Ingredients · Malabar food glossary
Nendran Banana
Also known as: Nendran plantain, Ethakka, Kerala plantain
The large, firm Kerala plantain variety that is the backbone of Malabar banana snacks like Pazham Pori and Unnakaya.
Nendran is a plantain cultivar grown widely in Kerala, prized for its size, firm flesh and the way it holds shape and develops sweetness when ripe and cooked. It is the banana behind the state’s most famous snacks — sliced and fried for Pazham Pori, steamed and mashed for Unnakaya, and thinly sliced and fried in coconut oil for Kerala banana chips.
Unripe Nendran is starchy and used like a vegetable; fully ripe, it turns sweet and is used in desserts and fritters.