Bananas have long been a very important and essential part of India’s culture, cuisine and diet. They are easily available all year round, are relatively inexpensive, very nutritious and just simply delicious. Bananas are an extremely rich source of potassium and other trace minerals. They aid in both cardiovascular and neurological development and health. Many consider bananas to be the perfect food source and I tend to agree whole heartedly.

This recipe is an easy and tasty way to use bananas; you can serve it as either an appetizer, snack or even as a dessert with a scoop of your favorite ice cream. But whichever way you decide to serve these delicious treats, rest assured they will always be a huge hit.


SPICY BANANA FRITTERS

Ingredients:

4-6 firm but ripe small to medium size bananas
1 cup thick coconut milk (canned is fine)
2 tbsp honey
¼ tsp red chili powder (to taste)
½ tsp ground cumin powder
½ tsp garam masala
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
pinch of salt
½ cup panko (Japanese style breadcrumbs)
½ cup thinly sliced almonds, roughly chopped
½ cup shredded coconut (large size, unsweetened)
1 tbsp unsalted butter

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. You can also shallow fry these if you prefer but baking them is the healthier option. Butter a shallow baking dish and set aside until needed.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the coconut milk along with honey. Now add the spices (red chili powder, ground cumin powder, garam masala, nutmeg & salt). Whisk together until well combined and set aside until needed.

In a shallow dish, combine the panko breadcrumbs with the almond pieces and shredded coconut. Mix well and set aside until needed.

Peel & cut the bananas in half lengthwise and then again in half -- so basically you have 4 pieces about 2-3” in length/banana. Dip each piece in the spiced coconut milk until it is well coated and then roll them in the panko/almond/coconut breadcrumbs until the banana is well coated on each side. Place the prepared bananas in a single layer in the baking dish and bake for 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm with your favorite sauces such as mango or apricot chutney or a sweet chili sauce for an appetizer. You could also serve these with a warm chocolate sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a delicious dessert.