(Crispy, spicy, pan-fried raw banana slices).

Raw banana is such an underrated vegetable, which never gets picked from the market! However, after you make this recipe once, this is going to change forever! The best part is that raw bananas are available all year long, and can be stored easily. So, if you haven’t had these kaaps before, give this recipe a try for sure.

Traditionally, raw banana fry is a Maharashtrian recipe that is a great accompaniment to simple ‘varan-bhat’ (dal and rice). However, you can include it as an appetizer or a side dish in any meal.

‘Kaccha’ refers to ‘raw’, ‘Keli’ means ‘banana’, and ‘kaap’ means ‘slices’ in the Marathi language. Thus, ‘kachya kelyache kaap’ means ‘raw banana (fried) slices’. This is an addictive appetizer, that you are going to love! Why would you love these ‘ kaap’?? Here’s why -

• Crispy delicious - They are crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside. They are spicy and absolutely drool-worthy!

• Easy to make- They get made in under 30 minutes with very basic ingredients!

• Great tiffin option - These beauties remain firm for a long time. So they can be packed and carried to your workplace.

• Vegan and gluten-free - Miss eating fish fry or grilled meat? Try these vegan plantain kaaps instead.

• Fasting recipe- By tweaking the recipe just a bit, this can be a great fasting option! (See notes below)

There are two ways of making these kaaps. I will share both these methods. Try both recipes and decide which one you like the best.

Ingredients

For METHOD 1-

• 6 raw bananas/ golden plantain (kacche kele)

• 1 tbsp red chili powder (lal tikha powder)

• 1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi powder)

• salt as per taste

• 1 tbsp tamarind paste/ lemon juice (imli paste/nimbu ka ras)

• 1/2 cup semolina (sooji/rawa)

• oil for shallow frying

For METHOD 2-

• 6 raw bananas/ golden plantain (kacche kele)

• 1/2 tbsp red chili powder (lal tikha powder)

• 1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi powder)

• salt as per taste

• 1 tbsp lemon juice (nimbu ka ras)

• 1/2 cup rice flour (chawal ka atta)

• oil for shallow frying

Method

METHOD 1-

• Soak little tamarind(Imli) in warm water for 10 minutes. Make sure the tamarind is properly soaked in the water. If not, add a little more water. Do not add too much water or else the pulp will become runny. Squeeze the tamarind to extract the pulp. Filter it through a sieve to remove the seeds and solid tamarind particles. Set this tamarind pulp aside. Alternatively, you can use tamarind(Imli) chutney or store-bought tamarind pulp too.If you are using a lemon, just squeeze it and use the juice.

• In a small bowl mix red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt, and tamarind pulp/lemon juice to make a masala paste. Use a little more salt than usual. Set this masala paste aside.

• Rub oil on the hands and then start by cutting the edges of a banana. Use a knife to peel the skin as shown below. Cut the banana vertically into 3-4 slices(roughly 1/4 inch thick). We DO NOT want very thin slices.

• If you are not immediately going to make the kaaps, store these raw slices under the water in a vessel. If you expose raw banana to air for a long time, it turns black(just like potatoes and apples). Remove from water and pat them dry before continuing the process.

• If you are going ahead with the process immediately, you can start dipping the banana slices in the masala paste. Set these aside for 10- 15 minutes to marinate them.

• After 10 minutes, add semolina on a deep dish/ plate, and pat the slices from both sides in semolina. Make sure the slices get properly coated with semolina.

• Coat all the slices and keep them aside.

• Heat oil in a thick bottom skillet/pan(I use an iron pan), and shallow fry the slices from both sides, on low-medium flame, till they turn golden brown(roughly 5-7 minutes for each side).

• Use the tip of the knife to check whether the slices are cooked properly. If the knife goes down easily and the slices feel soft, the banana slices are cooked.

  RAW BANANA FRY SLICES ARE READY TO BE SERVED.

METHOD 2-

• In a small bowl mix red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt, and lemon juice to make a masala paste. Use a little more salt than usual. Set this masala paste aside.

• Just as in method 1, rub oil on the hands and then start by cutting the edges of a banana. Use a knife to peel the skin as shown below. Cut the banana vertically into 3-4 slices, 1/4 inch in thickness. We DO NOT want very thin slices.

• If you are not immediately going to make the kaaps, store these raw slices under the water in a vessel. If you expose raw banana to air for a long time, it turns black(just like potatoes and apples). Remove from water and pat them dry before continuing the process.

• If you are going ahead with the process immediately, you can start coating the banana slices with the masala paste. Set these aside for 10- 15 minutes to marinate them.

• After 10 minutes, add rice flour on a deep dish/ plate, and pat the slices from both sides in it. Make sure the slices get properly coated with rice flour.

• Coat all the slices and keep them aside.

• Heat oil in a thick bottom skillet/pan(I use an iron pan), and shallow fry the slices from both sides, on low-medium flame, till they turn golden brown(roughly 5-7 minutes for each side).

• Use the tip of the knife to check whether the slices are cooked properly. If the knife goes down easily and the slices feel soft, the banana slices are cooked.

  RAW BANANA FRY SLICES ARE READY TO BE SERVED.

Notes -

• The bananas you use have to be green, hard, and raw. You cannot use the ripe ones.

• Raw bananas secrete a sticky substance sometimes. So when you try to peel them, your hands can get sticky. To avoid this apply oil on your hands before handling the bananas.

• Bananas, apples, and potatoes turn black when exposed to air. This is due to some compounds(called polyphenols) present in these fruits and vegetables. These compounds oxidize in presence of oxygen in the air. When we store them under the water, they do not come in contact with the air and thus retain their original color. So, if you are not going ahead with making the kaaps immediately, store them under the water till they are ready to be used.

• Adjust the spiciness by adding more or less red chili powder as per your preference.

• You can add 1tsp chat masala to the masala paste to make them more flavorful (chatpata).

• You can coat the slices both with rice flour and semolina. First coat the slices with rice flour and then with semolina. Shallow fry them later.

• To make this a fasting recipe, just follow method 2 and use arrowroot powder instead of rice flour to coat the slices.