Upperi: The South Indian Cousin Of Shakarpare

By Aanchal Mathur

A sweet dish prepared using banana, jaggery, and a few spices and flour, Upperi is crispy and is also known as a distant cousin to the north Indian Shakarpare 

Ingredients

2 cups raw bananas (cut into cubes)   1 cup jaggery   1 tbsp rice flour   1 tsp cumin powder   1 tsp cardamom powder    Oil, to fry 

Soak the cubed bananas in warm water for 4-5 minutes and strain it. Keep it aside.  

Dry roast the rice flour on medium to low flame. Make sure to not burn the flour.   

Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the bananas until they are crispy and golden brown in colour.  

Take another pan, pour some water and add the jaggery to it to make the syrup. Boil it till the jaggery melts.

Add cardamom powder and cumin powder to it and stir. In the boiling jaggery syrup, add the fried bananas and cook until the former is almost absorbed.  

Switch off the flame and add roasted flour to it and mix. The rice flour will prevent the sticky-texture of the syrup.