asiaSpa India May-June 2017 97overripe. In South India, unripe bananas
are used to make different varieties of
chips, fritters and also used in the gravies
combined with vegetables and chicken.”
Talking about his favourite dishes, Chef
Kinny adds, “One of my favourite uses
of ripe bananas is in the West Indian
coconut plantain ‘rice’ pudding and
in Vietnamese Chè Chuô. Overripe
bananas are a perfect ‘vegan’ replacement
for both egg as well as dairy, and are
heavily used in baking, be it in a banana
bread, pudding, muffins or even cakes.”
Noting its minimal calorie count,
Chef Arindham Bhattacharya, Executive
Chef at Le Mèridien Mahabaleshwar
Resort & Spa says, “One serving of
banana contains 110 calories, 30 grams
of carbohydrate and one gram of protein.
Bananas are naturally free of fat,
cholesterol and sodium, and very high in
Potassium (450 mg). Hence, for a chef,
it is one of the most natural choices to
include banana in any menu.”BEAUTY SPECIALIST
While almost everyone is aware of the
benefits of consuming bananas, not as
many know of the wonderful effects
the fruit has on one’s skin. Dr. Shefali
Trasi Nerurkar, MD Skin, Consultant
Dermatologist, Dr. Trasi’s Clinic &
La Piel observes, “Bananas are a rich
source of vitamins such as A,B, C and
E, which form antioxidants that destroy
free radical formation in the skin, thus
delaying the process of ageing. It helps
maintain the elasticity of skin, because
of which bananas are used in many
anti-ageing preparations.”
Bananas are beneficial not just for
skin, but even for one’s hair. Dr. Jamuna
Pai, Cosmetic Physician, Author and
Founder – SkinLab observes, “Bananas
are rich in minerals, antioxidants and
phytonutrients that make it a potent
skin replenishing agent. The potassium
in a banana has properties to moisture
and hydrate not only skin, but also
hair. It acts as a very efficacious natural
conditioning agent for the tresses.”SOFTENS HAIR
Mash a banana to
form a paste.
Add three tablespoonsful
of coconut milk and two
tablespoonsful of avocado
paste to it.
Mix all the ingredients well and
apply on your hair thoroughly.
Leave on for 20–30 minutes and
then rinse o with plain water.REMOVE TOXINS
Mix a tablespoonful of
banana-peel paste with half a
tablespoonful of baking powder.
Add water until the mixture
turns into a ne paste.
Use a cotton ball to massage
the paste onto your skin using
circular motions.
Leave on for 2 minutes, and
then rinse with lukewarm water
and pat dry.EXFOLIATES SKIN
Mash half an overripe banana
into a pulp.
Add a few drops of rose water and
honey/lime to it and mix well.
Take a generous amount of the
mask, layer it on your skin and
gently rub in circular motions.
Leave on as the face and neck
for 10 minutes. Then, wash o
with cold water.crops in the world. Interestingly, India
produces more bananas than any other
country, accounting for a whopping 28
per cent of the worldwide crop.
KITCHEN WONDER
It’s very rare to find a person who doesn’t
like bananas. The versatile fruit is a
must-have in almost all kitchens. Chef
Paul Kinny, Culinary Director Bellona
Hospitality, says, “One of the most multi-
faceted ingredients that can be used
while cooking, banana can be utilised
in all its forms, be it unripe, ripe, or