Raw Banana

I had a few raw bananas sitting in my kitchen that I had bought for Ganesh Chaturthi. I had invited friends over and, as usual, had plenty of things planned for the menu. The raw bananas were meant to become simple palya (like a side dish), but that day never came. There was simply too much else to cook.
Today, I realised I had these raw bananas that needed cooking. They were still there, looking a little softer and perhaps wondering when their turn was coming. I really wasn’t in the mood to make the usual raw banana palya. I looked at them and suddenly thought, why not make kebab rolls? just like chicken minced kebabs I do.
And that was how this recipe was born. No planning. No recipe book. No measuring cups. Just six raw bananas and a slightly adventurous mood.
I steamed the six raw bananas for about 30 minutes. Once they were soft, I put them into the food processor along with two finely chopped onions, a few green chillies and roughly a cup of chopped coriander and few freshly picked and chopped curry leaves from the garden.
Added a teaspoon of chaat masala, a teaspoon of chilli flakes from my homegrown chillies. There is something special about adding even one little ingredient from your own garden. A touch of something you have grown yourself somehow brings a little extra happiness to the plate and salt to taste. While blending, I added about two- three tablespoons of avocado oil because that was the oil I had.
Transferred everything into a bowl and gave it a good mix. Then came the rolling. I took a lemon-sized portion of the mixture, rolled it into a kebab.

Dipped it in egg white. I then rolled it in semolina and placed them on a baking tray. A light brush of oil, and into the oven they went at 200°C for about 10 minutes.

And there they were, my completely unplanned raw banana kebabs. I don’t know whether they should technically be called kebabs, cutlets or something else. I wasn’t thinking about names when I made them. I was simply trying to rescue a few bananas from becoming another predictable palya.
And honestly, I think we sometimes overcomplicate cooking. Not every recipe needs an exact measurement for everything. Sometimes you have to cook with what you have, add a little of this and a little of that, taste as you go and let your mind take over. So consider this less of a recipe and more of an invitation to experiment. Use your own herbs. Why not? Add mint, dill, zaatar or whatever happens to be growing in your garden. Change the spices. Make them spicy, mild or somewhere in between. Shape them into kebabs, rolls or flatter cutlets.
There is no rule here. Just start with a few raw bananas and see where they take you. Oh yes I have some leftovers too which will be pitta rolls for tomorrow’s lunch box. Not a bad idea one recipe two meals sorted right?
And if you try them, tell me what you added and, more importantly, what would you name them?