Name: Balehannu Rasayana (Indian Banana Salad)
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 2 bananas; 1 tablespoon poppy seeds; 1 tablespoon jaggery; 1 teaspoon honey; ¼ cup coconut ((fresh or frozen)); ½ teaspoon cardamom powder; 1 tablespoon cashews; 1 tablespoon raisin

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5 from 16 votes

Indulge in the delightful flavors of balehannu rasayana, a traditional banana salad that combines the natural sweetness of ripe bananas with the richness of coconut. t can be effortlessly prepared in less than 10 minutes, making it a quick and satisfying treat.

Balehannu means banana in Kannada and 'rasa' means juice in Sanskrit. Balehannu rasayana is perfect for festivals and vrat (fasting). This versatile dish can not only be served as a dessert but it can also be served as a side dish and goes very well with roti, poori, and chapati.

Why you will love this recipe?

Balehannu rasayana is simple to prepare, requiring no cooking. Chopping ripe bananas and combining them with other ingredients can be done quickly.
This dish is good for vrat/fasting and can be served as a filling dessert.

Ingredients

Banana: Use ripe bananas to make rasayana.

Jaggery and honey: I use jaggery powder and a little honey to sweeten this dish.

Cashew and raisins: They add texture. You may add almonds, which goes well with rasayana.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations

A small amount of milk can be added. If you want to add milk to rasayana, use full-fat milk. Also, make sure the milk is cold.

You may skip honey to make it vegan-friendly. If you want to use milk, any nut-based milk can be used. Almond milk and coconut milk work well for this dish.

Use a mix of fruits to make this salad. You can see this fruit chaat recipe for different fruit combinations.

Step-by-step instructions

Chop bananas and add honey. — **Step 1:** Peel and chop the banana. Place them in a bowl. Add jaggery powder and honey. Mix well.

Add other ingredients. — **Step 2:** Add coconut, roasted sesame seeds, cardamom powder, cashews, and raisins.

Balehannu rasayana ready to be served. — **Step 3:** Mix well, taking care not to mash the bananas.

Expert Tips

Use bananas that are just ripe. We need the bananas to hold their shape. Overripe bananas can make the rasayana mushy.

If you are adding poppy seeds, first dry roast them until lightly golden and cool completely. Do not add the poppy seeds without roasting them.

Rasayana is ready in less than 10 minutes and is very easy to put together. It is best to serve it fresh. Make small amounts that you will use immediately as they lose their taste if stored.

Desiccated or dried coconut can be used instead of fresh coconut, but this dish tastes best with fresh coconut.

Recipe card