Raw bananas are elongated, cylindrical, and slightly curved in shape. The peels are thick, smooth, and green with a fibrous texture and semi-bitter flavor, and the surface can easily be scratched and marked. The white to cream-colored flesh is dense, firm, and creamy with central tiny, infertile seeds or is seedless, and the flesh runs the entire length of the peel. Raw bananas are tender, fragrant, and have a starchy-tart flavor, as the sugars have not yet developed, and when cooked, they will be creamy and taste very similar to potatoes.

Health Benefits

Raw bananas contain potassium, vitamins A, C, and B6, fiber, and resistant starch, which is a form that passes through the body undigested and slowly, allowing the feeling of fullness to remain for a longer period of time. Resistant starch also keeps the digestive system healthy, as it promotes the growth of probiotic bacteria in the digestive tract.

Usage

Raw bananas are best suited for cooked applications such as baking, boiling, frying, steaming, stir-frying, and mashing. They can be sun-dried, left in their peel and used in curries and stir-fries, cooked in boiling water for a smooth texture, or used to make dips and chips. They are also popularly used in kacche kele ki asharfi, which is Raw banana with capsicum, and in kachori, kebabs, pakore, or poriyals in Southern India. In Kerala, Raw bananas are cooked with yams in coconut milk and are flavored with mustard seeds, and curry leaves to make a soup-like dish called kalan curry. In Bengal, a traditional dish called kanchakalar khosha bata utilizes cooked raw banana peels in a chutney-like dish. Raw bananas pair well with meats such as fish, chicken, pork, and beef, Indian spices such as garam masala, cumin, mustard, and turmeric, zucchini, bell pepper, ginger, garlic, onion, yams, and potatoes.

Storage

They will keep for a couple of weeks when stored in a cool and dry place.