Sarkara Varatti Recipe | Sharkara Upperi Recipe

Sharkara Upperi Recipe / Sarkara Varatti Recipe with step by step pics and a lot of tips. This is a traditional dish prepared throughout Kerala during the Onam festival. It is prepared using Nendran variety banana, jaggery, jeera powder and dry ginger powder, however, you can use regular raw banana also. The flavour of the coconut oil, dry ginger powder and the taste of the jaggery compliments with each other. If you are on fasting / vrat, replace nendran banana with regular raw banana.  

Check my other Onam Recipes like

• Nei Appam / Unniyappam
• Palada Pradhaman
• Kerala Gothambu / Broken Wheat Payasam
• Kerala Moru Curry
• Beetroot Thoran

Kerala Sharkara Upperi Recipe

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Sarkara Varatti Recipe | Sharkara Upperi Recipe

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

25 mins

 

Sharkara Upperi Recipe / Sarkara Varatti Recipe is a traditional dish prepared during the Onam festival. It is prepared using Nendran variety banana, jaggery, jeera powder and dry ginger powder.

Course: Festival Recipes, Onam/Sadhya Recipes, Sweet

Cuisine: Kerala, Indian

Keyword: Sarkara Varatti, Sharkara Upperi

Servings: 2 Cups

Author: Priya Santhamohan

Ingredients

• 2 Nos Sweet Nendran Banana
• ½ Cup Jaggery
• ¼ Cup Water
• 3 Pods Cardamom
• ½ tsp Dry Ginger Powder / Sukku
• ½ tsp Jeera Powder
• 3 tbsp Rice Flour
• Oil For Deep Frying

Instructions

1. Soak jaggery in 1/4 cup of warm water and then measure and keep all the ingredients ready. Peel the skin of nendran banana, rinse well and chop it into bite-sized pieces. Wipe it with a kitchen towel, so there is no moisture.
2. Heat oil in a pan / kadai, add the chopped banana and fry on both sides till the shhhh sound ceases (fry till really crispy when you hit the sides of the pan with the fried banana, it should make a sound). Drain it in a tissue paper and keep aside.
3. Heat the jaggery till bubbles appear and it becomes thick like honey (no one string consistency is required). Filter it to another pan.
4. Add the cardamom pods, jeera powder and dry ginger powder.
5. Switch off the flame, add the fried banana and mix for 2 minutes till the jaggery syrup is absorbed.  Dry roast the rice flour in another pan without changing the colour.

6. Add the roasted flour to the banana and toss it well.

   Do try this Sharkara Upperi Recipe for this upcoming Onam festival.

Recipe Notes

Tips for Sarkara Varatti Recipe

1. I used sweet variety raw banana (nendran), you can use regular raw banana too.
2. Don't slice it like chips, this Sarkara Varatti should be medium thick.
3. Keep the sliced banana immersed in water till use to avoid decolouration.
4. Fry the banana in medium flame till full crispy (when you hit the sides of the pan with the fried banana, it should make a sound).
5. You can even double fry the banana, ensure the banana is not soggy after frying.
6. Use very little water (as mentioned) for filtering jaggery, else it becomes a mess when the fried banana is added.
7. Always filter the jaggery and use, to remove the impurities.
8. Just heat the jaggery till it becomes thick like honey, no 1 string consistency is needed.
9. Don't skip jeera and dry ginger powder as it lends a nice flavour and helps in digestion too.
10. Always dry roast the rice flour and add to the Sharkara Upperi Recipe, else it smells raw.

Sarkara Varatti Recipe

Method for Sharkara Upperi Recipe

1. Soak jaggery in 1/4 cup of warm water and then measure and keep all the ingredients ready. Peel the skin of nendran banana, rinse well and chop it into bite-sized pieces. Wipe it with a kitchen towel, so there is no moisture.

2. Heat oil in a pan / kadai, add the chopped banana and fry on both sides till the shhhh sound ceases (fry till really crispy when you hit the sides of the pan with the fried banana, it should make a sound). Drain it in a tissue paper and keep aside.

3. Heat the jaggery till bubbles appear and it becomes thick like honey (no one string consistency is required). Filter it to another pan.

4. Add the cardamom pods, jeera powder and dry ginger powder.

5. Switch off the flame, add the fried banana and mix for 2 minutes till the jaggery syrup is absorbed.  Dry roast the rice flour in another pan without changing the colour.

6. Add the roasted flour to the banana and toss it well.

Do try this Sharkara Upperi Recipe for this upcoming Onam festival.

Sarkara Varatti