Do you also find yourself struggling to find a new snack to munch on every day? Bored of your regular chips and namkeen to go with that evening cup of chai? High five! As someone who keeps having hunger pangs and love to munch on something every now and then, it is a struggle for me as well to think of a new, unique snack to satiate the taste buds. While all our pakodas, sandwiches and chaats are our forever love, we do wish to experiment with different snacks. And to our rescue, Indian street food is packed with innovative delicacies to savour!
Move over chaats, pakodas, samosas and kachoris, south Indian cuisine is here with an array of scrumptious options for you to try every day. From crispy banana chips to omapodi or Mangalorean goli baje, there are options galore so you'll definitely be spoilt for choice. Balekai Podi is one such dish from the gamut of south Indian snacks, which is quick, easy and absolutely mouth-watering!
Balekai podi or banana podi are deep-fried fritters from the streets of Mangalore that you can make in a jiffy with just a handful of ingredients at home. A perfect tea-time snack to relish, these podis can be made with breadfruit as well.
(Also Read: How To Make Omapodi - A South Indian Snack To Tingle Your Taste Buds)
How To Make Balekai Podi | Banana Podi Recipe
Banana podi can be called a distant cousin of north Indian pakodas just that it is a little sweet due to the bananas. All you need for this tea-time snack is some chickpea flour or gram flour, rice flour, baking soda, a handful of spices and salt to be combined together for a smooth batter. Sliced bananas are then dipped in the batter and deep fried to crispy, crunchy podis! Spices such as red chilli, cumin, carom seeds and asafoetida lend a distinct flavour to the fritters. You can experiment with the spices as per your taste and choice and serve the fritters with a tantalising mint or garlic chutney.
Find the full recipe of Balekai Podi here.
Try this yummy south Indian snack at home and share your experience with us in the comments section below.