Banana Chips from malenadu are made the traditional way: raw banana slices fried in coconut oil, with a light touch of salt and turmeric. They are thin, crisp and carry that coconut oil aroma you only get from proper coastal Karnataka and Kerala style chips.
Ingredients in our Banana Chips
Raw banana, coconut oil, salt and turmeric powder. Nothing else. No preservatives, no artificial colour and no flavour enhancers.
Coconut oil is what makes the real difference. Many packaged chips are fried in cheaper refined oils to save cost. Frying in coconut oil gives a cleaner taste and a lovely golden colour, helped along by a pinch of turmeric. It also gives the chips that familiar smell that takes you straight back to your grandmother’s kitchen.
How the chips are made
Raw bananas are peeled, sliced thin and fried in coconut oil with salt and turmeric until the slices turn crisp and golden. They are then drained, cooled fully and packed. It sounds simple, but it needs a steady hand and a lot of experience to get the thickness, the oil temperature and the salt right in every batch.
Taste and texture
Crunchy, lightly salted and not oily to touch. They are not spicy, so they work for everyone in the family, from small kids to grandparents. Each chip snaps cleanly and the coconut oil flavour stays with you after the last bite.
How to enjoy salted Banana Chips
- With evening tea or coffee
- As a side with a South Indian meal, the way chips are served with an Onam sadya
- Packed in school and office tiffin
- As a snack for long bus and train journeys
- On a festival plate along with sweets
Pack size and storage
Each pack contains 100g of banana chips. Once opened, move the chips to an airtight jar and keep them away from moisture. In the monsoon, chips can go soft if left open even for an hour, so close the jar properly every time.
Why coconut oil chips cost a little more
Coconut oil is more expensive than palm or refined oil and chips fried in it need more care. We still use it because that is how banana chips are meant to be made and because it simply tastes better. You will notice the difference from the first handful.
A few simple ideas
Crush a handful of banana chips and sprinkle it over a bowl of curd rice or a plate of poha for some crunch. Mix them with roasted peanuts and a little chilli powder for a quick chakna. Some of our customers keep a small jar in the car for long drives, as the chips do not make the seats sticky or messy. And if you have guests coming over at short notice, a bowl of banana chips with hot coffee never fails.
Children usually love them too, since they are salty and crunchy without being spicy. Just keep a glass of water handy. Once the pack is open, it is very hard to stop at a few, so do not say we did not warn you.
From the malenadu collective
malenadu is a farmer producer company from the Western Ghats of Karnataka. We work with small producers who make snacks in small batches using traditional recipes. When you buy from us, the money goes directly to the people who grow and make the food, without middlemen in between.
More from malenadu
Also try our Ripened Jackfruit Chips or browse all malenadu snacks. If you want to read more, Wikipedia has a short piece on banana chips.
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