Homemade BANANA CHIPS,answer to GUESS THIS and some AWARDS!!!

Banana chips , usually made in Kerala, and known locally as 'upperi', is fried in coconut oil. Both ripe and unripe bananas are used for this variant. Sometimes they are coated with masala or jaggery to form both spicy and sweet variants. It is an integral part of the traditional Kerala meal called sadya during weddings and traditional festivals such as Onam.
To avoid confusion, it may help to understand the difference between banana and plantain. In Kerala, contrary to commonly accepted definitions, plantains are the small sweet fruits and bananas are the large fruits. So in Kerala, unripe bananas (the large fruits) are used to make salted and sweet chips. Partially ripe plantains (the smaller sweeter fruits) are also fried into chips.(Source - wikipedia)

My dad used to buy these fresh chips from a local shop where they prepared the chips right in front of you and pack it.Hmmmmm....so yum and crispy.They were one of my favorites.But now that i am in usa i dont get the chance to eat fresh ones anymore unless i make it at home.So when i saw the raw plantains(big fruit) in the supermarket i grabbed my oppurtunity and fried it on the very same day.They came out just perfect :).

This my 3rd post to the Recipe Marathon.

INGREDIENTS

Raw banana/plantains/big fruit - 4-5 nos

salt water - to season the chips(a tsp and a half salt in 1/2 cup of water)

oil for frying

METHOD

Slit the banana skin along its length 3 -4 times and give a short twist to help loosen it.Using ur knife carefully loosen it's edges and remove it.After removing its skin soak it in water until u r ready to fry otherwise it will turn brown in color.Heat oil in a deep vessel.Wipe off the water using a paper towel and slice the banana using a slicer.It should be sliced very thin as it helps in the crispiness.When the oil gets hot drop the chips and fry for a minute.Pour a couple tsp of salt water.Its important to stand back while doing this as bubbles start to form and as a precaution to avoid the splashing on hand.You can also use latex gloves to help with this.Ones the chips get slightly brown remove it and keep it on a paper towel to remve the excess oil.Let it cool slightly before eating.Serve with coffee or tea and store the rest in a dry container.

Well now on to the answer for the guessing game.First i thank each and everyone for playing along.I had so much fun and i hope the same with all of u too.

I knew my fellow konkani bloggers will guess instantly.Some of u came very close while some did not.First one to respond was ~nm who guessed it correct right away :).Thank u ~nm.Then as expected my dear cousin roopa of rvkitchen treats guessed correct.The others who were also correct are nanditha prabhu,suma , purnima,aparna and 2 anonymous ppl.The ones who came very close to guessing are cham,uma,sagari and kamala.Sukanya, lakshmi,Jamie,meera,thought it as potatoes ,yam or bittergourd.Asha didnt even have a clue ;).

The right answer is BANANA SKIN.One can use the skin of banana in any curry that they make with raw banana itself.They have mild and nutty flavor and tastes fantastic.I made a simple upkari using mustard seeds,turmeric,red chilli pdr and salt.Have it with rice and methi dal (recipe coming soon ) and u r in heaven :).

For the past couple of days i have been been very very lucky.I received 4 awards and i am so happy and touched :).I thank you gals for thinking of me:)..i am really grateful to u all.I hope i can keep upto this.

The first award is "you make my day award" from sukanya ramkumar of hot n sweet bowl.It's one of the sweetest thing one can say to another.You really did make my day :).Thank u sukanya.I will cherish this award for ever.!!

I would like to pass this onto

roopa of rvkitchen treats

suma of suma's cuisine

nanditha Prabhu of satvika

JZ of tasty treats

I hope u guys enjoy this as much as i did receiving it.Congrats girls.

The 2nd award i received is from purnima of fantasy cooking and Trupti of recipe center.Thank u so much purnima and trupti for this rocking girl blogger award ..i am really happy :).

I would like to pass this award to my marathon buddies siri,DK,srivalli,raaga,swati,arundati,lakshmi,divya, and bhags.Girls u rock....i am really having fun running the marathon with u all:).Congrats and enjoy!!!.

MY 3rd award came from swathi of chatkhor.Thank u so much Swathi

“Nice Matters Award is for those bloggers who are nice people; good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world.”

I would like to pass this award to

Roopa of rvkitchen treats

madhuram of eggless cooking

cham of spice club

suma of suma's cuisine

nanditha prabhu of satvika

asha of aroma and foodie hope

divya of easycooking

uma of essence of andhra

divya vikram of dil se

shubha of chutki bhar pyar

madhavi of recipes from my fav.place

Sukanya Ramkumar of hot n sweet bowl

Congrats girls.Enjoy it as much as i did:).

My 4th award is from JZ of tasty treats.This is my 2nd yummy blog award.Thank u so much JZ.I am really happy and thrilled to have received it again:).Roopa of rvkitchen treats started this category of award to appreciate and recognise so many talented bloggers and their recipe.Thank u so much roopa.

"Yummy blog award is the award given to the blog with most yummy recipes/photos".

According to the rules i have state my yummilicious desserts and also pass it onto 4 other bloggers.

My favorite desserts:-

gulab jamun

my mom's carrot halwa

black forest cake

lemon meringue pie

I would like to pass this onto:-

Roopa of rvkitchen treats

suganya of tasty palettes

Zlamushka of spicy kitchen

suma of suma;s cuisine

nanditha prabhu of satvika

congratulation to all of u .Enjoy!!!

This post is not over yet!!!Be sure to check what my marathon buddies are also up to.

DK - Fried Herb Mozzerella

Swathi - Authentic Punju ALOO GOBI

Bhags - Spanakopita

Divya Vikram - Carrot rice

Lakshmi - Mango Fool with Nutmeg

Srivalli - Andhra Mutton Pepper Fry

Arundathi - Bell Peppers

Siri - Hash Brown Melt

FINALLY!!!i can publish thisYYYAAAAAAAAAAYYY:).