Kele ka Meetha | Carmalized Bananas

Name: Kele ka Meetha | Carmalized Bananas
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 1 Ripe Banana; 1 1/2 tbsp Desi ghee (clarified butter) at room temperature; 1 tbsp Jaggery powder; 2 tsp Fennel seeds (saunf); 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds; 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder (haldi powder); 2 Green cardamom; 1 Cinnamon stick; Cilantro leaves (coriander leaves chopped for garnishing)

Himachali Vegetarian Jump To Recipe 05 Sep 2020

Kele ka meetha is a sweet preparation in Himachali Cuisine. Ripe bananas are sauteed in desi ghee and jaggery powder along with spices and are enjoyed as a side dish.

A Himachali meal is served in a sequence, Meetha (sweet) is served first, followed by madra (Rajma madra, Chana Paneer madra) or dum (Rongi gobhi ka dum), next is kaddu ka khatta or Aloo Shimla Mirch ka Khatta, after this comes Maah ki dal (black urad) or Dal and Jhol.

Himachali Thali

HIMACHALI (MANDAYALI) MEAL
Kele ka Meetha, Rongi Gobhi ka Dum, Aloo Shimla Mirch ka Khatta, Dal and Jhol with steamed White Rice.

There are different varieties of meetha prepared in Himachali Dham, like Boondi ka meetha, Gulab jamun ka meetha. Kele ka meetha is most common in everyday household cooking in my hometown.

What I love about Kele ka Meetha

This recipe is not overly sweet and is simple, quick, delicious to make at home, and comes together in less than 10 minutes. The warm and unique flavors of this dish are enjoyed by everyone. The bananas are naturally sweet and do not require a lot of added sugar that makes this a perfect dish to control those sweet cravings and feel less guilty after enjoying it.

We enjoy Kele ka meetha with steamed white rice along with other Himachali dishes or as a dessert to satisfy those sweet cravings after a meal. I hope you all will enjoy making this dish for your family and share it with your friends.

What kind of bananas to use

I suggest using yellow firm bananas. You do not want them to be raw and green in color or overly ripe and brown. Overly ripe bananas will not hold its shape during the cooking process and will become mushy.

How to make kele ka meetha

Ingredients for Kele ka Meetha

Slice a ripe banana diagonally into slices about half an inch thick.

Bloom the whole spices

In a wok (Kadai) or a pan on low heat add ghee. Once the ghee has melted add the cinnamon stick and green cardamom. Sauté till spices become fragrant. This will take about 2 minutes. Next, add the cumin and fennel seeds, and as soon as they begin to splutter and change color add the turmeric powder.

Whole spices

NOTE: It is important to start with adding the whole spices first as they release their aroma in the oil and provides depth in flavors.

Add the sliced bananas

Add the sliced bananas and carefully combine them with the spices. Let this cook for a few seconds.

Add sliced bananas

TIP: Do not overcrowd the pan, otherwise the bananas will not caramelize evenly.

Next, add jaggery powder and finish Kele ka Meetha

Lastly, add jaggery powder and carefully combine it with the bananas. The Bananas will start to caramelize and as a result, turn golden brown and crisp on the edges this will take about 2-3 minutes. You are looking for a soft center and the crisp edges, keep flipping the bananas in between to prevent them from burning. Do not overcook the bananas otherwise, they will become mushy.

NOTE: You can increase the amount of jaggery powder if you enjoy more sweetness.

Add jaggery powder

TIP: The ghee and jaggery powder turns into caramel sauce with infused banana flavor. When serving, pour the remaining sauce on the caramelized bananas.

Kele ka meetha is ready! Garnish with some freshly chopped cilantro leaves and serve hot with steamed white rice or Enjoy as a dessert!

Kele ka Meetha is ready

TIP: This dish tastes best when enjoyed hot, right after the cooking, and it does not do well with reheating.

Kele ka Meetha

Kele ka meetha is a sweet preparation in Himachali Cuisine. Ripe bananas are sauteed in desi ghee and jaggery powder along with spices and are enjoyed as a side dish. This recipe is not overly sweet and is simple, quick, delicious to make at home, and comes together in less than 10 minutes.

PREP TIME

5 minutes

COOK TIME

10 minutes

SERVES

INGREDIENTS

1 Ripe Banana
1 1/2 tbsp Desi ghee (clarified butter) at room temperature
1 tbsp Jaggery powder
2 tsp Fennel seeds (saunf)
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder (haldi powder)
2 Green cardamom
1 Cinnamon stick
Cilantro leaves (coriander leaves chopped for garnishing)

INSTRUCTIONS

How to make Kele ka Meetha

Slice a ripe banana diagonally into slices about half an inch thick.
In a wok (Kadai) or a pan on low heat add ghee. Once the ghee has melted add the cinnamon stick and green cardamom. Sauté till spices become fragrant. This will take about 2 minutes.
Next, add the cumin and fennel seeds, and as soon as they begin to splutter and change color add the turmeric powder.
Add the sliced bananas and carefully combine them with the spices. Let this cook for a few seconds.
Lastly, add the jaggery powder and carefully combine it with the bananas. The Bananas will start to caramelize and as a result, turn golden brown and crisp on the edges this will take about 2-3 minutes.
Kele ka meetha is ready! Garnish with some freshly chopped cilantro leaves and serve hot with steamed white rice or Enjoy as a dessert!

NOTES

It is important to start with adding the whole spices first as they release their aroma in the oil and provides depth in flavors.
The ghee and jaggery powder turns into caramel sauce with infused banana flavor. When serving, pour the remaining sauce on the caramelized bananas.
This dish tastes best when enjoyed hot, right after the cooking, and does not do well with reheating.