Salteen Ingredient Knowledge Base

Banana (Kela — Raw)

कच्चा केला

कच्चा केला — सबसे कुरकुरे चिप्स की नींव। Green bananas sliced thin and fried golden — the crispiest chip you will ever eat.

Year-Round UP Sourced Year-Round Three Bold Flavours

🌿

Hindi Name

कच्चा केला

Type

Fruit

Origin

Varanasi, UP

Season

Year-Round

Taste

Mild and Starchy

कच्चा केला — Salteen के चिप्स का ज़रिया। Raw green bananas — thinly sliced, golden-fried, and available in three Banarasi flavours.

Banana chips are not a new invention — they have been made in South India for centuries. But Salteen's banana chips bring the raw ingredient north, combining the crispy Kerala-style slice with bold Banarasi masala seasoning.

We use raw green bananas sourced from UP farms — firm, starchy, and with minimal natural sugar at this stage of ripeness. The raw banana's high starch content is what creates the extraordinary crispiness that ripe banana chips can never achieve. Sliced paper-thin, fried in groundnut oil at exactly the right temperature, and immediately seasoned with our masala blend, each chip comes out with a satisfying snap.

Our banana chips come in three flavours — plain salted, chilli masala, and black pepper — each highlighting a different dimension of the raw banana's neutral base.

The secret to a great banana chip is simple: start with the most unripe banana you can find, slice it impossibly thin, and fry it in clean oil at the perfect temperature.

— Salteen, Varanasi Operations

Taste Profile

The Flavour of Banana (Kela — Raw)

Crispiness

9.5/10

Starchiness

7.5/10

Mildness

8/10

Nutty (from frying)

6/10

Why It Matters

Health Benefits

Raw banana is nutritionally distinct from ripe banana — higher in resistant starch and lower in sugar, making it a genuinely better snacking base.

🌿

Resistant Starch

Raw banana is rich in resistant starch — a prebiotic fibre that feeds beneficial gut bacteria and improves metabolic health.

⚡

Potassium Rich

High potassium content supports healthy blood pressure and muscle function.

📉

Lower Sugar

Raw banana has very low natural sugar compared to ripe banana — making chips made from it less glycaemically disruptive.

💪

Energy

The complex carbohydrates in raw banana provide sustained energy — making banana chips a more satisfying snack than potato crisps.

Note: The above reflects traditional and general nutritional knowledge. Consult a healthcare professional for personal dietary advice.

Farm to Jar

Where It Comes From

🍌 UP Banana Farms — Raw Green Harvest

We source raw green bananas from farms in the Varanasi region — selecting bunches that are at least 2-3 weeks from full ripeness. At this stage the banana is maximally starchy, minimally sweet, and produces the crispiest possible chip when sliced and fried. Our production team monitors incoming bananas carefully to ensure consistent ripeness.

In Your Salteen Kitchen

Used In

Raw banana is the hero ingredient in Salteen's banana chip range — available in plain salted, chilli masala, and black pepper variants. It is our most popular snack product.

Plain Banana Chips Chilli Banana Chips Black Pepper Banana Chips