Banana Chips / Kaya Varuthathu

"Banana Chips" or "Kaya Varuthathu " or most commonly known as "Upperi" is any Malayali's  all time favourite snack . It is an unavoidable part of Kerala Sadya. Raw bananas are evenly sliced and fried in coconut oil and sprinkled with salt and turmeric water and deep fried. It is a most popular snack made commonly during festive seasons especially for "Onam" which is a very important festival in Kerala.

Ingredients
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• Raw Banana (Nendra Kaya) - 3
• Salt - 1 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 2 tsp
• Water - 2/3 cup
• Oil - For Frying

To Soak
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• Water -3 cup
• Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Method
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1. Make long cuts on the peel of the plantain with a pointed knife and remove the peel gently. (this helps in easy peeling)
2. Place the peeled plantain on a bowl filled with turmeric water for 15 mins.
3. Meanwhile make a "solution" by mixing water, salt and turmeric powder.
4. After 15 mins take the banana and wipe in a paper towel to remove the moisture.
5. Slice the banana into thin round pieces.
6. Heat oil in a kadai.
7. Add sliced banana and fry till it is crispy.
8. When it is almost done, add 2 tsp of "solution" ( for each batch ) and mix well. ( I fried 3 bananas in 6 batches).
9. When the sizzling sound is completely stopped remove the chips from oil and drain in a paper towel.
10. When cooled, store in airtight containers.

Notes

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1. The bananas should be raw.
2. Soaking in turmeric water helps to prevent them from darkening and remove the raw taste.
3. They should be evenly sliced so that the cooking time will be same. Else  some will become crispy and others won't.
4. Add salt turmeric solution according to one's taste.
5. They should be properly fried else will become soft  after sometime.
6. They should be completely cooled before storing in airtight box.