Bananas are a mainstay in many of our households. This fruit is packed with nutrients and essential minerals. It also has a distinctive flavour that makes it a delicious dessert ingredient. People tend to add banana pieces to their pancakes and waffles. Others use this fruit in porridges, cakes and muffins. But did you know that you can use this fruit in savoury dishes too? What makes this possible? Firstly, bananas are not juicy like other fruits. Secondly, they have a subtle taste that is not too sweet or overpowering. Thirdly, bananas have a unique texture that allows them to be mashed and moulded into shapes - almost like how you use potatoes. Thus, this fruit can easily be used to make non-sweet delicacies as well. For instance, you can make wonderful veg kebabs with bananas. Find out more below.
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Bananas are a truly versatile ingredient, so why not experiment with them? Photo Credit: iStock
What Is Banana Kebab or Kebab-e-Kela?
Banana Ke Kebabs are a mouth-watering snack made using bananas as the central ingredient. This dish can be flavoured with a wide range of spices and can also include other binding agents to make different types of kebabs. They can be baked, shallow-fried or deep-fried. To get you started, we have come up with 4 different recipes for Banana Kebabs that you can try at home. Each of these versions yields a delicious and wholesome snack that you can enjoy at any time of the day.
How To Make Banana Kebabs At Home | Easy Recipes for Kele Ke Kebab
1. Kebab-e-Kela Recipe
Kebab-e-Kela is the simplest version of this dish. Photo Credit: iStock
This recipe by Niru Gupta will introduce you to a veg kebab unlike any other. All you need to make these kebabs are banana, buckwheat flour, ghee (kuttu ka atta) and common Indian spices. This recipe is especially healthy because it requires no oil and uses buckwheat, which is gluten-free. To make kebab-e-kela, first steam bananas along with ginger and cardamom. Mash the bananas once they have cooled and season them with coriander powder, chilli powder, rock salt and lemon juice. Mix thoroughly to form a dough. Shape the spiced banana mixture into short cylinders and roll them in the buckwheat flour. Pan-fry them in ghee until brown. Click here for the full recipe
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2. Raw Banana Kebabs / Banana Kofta Recipe
These banana kebabs are filled with sweet and spicy ingredients.
These deep-fried kebabs have a decadent filling of cheese, chillies, figs, and pomegranate. It may sound complicated, but this delicious snack is pretty simple to make. You first need to cook bananas for a few minutes with their peel on. Later, cool, peel and mash them. In a heated pan, mix the mashed fruit with butter and salt. Add cardamom powder, cinnamon powder, saunf powder and other spices. Once cooled, add wheat flour and corn flour to the banana mixture. To make the filling, mix cheese, figs, coriander leaves, green chillies, pomegranate seeds, lemon juice and salt. Make small balls of the banana 'dough' and spoon a little bit of the stuffing inside each. Deep fry the kebabs till golden brown and serve with chutney. Click here for the full recipe.
3. Rajma Aur Kele Ke Kebab Recipe
Tap into the goodness of fruits and beans with this rajma and banana kebab recipe.
This version of banana kebabs is a simple but yummy treat. To make rajma aur kele ke kebab, boil raw bananas and later drain out the excess water. Finely chop the fruit along with the rajma (kidney beans). Add garam masala, chaat masala, clove powder, chilli powder, ginger, green chillies, and coriander. Mix thoroughly and add salt/ more spices to taste. Add panko breadcrumbs and form a thick dough. Make flat, tikki-like shapes and pan-fry the kebabs with ghee. Serve with flavoured dahi or chutney. Click here for the full recipe.
4. Raw Banana, Coconut And Sago Kebab Recipe
Sabudana, nariyal and kela - 3 superb ingredients form the foundation of this dish. Photo Credit: Dayashankar Sharma
This recipe by Dayashankar Sharma combines 3 types of binding ingredients that will give you a burst of different flavours and textures. You can also customise this one when you are observing a vrat/upvas/fast. To make these kebabs, grate boiled banana and fresh coconut (separately). In a pan, heat ghee and cook the grated coconut. In a blender, grind half of the roasted coconut. Mash half of the sago pearls or sabudana that you had soaked earlier. Add finely chopped green chillies. Mix pepper, vrat salt, almonds and coconut. Divide the mixture into small balls and flatten them. Coat them on all sides with the remaining sago pearls and pan-fry them in ghee. Click here for the full recipe.
Try making one of these unique kebabs today. Let us know how they turn out!
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