Authentic Indian Fried Plantain Chips

What are Plantain Chips

Perfectly crisp on the outside and light inside, these South Indian-style banana chips (also known as Vazhakkai chips in Tamil Nadu or Ethakka Varuthathu/Upperi in Kerala) are a staple during festivals and tea time. Whether you enjoy them as a quick evening snack, serve them with chai, or pack them for road trips, they're always a hit. Simple, addictive, and naturally gluten-free - this homemade version proves that the best snacks are often the simplest.

Plantains are close relatives of bananas. While you normally eat bananas raw, plantains are almost always cooked before eating.

Where bananas are sweet, plantains are on the starchy side. And though plantains are technically a fruit, they're commonly eaten like root vegetables.

Some other names of plantains are raw banana, Kacha Kela in Hindi, and Vazhakkai in Tamil.

Besides making fried plantain chips, we also regularly make Plantains Stir-Fry at home and serve it with Sambhar or Rasam. This raw banana curry recipe tastes too good! Banana chips are one of the most popular snacks in the world! This was the first time I made banana chips at home! I have always got these chips from stores and never really attempted to make it at home.

Cilantro Mathri,  Kara Boondi, and Thattai a couple of times.

Why I love them

• These homemade chips taste so much better than the store brought banana chips.
• They are crispy, crunchy, and just perfect! 
• It is a one-ingredient recipe barring the oil and seasonings.
• They can be prepared in just 30 minutes and it stays good for weeks.
• Vegan and gluten-free.

Why these plantains are perfect to make homemade chips? They tend to have more starch content similar to potatoes.

That is why the chips made from this tends to be crispy and easy to handle. They also tend to have less fat than potatoes. 

How to pick the right plantains to make fried banana chips? Need to pick the unripe green variety.

Plus it should be hard to touch. That's the raw banana stage before it ripens. 

Ingredients needed

Do you know why I love this raw banana recipe so much? It's literally a one-ingredient recipe! Yes, all you need is plantains besides oil and spices. Isn't that the most ideal vegan snack?

Plantains - They are easily available at all leading grocery stores as well as in Indian grocery stores. 

Tip - To prevent it from ripening quickly, soak it in water overnight and then use it the next day. Otherwise, store it in the fridge. 

Oil for frying. You can use any vegetable oil or coconut oil. See notes for an alternate cooking method.

Salt and Black Pepper for seasoning.

Here's how to make it

The first step is to peel the plantains or raw banana. Grease your hand with oil if it turns sticky. Cut both the ends and then remove the green skin completely.

Immediately soak the whole banana in plain water to prevent it from blackening and to keep it fresh.

When you are ready to slice, wipe each banana dry. They should be completely dry before you slice them. Then slice them to medium thickness.

Place these slices on a kitchen towel to absorb the excess water. Spread them out.

DO NOT put these slices back in the water. 

Meanwhile, heat oil in a Kadai. How to check if the oil is hot? Add one or two raw banana slices to the oil. If they come up steadily on top, then the oil is ready. 

Do not fry on low flame as then the banana chips will absorb too much oil. Carefully slide the slices in medium hot oil and deep fry. Do not crowd them.

Prepare a mixture of salt and water. Gradually pour a teaspoon of saltwater in the oil as they fry. Once the color changes to brown and they turn crisp, take them out.

Repeat this step every time you fry the banana slices. This is the best way to add salt to these homemade banana chips. 

Serving suggestions

Once you have fried the whole batch of these vegan chips, add black pepper and mix lightly. Then wait for them to cool down at room temperature.

Transfer to an airtight container. Store it at room temperature. Crispy and crunchy Homemade banana chips are ready!

Enjoy this as a snack at any time of the day along with a glass of Vegan Turmeric Latte. 

You can also make them for Diwali or on any other festive occasion. If you want to check out all the savory snack recipes that can be made for Diwali, check out this post.

Top tips, recommendations, and suggestions

When picking the right type of plantains for this recipe, remember to pick the unripe green variety that's hard to touch. Oil your hands before working with plantains.

Soaking the peeled banana in plain water prevents it from blackening and keeps it fresh. You can use a vegetable slicer to get even slices and to speed up the process.

Adding saltwater in oil is the best way to add salt to these homemade banana chips. The color of the chips completely depends on the quality of the raw banana your using.

Along with black pepper, you can also add paprika for more flavor or even enjoy them plain. These fried plantain chips stay good for weeks if stored properly at room temperature. 

An alternative for frying - Baking

Please note that I have not tried this baking method yet. Smear lemon juice over the banana slices. Bake them in the over at 225 degrees F for an hour.

Then let the banana chips cool until crispy, at least 5 minutes before you transfer to an airtight container. 

Alternatively, you can also fry them in an Air Fryer. 

Recipe 📖

Fried Raw Banana Vegan Chips

Priya Lakshminarayan

A delicious fried plantain/raw banana chips recipe is a popular vegan snack in South India. These popular vegan chips are made with just a few ingredients!

5 from 13 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Course Snack

Cuisine Indian, South Indian

Servings 6 people

Calories 169.26 kcal

Equipment

• Vegetable slicer
• Kadai

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 plantains
• ▢ 1 cup water
• ▢ 1 tablespoon salt
• ▢ 1 tablespoon black pepper
• ▢ 3 cups oil for frying

Instructions 

• The first step is to peel the plantains or raw banana. Grease your hand with oil if it turns sticky. Cut both the ends and then remove the green skin completely. Immediately soak the whole banana in plain water to prevent it from blackening and to keep it fresh.
• When you are ready to slice, wipe each banana dry. They should be completely dry before you slice them. Then slice them to medium thickness.
• Place these slices on a kitchen towel to absorb the excess water. Spread them out.
• DO NOT put these slices back in the water.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a kadai. Here is how to check if the oil is hot. Add one or two raw banana slices in the oil. If they come up steadily on top, then the oil is ready.
• Carefully slide the slices in medium hot oil and deep fry. Do not crowd them. Do not fry on low flame as then the banana chips will absorb too much oil.
• Prepare a mixture of salt and water. Gradually pour a teaspoon of salt water in the oil as they fry. Once the color changes to brown and they turn crisp, take them out. Repeat this step every time you fry the banana slices. This is the best way to add salt to these homemade banana chips.
• Once you have fried the whole batch of these vegan chips, add black pepper and mix lightly. Then wait for them to cool down at room temperature. Transfer to an airtight container. Store it at room temperature.

Notes

When picking the right type of plantains for this recipe, remember to pick the unripe green variety that's hard to touch. Oil your hands before working with plantains. Soaking the peeled banana in plain water prevents it from blackening and keeps it fresh.

You can use a vegetable slicer to get even slices and to speed up the process. Adding saltwater in oil is the best way to add salt to these homemade banana chips.

The color of the chips completely depends on the quality of the raw banana your using. Along with black pepper, you can also add paprika for more flavor or even enjoy them plain. These fried plantain chips stay good for weeks if stored properly at room temperature. 

An alternative for frying - Baking

Please note that I have not tried this baking method yet. Smear lemon juice over the banana slices. Bake them in the over at 225 degrees F for an hour. Then let the banana chips cool until crispy, at least 5 minutes before you transfer to an airtight container. 

Alternatively, you can also fry them in an Air Fryer. 

Nutrition

Calories: 169.26kcal | Carbohydrates: 19.67g | Protein: 0.88g | Fat: 11.15g | Saturated Fat: 8.98g | Sodium: 1167.3mg | Potassium: 311.03mg | Fiber: 1.63g | Sugar: 8.96g | Vitamin A: 672.44IU | Vitamin C: 10.98mg | Calcium: 6.22mg | Iron: 0.46mg

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