Skip to main content

Sharkara Upperi/Varatti/ Ethakka Upperi



Sharkara Upperi/Ethakka Upperi/ Plantain Chips

Kaya varuthathu/upperi/plantain chips is a popular snack in Kerala. Plantain chips are available all year round in bakeries and it served as a snack along with tea. It is also a quintessential part of the Kerala Sadhya or traditional feast. Sharkara varatti (upperi)  and ethakka upperi is made with unripe plantain. Both these chips are addictive snacks that you cannot stop munching.During Onam festival in Kerala, bakeries are stacked up with plantain chips and sharkara upperi. My mom makes this at home all the time and it is super yummy. The real flavor of plantain chips comes from coconut oil.So try making it in coconut oil to get the authentic Kerala chips flavor and taste.

Sharkara upperi or Varatti is a sweet chip version made with plantain and jaggery and Ethakka upperi is thinly sliced crispy and salty plantain chips.Chips are easier to make. But Sharkara upperi needs a little practice to get it right. The pieces are thicker than the normal banana chips and is fried till really crisp.It is then coated in jaggery syrup and flavored with dry ginger powder and cardamom. There is another version of plantain chips called nurukku upperi which is served for sadhya. It is thicker than chips and is cut into quarters.

Sharkara Upperi/ Sharkara Varattiyathu
Ingredients
Raw Plantains-4
Jaggery- 3/4 kg
Oil for frying- 2 cup
Cardamon powder- 1/2 tsp
Ginger powder- 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder- 1/8 tsp
Rice flour- 2 tbs
Salt- a pinch
Sugar- 2 tbs



Heat oil in a heavy bottom wide pan.Peal the skin of the plantains. Split into two half through the center and then slice into 1/4 inch thick.
Deep fry in batches in low medium heat for about 30 minutes or till it floats on the top and is crisp and brown. Do not over crowd the pan and stir occasionally to ensure even frying. To test take one out and smash the fried plantain. If you feel softness in the center, continue frying till crisp. Drain into paper towels and set aside to cool to room temperature.
Powder the jaggery and add 1 1/3 cup of water and bring it to a boil. Reduce the flame and allow the jaggery to dissolve completely. Strain out the impurities.
Pour the jaggery syrup into a heavy bottom pan and simmer for 8-10 minutes till the jaggery thickens. To check consistency drop into cold water. If you can make it into a soft ball it is time to add the rest of the ingredients. Add all the spice powder, rice flour  and mix and finally the fried plantains. Switch off the flame, mix till well coated and transfer into a greased tray and spread and gently separate the chips with  a spatula to avoid sticking together. At this stage sprinkle sugar on top.Allow to cool and store in air tight containers.

Ethakka Upperi/ Kaya Varuthathu/ Plantain chips

Ingredients 
Unripe plantain - 3
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Salt- 1 tsp
Water - 2 cups
Coconut Oil for frying- 3 cups

Mix turmeric in two cups of water and set aside.
Cut the top and the bottom of the plantain. Make a small slit length wise and slide in the knife and gently peel off skin.
Use a slicer to make these chips for an even crispy fries or you can cut them into thin round slices.
Immediately transfer it into the turmeric water and let it sit for 15 - 20 minutes. Drain and spread  paper towels.
Heat oil in a  deep heavy bottom pan and fry in batches. Do not over crowd the pan. Fry till crispy golden brown. There will be plenty of bubbles in the beginning but it will subside later. It is also an indicator that the chips is ready.
Mix salt in 1/3 cup of water. Drain the chips from the oil and sprinkle the salt water and mix well.Spread on paper towels to drain any excess oil  and allow to cool down. Usually salt water is sprinkled into the oil at the final stage but it will splutter a lot and can be dangerous to attempt at home. Serve with tea.



Try this
Hope you will all enjoy!

Comments

  1. Kandittu kothivarunnu!! bookmarked your recipe :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. looks yummy, we make with maida and dip in sugar syrup, called sakkarpara.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sharkara varattai adipoli Suja Love it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. kalakkittundu. super sharkara upperi

    ReplyDelete
  5. this is one of my favorite sweets... so good it looks...

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love this a lot... looks so perfectly done

    ReplyDelete
  7. This is very interesting, thanks for sharing more authentic recipes

    ReplyDelete
  8. they look super perfect and tempting.. lovely!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

12 Best Traditional Kerala Snacks - Tea Time Snacks

 12 Best Traditional Kerala Snacks - Tea Time Snacks  Are you looking for some light bites to indulge during tea time? Well, you have come to the right place. Kerala cuisine has an exhaustive list of traditional tea-time snacks.  The list of ingredients is available in your pantry, making it possible to make these delicious snacks. Many of these snacks, can be quickly whipped up with rice flour, coconut, and jaggery. I am sharing a list of snack recommendations from Kerala that are easy to cook at home. These sweet and savory snacks are heartwarming and will make you nostalgic. It is by no means is a complete list. I am sharing some of the top picks of this blog in one space for easy reference. If you like to try, more recipes check my earlier post on 10 Quick and Easy Kerala Snacks/ Tea time snacks that you can make in under 20 minutes . Do you have any favorite snack that is simple and easy to make? I would love to hear about your favorite traditional snacks. Please share your idea

Uzhunnu Vada/Urad Dal Vada

Uzhunnu Vada/Urad Dal Vada Uzhunnu vada or medu vada is a very common snack in south India and is a perfect accompaniment with a cup of hot piping tea.I like it as a snack but again cannot resist when it is served with idli,sambar and chutney as breakfast. One might wonder where does all the aroma come from? The  plain deep fried lentils is by itself flavorful because I make them often for  vada curry. But in uzhunnu vada the addition of pearl onions,ginger and curry leaves imparts a wonderful aroma that is irresistible.This is something I really missed when I came here to the US until I started making my home made version. Try this you will surely love it. Ingredients Urad Dal/Black lentil skinless- 1 cup Rice flour- 2 tsp Pearl Onions- 4-5 Ginger finely chopped- 1 inch thick Curry leaves finely chopped- 1 spring Green chilly  finely chopped- 3 Whole black pepper- 5-6 salt to taste Oil- 2 cup to fry Wash and soak urad dal and rice for about 4-5 hours. Drain

Kerala Beef Vindaloo- Anglo-Indian Recipe

Kerala Beef Vindaloo Vindaloo is often synonymous with fiery, bold, pungent curries. It is one Indian curry that needs no introduction. It is lip-smacking delicious, tenderly cooked meat in a spicy gravy. It is almost pickle like with flavor of vinegar and ground mustard. But again, the perfect vindaloo curry strikes the right balance with chilies, aromatic spices, and vinegar- a perfect balance of acidity, spicy heat, and flavor of earthy spices. Authentic Goan Vindaloo is made with pork, but you can also use beef or mutton. Vindaloo may sound complicated, but it is an easy recipe. You can make a restaurant-style curry right in your kitchen. Today I am sharing two ways to cook this recipe. The  traditional slow-cooked stove top recipe  and  an Instant pot recipe . Recently I have been making this curry in Instant pot and it comes out perfect each time. Beef Vindaloo is a quintessential dish for Christmas feasts in Kerala. It is popular among Christians and the Anglo-I