My first experience with cooked bananas was like a revelation. Who would have thought bananas could look and feel like candy?
On their own, bananas are a little heavy and difficult to digest. They also don’t combine well with other foods, so it’s best to have them alone, or in an Ayurvedic recipe like this one.
With the wisdom of Ayurveda, you can add a couple of ingredients, and like magic, you can digest bananas easily now.
When cooking bananas, the addition of ghee, sweet spices, and heat enhances the banana’s digestibility, allowing you to indulge your sweet craving without paying a price.
Caramelized Banana
The first way to cook bananas involves frying the bananas in ghee with cardamom, ginger powder, and optional cinnamon.This way of cooking the banana invigorates the senses in anticipation.
It starts with the buttery aroma of the ghee sweetened with spices.
Then the tropical mix wafts in from the banana, followed by the gentle flip to reveal a crispy, golden-brown crust.
Your mouth is salivating … and then the first bite delights.
That crispy banana crust, and the slimy-smooth interior that is oh-so-sweet. But not sweet like sugar. No. It’s a complex carbohydrate kind of sweet that will satisfy the mind and body and keep you full for a while.
Steamed Bananas
The second way to cook bananas is by steaming them in a saucepan. It takes only 2 minutes and they’re done since you don’t want to overcook them.The coolest thing here is that the skins of the bananas are left on, so that there’s protection for the banana inside from getting too mushy, and it steams in its skin.
Then you get the delight of opening up the banana pieces to reveal the treat inside.
You’ll notice that the exposed ends of the banana are coated in ghee and spices.
You are welcome to drink the steaming juice as long as you purchased organic bananas.
You can also have these steamed bananas along with other fruit. Since the banana is cooked, it will combine now.
Nature’s Antacid?
Whenever I feel that my intestines are inflamed or irritated—perhaps something I ate didn’t agree with me—that’s when I will desire a banana.Maybe you’ve noticed this too?
There’s a good reason for this helpful craving. The smooth, slimy texture of a perfectly ripe banana is soothing medicine for intestinal irritation, with a natural antacid effect.
Bananas are cooling and sweet in nature. They are also easy to digest, yet heavy. This unique combination of qualities leads to mucus formation in the gut.
Muscle Relief
Ayurvedic practitioner John Immel at Joyful Belly says that bananas can provide relief for weak, tired, or fatigued muscles due to their high potassium content.A sign that your potassium is low would be the occurrence of muscle cramps (a.k.a. a charlie horse).
You may have wondered why you got one all of a sudden?
It could be a sign of low potassium, electrolytes, and hydration levels.
When Are Bananas Good for Me?
If heat and dryness have you feeling irritation, burning, or heat in your GI, your protective mucus layer may be dry.In this case, try eating a banana and see how you feel.
Tune into your body after eating. Bananas are a wonderful food and important food in our “food as medicine” chest.
How Would I Make Raw Bananas Easier to Digest?
What if you just want to eat a banana, and you don’t want to cook it today?From an Ayurvedic perspective, the bare minimum when eating bananas uncooked is to add spices, and perhaps some lemon or lime to lighten them up.
You would chop up the banana, place it in a bowl, squeeze on some lemon, and sprinkle it with a pinch of spices.
You could use cumin, fresh cilantro, or ginger, or go sweet with cinnamon, coriander, or nutmeg.
One spice is sufficient to start. Once you experience your bananas this way, you may never turn back.
Cooked Banana, 2 Ways
Prep Time: 2 minutesCook Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 4 minutes
Servings: 1 serving
Calories: 346KCAL
Cooked banana is like candy and a soothing balm for the digestive tract all wrapped up in nature’s perfect package.
- Remove the skins from the banana and slice into two halves. Cut each half into two lengthwise.
- Add ghee to a small nonstick skillet and turn the heat to medium. Add cardamom, ginger powder, and cinnamon powder, and sizzle gently.
- Place the banana cut side down and cook until well caramelized and brown (about 1-2 minutes). You will notice the caramelization around the edges before turning.
- Turn the bananas and brown the second side. Careful not to overcook, as the bananas will become overly soft.
- Slice the tips off each end of the banana, then cut the banana into 1.5-inch lengths.
- Add water, ghee, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt to a small saucepan. Add the prepared banana. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2 minutes.
- Serve warm with the skins still on. Remove the skins before enjoying the banana.
Serving: 2g | Calories: 346kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 48mg | Potassium: 860mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 153IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg
