Homemade Banana Chips Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why aren t my banana chips crispy? ›

A common reason behind dehydrated bananas not being crispy enough has to do with the ripeness of the fruit before the drying process. Starting off with bananas that are a bit firm is best, as overripe bananas can take longer to dry and, as a result, become sticky rather than crispy.

The process generally includes deep-frying of thin raw banana slices of about 1–2 mm thickness in suitable cooking medium and salting them. Slicing can be done so as to have required shapes such as wholes, quarters, long cut or slivers, and fine brokens.

Nendran, a variety of banana growing in some parts of South India is the most suitable variety for making chips. Traditionally, raw Nendran bananas are skinned, made in to thin slices and then deep fried in coconut oil.

The trick to getting the chips to taste like they are straight from the chip shop is to fry them twice in the hot oil. The first fry is at a lower temperature and softens the potato; the second turn in the hot oil is at a higher temp and achieves that signature crispy exterior.

Bananas should be leathery when they are completely dried. To test, remove a slice and let it cool. It may have some bend but if you tear one in half and squeeze it, there should be no moisture that seeps out. If they have any signs of remaining moisture, put them back into the dehydrator or oven to dry longer.

Can you over dry bananas? Once you get to the stage where bananas are 28% of their starting weight, any additional time in the dehydrator will yield miniscule additional water evaporation. The dried bananas might get a little harder, but you can still enjoy them, even if you over dry them by an hour or two.

If you're not a banana lover, these might change you into one. The flavor is unparalleled. The size of the banana and the dry time will yield either a softer, chewy, taffy-like banana bite or a tougher consistency, licorice-like almost.

Heat 1.5 cups coconut oil in a kadai for deep frying. If you do not have coconut oil, then you can use sunflower oil or any oil for frying. Keep the flame to medium. For slicing bananas its better to use a mandoline slicer as the slices are thin.

While they may seem healthy at first glance, banana chips can be loaded with calories, saturated fat, and added sugar. For a healthier alternative, look for dehydrated, non-fried banana chips made without added sugar. Better yet, choose a whole banana. If you decide to eat banana chips, be mindful of your portion size.

How do you increase the shelf life of banana chips? ›

Chips made by drying have a longer shelf life (up to 6 months) as long as they are dried to a low moisture content and stored in a cool dry place. Bananas can also be dried whole or in long strips until they are leathery and chewy.

We are used coconut oil to prepare this Banana Chips. Coconut oil or velichanna as it is known here in Kerala, has been the preferred oil for centuries. It has a very smoky, distinct flavor that has long been associated with Malayali food.

P A Nizar, a vendor from Kochi, says, “The cost of a kilo of banana, which was about `40 in the previous months, has risen to `65 to 70. We need about 3.25 kg of banana to make 1 kg of chips. The price of edible oil has also gone up by around `10.

Raw bananas have a low glycaemic index of 42. A low glycaemic index of less than 55 means the food will not raise blood sugar levels significantly. Resistant starches found in bananas produce a low glucose spike in the bloodstream as they are broken down slowly, contributing to the lower glycaemic index.

If you make banana chips in the air fryer and they turn out to be soggy or just not very crispy, here's what probably went wrong: 1) You didn't cook them long enough (try popping them back in for 5 minutes and see if they crisp up!) 2) You added too much oil.

The Banana should be yellow with Green tips. The result will be a well-fried banana with a gooey interior and a nice crispy crust around the edges. If you choose the really ripe Bananas, it will turn out oily and mushy, and if you choose the over-ripe ones, it will completely disintegrate inside the Oil.