These sweet little Thai bananas have a different texture from a normal banana you’d find at an American grocery store. These bananas are starchier and more dense along with a different level of sweet (almost syrup-esque). Here’s a quick sweet snack and can be served with or without the sauce. For family events and gatherings, these fried bananas would make a great snack to just eat plain. In a smaller more intimate setting, this is a great time to take the extra step, make the sauce, add some chocolate syrup & ice cream too while you’re at it.
Ingredients:
Cream –
Coconut milk
Tapioca Starch
Sugar
optional: pinch of salt (I forgot mine)
Fried Bananas –
Tempura Flour
Bananas
Water
Toppings –
Crushed peanuts
Sesame Seeds
additional thoughts: chocolate syrup, whipped cream, vanilla ice cream
Step 1: Add canned coconut milk into a pot. Once it begins to warm, add sugar (& a pinch of salt if you like salty paired with sweet). When the sugar has dissolved, add a mixture of tapioca starch & water into the warm coconut milk. Note: you’ll see that I had to work fast because my mixture had too much tapioca starch. Start with a tablespoon of starch to a quarter cup of water and build up from there (do as I say, not as I do).
Step 2: Mix your pre-mixed tempura flour with water. Tip: If you don’t have tempura flour, feel free to use a corn starch or tapioca starch with a small bit (about a 1/2 a teaspoon) of baking powder. You’re looking for a consistency that will create a nice layer on the banana.
Step 3: Peel your baby bananas and cut into halves the long ways. If you can’t find these bananas then feel free to use regular ones you find at the store. These are just easier to work with since they’re so dense, they won’t break. I also bought these green then let them sit for about a week.
Step 4: Mix the bananas in the tempura batter! Make sure to coat well.
Step 5: Heat oil in a pot/pan/skillet/wok of your choice (I typically use corn oil – why? because my mom does). Once the oil is hot, add the bananas one by one. Once they begin to float a little bit then they’re ready to be turned. If the banana is stuck to the bottom of the pan, it isn’t ready to be flipped yet! Fry until bananas as crispy and golden. Yum. Remove from heat and onto a papertowel.
Step 6: The fun stuff, top with the coconut cream, peanuts and sesame seeds. If you’re allergic, skip it all together! I do highly recommend it though, there’s just something about the pairing. Yum. Feel free to add other toppings too: fresh fruit, chocolate syrup, ice cream.
Enjoy. 🙂
