Nendran Pazham Halwa/ Banana Halwa

25 Minutes ( includes cooling time)

Serves 4 people

Author: Rajni Ram

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Nendran Pazham is a variety of Banana from the State of Kerala in India. It is popularly known as Chengolikodan, as it is cultivated in the Chengolikodan village. This Banana bears the GI tag (Geographical indication). This variety of Banana also goes by the name Plantain Banana and is available in Indian/ Asian stores overseas.

The Nendran Banana is bigger than the usual Banana, and has a light orangish colour. The texture of this Banana is fleshy and different from the regular Banana. It is more starchy .

How to tell when the Banana is ripe? While other Bananas are consumed as soon as they are yellow all over, this particular variety is ripe when black spots appear and the skin starts turning black all over. This is a very nutrient dense fruit. It has many health benefits as well.

The Nandran Pazham has a high protein content. It boosts the immune system and infants are fed the stewed fruit. The fruit is good for digestion and have a low calorie count. They help in Anaemia, intestinal disorders and also help in detoxifying the body. The starch in thus Banana is resistant starch and is therefore good for health. ( source- theglobalstatistics.com)

What are the other popular recipes with this fruit? The raw banana is stir fried and eaten as a side. The chips made from this Banana are very popular. The Pazham Pori is a popular street snack made from this Banana. The ripened Bananas are dipped in Chickpea flour and fried as fritters. The steamed fruit is given to children as baby food.

This recipe was taking shape in my mind for quiet sometime and I finally got to it this weekend. I am particularly very fond of this variety of Banana, and this Halwa ( Pudding) has been polished of by my daughter who doesn’t like any variety of Banana. So that must speak a lot about the recipe. Children will happily eat this Pudding and the parents will be happy to have fed their kids something healthy.

The Nendran Pazham Halwa is a guilt free dessert to indulge in. It requires minimal sugar, that can be reduced or increased to your requirement. Also the ghee( clarified butter)used can be modified as per choice.

Ingredients

Nendran Pazham/ Plantain Banana 1 ( steamed/ cooked)
Brown Sugar/ white sugar 1/4 cup
Milk 1/2 cup ( divided)
Whole Wheat flour 1/4 cup
Ghee/ Clarified Butter 3 tbsp
Edible Camphor a pinch ( optional)
Cashewnuts a few ( broken to bits)

Take a well ripened Nendran Banana, cut it into 2 halves, add quarter cup and steam it with the skin, in a pressure cooker for 5 minutes or Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Cool it, discard the skin and mash well with a fork.
Now to a pan add a tablespoon of ghee( clarified butter). Add the broken nuts and fry until brown. Remove the nuts on to a plate and to the same ghee add the whole wheat flour and roast. Keep stirring to avoid burning of the flour. Thus needs to be done on medium heat. The flour will turn crumbly. Continue to roast until you get a nice nutty aroma ( just like wheat halwa). Remove the roasted flour to a plate.
Now pour 1/4 cup milk into the same pan, and reduce flame to low. Add the mashed banana and stir well. When all the milk is absorbed by the banana, add another 1/4 cup milk and stir nicely. Now add the brown sugar, mix until dissolved.
When the sugar dissolves, reduce the flame, and add the roasted wheat flour to the mashed banana. Mix well ( using cut and fold method), breaking any lumps in the wheat flour to get a smooth texture.
Stir until the Halwa( pudding) comes together . When it is done, the mixture will leave the sides of the pan, and will not stick to the bottom. Now add a tablespoon of Ghee/ clarified butter, and mix. Add the toasted nuts, and edible camphor now( if using), followed by another tablespoon of ghee. Turn off the flame and enjoy warm.

Take a well ripened Nendran Banana, cut it into 2 halves, add quarter cup and steam it with the skin, in a pressure cooker for 5 minutes or Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Cool it, discard the skin and mash well with a fork. Now to a pan add a tablespoon of ghee( clarified butter). Add the broken nuts and fry until brown. Remove the nuts on to a plate and to the same ghee add the whole wheat flour and roast. Keep stirring to avoid burning of the flour. Thus needs to be done on medium heat. The flour will turn crumbly. Continue to roast until you get a nice nutty aroma ( just like wheat halwa). Remove the roasted flour to a plate. Now pour 1/4 cup milk into the same pan, and reduce flame to low. Add the mashed banana and stir well. When all the milk is absorbed by the banana, add another 1/4 cup milk and stir nicely. Now add the brown sugar, mix until dissolved. When the sugar dissolves, reduce the flame, and add the roasted wheat flour to the mashed banana. Mix well ( using cut and fold method), breaking any lumps in the wheat flour to get a smooth texture. Stir until the Halwa( pudding) comes together . When it is done, the mixture will leave the sides of the pan, and will not stick to the bottom. Now add a tablespoon of Ghee/ clarified butter, and mix. Add the toasted nuts, and edible camphor now( if using), followed by another tablespoon of ghee. Turn off the flame and enjoy warm.

Notes:

Nendran Pazham or Plantain Banana is the ideal fruit for this pudding. Other varieties of banana may not yield the same result.
As a substitute Red Banana ( sevvazhai) can be used, but since I have not tried it myself, I’m unable to confirm the texture and taste.
The ghee( clarified butter) and sugar can be customized to your preference.
If using white sugar, then much less is enough. I would recommend not attempting this dessert without sugar. Because sugar and wheat flour are necessary for that silky texture.

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One thought on "Nendran Pazham Halwa/ Banana Halwa"

Suba says:

December 16, 2021 at 8:24 pm

Love this 💜. Am gonna try this soon 🤟

Reply