Radhika celebrates the banana

Chef-Owner at Fig&Maple – Delhi’s first sustainable restaurant.

Zero-waste chef Radhika Khandelwal prepares pulled banana peel tacos.

Delhi-based Radhika champions food security by encouraging biodiversity and zero-waste cooking. She began her low-waste journey while studying in Australia where she learned just how much food goes to waste around the world each year.

Pulled banana peel tacos pulled-banana-peel-tacos

"Banana peel is such an interesting ingredient because it is often thrown straight in the trash – but has this amazing texture that can make it a plant-based alternative to meat," - Radhika Khandelwal

portions

min cooking

ingredients

portions

min cooking

ingredients

What you need

Peels from 4 bananas 1 small onion, chopped 1 teaspoon mustard seeds 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder 1 green chili chopped

1 and ½ teaspoon cumin powder 1 and ½ cup grated coconut 1 tablespoon mustard or coconut oil Curry leaves for plating Tomato paste Salt to taste

Watch the video

Watch as Rhadika takes you through the recipe and gives you insights into zero-waste cooking.

Step 1/5 Rinse & soak banana peels

Remove the bananas from the peels and soak the peels in a bowl of water with vinegar. Clean the peels thoroughly and dry them.

Pro tip from the chef

Ensure you clean the banana peels thoroughly before using and buy bananas from a traceable chemical-free source.

Step 2/5 Cut the peels into strips

Slice the peels into strips by pulling a fork through them or simply slicing with a knife.

Step 3/5 Chop and fry onions

Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and let them crackle. Add the chopped onions and sauté until the onions are transparent. Add salt to help cook the onion faster.

Step 4/5 Ground and grate

Add the grated coconut, followed by the banana peel. Add some water, the spices and the tomato paste. Let the ingredients simmer.

Step 5/5 Add curry leaves

Add the curry leaves and turmeric. Use as a sandwich filling with your favorite kind of bread or with rice.

Let’s plate it

“Food plating” is what professional chefs refer to when arranging and decorating food to enhance its presentation. Why not "plate it" to add to your home dining experience?

Plating step 1

Pour a teaspoon of coconut cream onto a dark colored plate. Splatter it by gently tapping the back of the spoon on the plate. Arrange three taco shells/bread on one side of the place. Add guacamole or your choice of sauce/salsa. Top with a colorful fresh slaw.

Plating step 2

Spoon the banana peel filling on top of the slaw. Place a sprig of coriander on the filling. Use a piping bag to pipe goats cheese mousse onto the filling.

Plating step 3

Garnish with an edible flower like the blue pea. Bon appétit!