the chips on both side till they are well fried and just before they turn into golden brown. Remove them before they change their color, to retain the perfect color you want, else with the remaining hotness the chips will have burnt taste.

Remove it on to a paper towel, to remove excess oil from the chips.

Sprinkle salt, and red chilli powder. Let it cool before storing in an air tight container.

Shelf life - 1 -2 weeks
Preparation time 15 minutes