Pazham Pori

Kerala banana fritters — ripe plantain slices dipped in a lightly sweetened batter and deep-fried in coconut oil until crisp.

Pazham Pori is the everyday tea-time fritter of Kerala. Ripe Nendran plantains are sliced lengthwise, dipped in a batter of plain flour (and sometimes rice flour) with a little sugar, salt and a pinch of turmeric for colour, then deep-fried in coconut oil until the outside is crisp and the banana inside turns soft and sweet.

It is known as ethakka appam in parts of Kerala. Best eaten hot and fresh — within an hour of frying — which is why it is cooked in small batches through the afternoon at bakeries and tea shops across the state.