Banana Rasayana, also known as Balehannina Rasayana or Seehikarne, is a renowned and time-honored dish originating from Coastal Karnataka (specifically Mangalore, Udupi, Kundapur). This delightful recipe requires only 3 ingredients and can be effortlessly prepared in under 5 minutes.
The recipe in Kannada is known as Balehannu Rasayana, while in Konkani, we refer to it as Kele Hashale (hesale, hershale).
What is Rasayana or Hershale or Seehikarane?
It is a simple and refreshing dish made with diced banana, coconut milk, and jaggery or sugar. This dessert is commonly prepared during special occasions like Nagara Panchami or Ganesh Chaturthi in South Canara households.
To make rasayana, ripe bananas are chopped into small pieces and mixed with jaggery or sugar for desired sweetness. Then, coconut milk is added to the mixture. Optionally, cardamom powder, toasted sesame seeds, or cashews can be added for additional flavor.
Rasayana can be served as a dessert or a refreshing drink and is often enjoyed with dishes like pooris, neer dosa, or plain dosa. It is also a popular thirst quencher during the summer months due to its cooling properties.
Rasayana is not only enjoyed during festive occasions but also makes for a delicious treat throughout the year. It can be a part of fasting or upvas vrat meals and is even offered as naivedyam during Ganesh Chaturthi and Navratri.
Some Variations to Rasayana or Hershale
During the summer season, you have the option of including fresh mango slices to create mango hashale or Rasayana.
Moreover, during Navratri, when cantaloupe or musk melon (chibbad or karbooja) is available, chibbad hashale is commonly prepared as a refreshing beverage to welcome the season. In the Kannada language, this delightful drink is referred to as ebudla hannina rasayana.
We don’t need any special occasions or festivals to prepare this Rasayana. Whenever we have an abundance of ripe bananas or freshly grated coconut, or when we’re craving something sweet, we make this. I absolutely adore this dish. The preparation is quick and simple, but we’ve always delayed sharing the recipe on our blog, assuming we’d do it the next time we made it, yet it never actually happened.
We recently attended an event where we enjoyed a delicious dish called rasayana with shevai, which consists of rice noodles. This experience inspired us to share the recipe immediately because it is truly remarkable. We also happened to have plenty of ripe bananas at home, so without further ado, here’s the recipe.
Attention bachelors and beginners! Here’s a super simple yet delicious recipe for you. The best part? No cooking is required!
Ingredients for Banana Rasayana
- Jaggery or Brown sugar – ½ cup (100 g
- Ripe Bananas – 10 to 12
- Coconut milk – 1 ¼ cup
- Toasted sesame seeds or til (optional) – ½ tsp
How to Make Banana Rasayana
In a spacious bowl, place chopped jaggery or brown sugar. Cut the bananas into small, mouthful pieces and include them in the same bowl. Combine the bananas and jaggery, and set it aside for a duration of 10 minutes.
To the mixture, add canned or fresh coconut milk. Then, sprinkle toasted sesame seeds. Serve right away or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Pro Tips
After preparing the dish, refrigerate it for a minimum of 30 minutes to enhance its flavors.
If you desire a thicker consistency or intend to serve it as baby or toddler food, simply mash or grind the banana and incorporate it into the recipe.
Both fresh and canned coconut milk can be utilized for this dish.
For added taste, consider using toasted cashews and cardamom powder. Any type of ripe bananas will complement this recipe.
If using the long variety, four bananas will suffice. This recipe offers great flexibility, allowing you to adjust all the ingredients according to your personal preference.
FAQs
Ripe bananas generally contain higher levels of sugar.
Leftovers of this delectable and irresistible dish are exceptionally scarce. In the event that any remain, I recommend storing them in the refrigerator for approximately one to two days.