Sarkara Varatti

Sarkkara Varatti, also known as sarkkara upperi, is a traditional Kerala snack made with raw nendran banana, jaggery, and spices. It is one of the first items served on the banana leaf during a sadya, usually placed alongside banana chips. Crispy on the outside and slightly chewy inside, with a perfect balance of sweetness and spice, sarkkara varatti is a must-have in any festive Kerala meal.

Though it is especially popular during the Onam season, which is also a harvest festival, sarkkara varatti is served in almost every traditional sadya – whether it’s a wedding, Vishu, temple offering, or housewarming. In fact, a sadya is considered incomplete without it. The raw bananas are sliced thick, fried till crisp in coconut oil, and then coated with jaggery syrup, cardamom, dry ginger powder, and a pinch of cumin. The final result is a dark golden sweet snack that stays fresh for weeks if stored well.

The combination of banana chips and sarkkara varatti is deeply rooted in Kerala’s food culture – one salty, one sweet – offering the perfect start to the sadya. These two are not just snacks; they carry the flavours of celebration, harvest, and tradition, reminding us of the joy and richness of Kerala’s festive table.

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Crispy

Sarkara Varatti

Author: Ushadevi Cooking Method: Frying Cuisine: Kerala Courses: Snacks, Starters, Sweets & Desserts, Vegetarian

Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 15 mins Cook Time 25 mins Total Time 40 mins

Servings: 10

Best Season: Suitable throughout the year

Ingredients

Scale

1/2x 1x 2x 3x

• 6 Raw Plantain (Nentra kaya)
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
• ³⁄₄ cup Jaggery
• ¹⁄₂ inch Dried Ginger
• 1 teaspoon Rice powder
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon Cumin seeds
• 3-4 Cardamom
• Oil for deep frying

Instructions

1. First of all, peel the skin off the raw plantains and soak them in turmeric water for half an hour.
2. Slice each plantain lengthwise into halves, then cut them into ½-inch thick pieces.
3. Heat oil in a pan. Deep-fry the plantain slices until they turn golden yellow and crispy. Keep them aside.
4. In a small pan, melt jaggery with a teaspoon of water. Stir well.
5. Strain the jaggery syrup to remove any impurities and keep it aside.
6. Grind dried ginger, cumin seeds, and cardamom into a fine powder.
7. Heat the jaggery syrup again and stir continuously for about 2 minutes.
8. Add the ground spice powder to the syrup and mix well.
9. Now add the fried banana chips to the syrup and gently mix until every piece is well-coated.
10. Finally, sprinkle a teaspoon of rice powder over the coated chips and mix well to prevent them from sticking together.