Easy Pazham Pori Recipe (പഴം പൊരി) - Banana Fritters
This simple but tasty dish is so popular in south india, and it is known as 'pazham pori' which means fried banana. Anyone with basic cooking skills can easily make this snack at home. Pazham Pori is typically made with firm ripe banana, all-purpose flour, rice flour etc.
Ingredients
For The Banana Fritter Batter
- 1 Cup All purpose flour (മൈദ)
- 2 Tablespoon Rice flour (അരിപ്പൊടി)
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 2 Tablespoon Sugar (പഞ്ചസാര)
- ¼ Teaspoon Turmeric powder (മഞ്ഞള്പൊടി) (optional), gives the yellow color to the pazham pori.
- ¼ Teaspoon Salt (ഉപ്പ്) , this balance the taste.
- ¾ Cup Water (ice cold water is better for this recipe)
- 1 pinch cardamom (optional)
- 1 tsp sesame seeds (optional)
For Pazham Pori
- 3 Ripe plantain (600 gram) ഏത്തപ്പഴം
- Oil, To deep fry എണ്ണ
Instructions
Making the Batter
- Add all-purpose flour, rice flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and turmeric powder to a mixing bowl.
- Then gradually add ice cold water to make a medium thick batter. You can adjust the amount of water according to the consistency of batter.
Making Pazham Pori
- Peel the bananas and then first cut them in half. Then slice each piece lengthwise in to 3 equal parts.
- In a pan or Kadai, heat the oil for deep frying. The banana fritters can be fried once the oil has reached the right medium heat. To check whether the oil is hot enough to fry, drop a small amount of batter into it. If it sinks and rises quickly, then it is ready. (Note-2)
- Dip each slice in the batter and coat it thoroughly and place them in the hot oil (careful not to splash boiling oil - you can use some tongs). This may need to be done in batches.
- Maintain a medium flame while making fritters; if it gets too hot, only the outer portion of the fritter will cook, leaving the inner portion uncooked. If the heat is low, the fritters will be oily because they absorb more oil.
- When one side is cooked, turn it over carefully and fry the other side. Fry it until both sides are golden color.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool on some kitchen paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
- Prepare the pazham pori in the same manner and place them on kitchen paper towels to absorb any excess oil.
- Serve warm after the excess oil has drained and while still crispy.
Notes
- The oil that is traditionally used to make pazham pori is coconut oil. If that is not available then use any neutral oil like sunflower oil, peanut, etc.
- The oil must be heated to a maximum temperature of 180°C/356°F, which must be maintained at all times. For this recipe, cook a few pieces at a time and remove the batter residues from the oil with a spoon.
- Cold water helps in the retention of gluten within the flour.
- Mix only until all the ingredients are combined and get a smooth batter. Overmixing the batter is not required for this recipe.
- Adjust sugar for your preference, 2-3 tablespoons will give a medium level of sweetness.
- Some people like cardamom, sesame seeds, and cumin seeds for additional flavors but it is optional.