Banana Peel Curry with Red Beans – Zero-Waste Kerala Recipe

Nothing goes to waste in a traditional Kerala kitchen. Tender banana peels, cooked with red beans and a fresh coconut-cumin paste, make a surprisingly delicious, fibre-rich curry.

Tips from the Ruchippura kitchen

• Use peels from raw (green) bananas and scrape off the tough outer skin.
• Soak dried beans overnight so they cook evenly.
• Keep the peel pieces small so they cook through with the beans.

Lakshmidevi Nair

Banana Peel Curry with Red Beans (Zero-Waste Kerala Recipe)

A thrifty, traditional Kerala curry that uses tender banana peels with red beans, coconut, cumin and green chilli, finished with a mustard seed tempering.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Servings: 4 people

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Kerala

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups banana peels raw, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup red beans
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• salt to taste

For the coconut paste

• 1 cup grated coconut
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 4 green chillies
• 4 shallots small onions

For tempering

• 3 tbsp cooking oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 dried red chillies broken
• 2 tbsp curry leaves

Method

 

1. Cook the beans until soft.
2. Add the banana peel pieces, turmeric, salt and a little water, and cook well.
3. Crush the coconut with the cumin seeds, green chillies and shallots.
4. Heat the oil in a vessel, add the mustard seeds and red chillies and fry well.
5. Add the cooked beans and banana peels and the coconut mixture, and mix well.
6. Garnish with curry leaves and serve with chapathi or rice.