The banana peel is a neglected ingredient in the everyday kitchen. We usually eat the banana and throw the peel away as if it had no value. But the peel can be a fine ingredient for a range of healthy and tasty dishes. Rich in nutrients, it not only cuts food waste but can also bring new flavours.

At a time when food prices are rising and people are looking for nutritious alternatives, dishes made from banana peel can be a smart and sustainable solution. Fries, curries, chops or new kinds of snacks are all possible from this one ingredient. Here is how to put this "thrown-away resource" to use.

Bacon is a meat dish, but banana peel cut into thin strips looks a little like bacon, which is why this dish is called banana peel bacon. First clean the peel. In a bowl, mix paprika powder, salt to taste and 2–3 tablespoons of white oil or olive oil, and soak the peel in it for 5 minutes. Then bake it until crisp, and the banana peel bacon is ready.

For fritters, cut the peel of ripe bananas into large pieces and clean them. Coat them with salt, turmeric and chilli powder. Separately, make a thin batter of gram flour with chopped ginger, black cumin, chilli powder, salt and water. Dip the spiced peel in the batter and deep-fry.

Not only the banana but the peel too is full of nutrients, so a herbal tea made from it is good for health. Clean the peel well, cut it into pieces and boil them on a low flame for 5 minutes. Finally strain the water and drink it like tea.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.