Banana fritters/ Pazham pori

Today, I'm going to confess my weakness. When we used to travel to Kerala for our vacations, the train journey was what we looked forward to. Not for anything else, but the banana fritters sold at the Shornur and Palghat stations. They are called pazham pori literally meaning banana fry. Oh boy, were they delicious!  
Hence, here I am, shamelessly admitting to eating unhygienic, Indian railway station food. I confess to still loving them, but, don't eat them at the station anymore, as I prefer homemade.

 

When I first made these fritters at home, a few years ago, I did a shabby job. (I'm sure that it is all in the game for beginners). When I dipped the sliced bananas in batter and fried them, most of the fritters had extensions, which I used to call hands, legs and fingers and they almost looked like tadpoles. But these days I do a better job and make a batter of better consistency. 

This snack is made rarely at home, since it involves deep frying. So, this treat is thoroughly enjoyed as it is an occasional one. It is a great tea-time snack and a wonderful comfort food for the  monsoons.

Ingredients: (Makes 6 fritters)

• Ripe plaintains (nendran) - 2
• All purpose flour - 3/4 cup
• Salt - a pinch
• Sugar - 1 tspn
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tspn
• Water - 1 cup
• Oil - for deep frying.

Directions :

• Heat oil in a deep pan to a temperature of 375°F.
• In the mean time, make a batter with the flour, sugar, salt, turmeric and water. Whisk well to avoid lumps.
• Peel and slice each plantain lengthwise into 3 pieces.
• Dip each slice in batter separately and deep fry till golden.