Vietnamese Siamese bananas wrapped in rice paper, coated in a light rice flour batter, and fried until they have a very crisp shell and a hot, sweet, melting banana center.
Ingredients
- 8 pieces ripe mini Siamese bananas
- 8 sheets round Vietnamese rice paper sheets
- 120 g rice flour
- 40 g all-purpose wheat flour
- 30 g tapioca starch
- 35 g granulated white sugar
- 120 ml unsweetened coconut milk
- 130 ml cold water
- 18 g white sesame seeds
- 1 pinch fine salt
- 1 l vegetable oil for frying
Method
- Prepare the batter: mix the rice flour, wheat flour, tapioca starch, sugar, salt, and sesame seeds in a bowl. Add the coconut milk, then the cold water, whisking until you have a smooth, spoon-coating batter, slightly thinner than thick crêpe batter. It should fall in a ribbon and coat the back of a spoon without clumping.
- Let the batter rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes. This rest hydrates the rice flour, making the batter more even and helping it adhere to the rice paper during frying.
- Peel the mini Siamese bananas. Place them one at a time between two pieces of plastic wrap or in an open freezer bag, then gently flatten them with the bottom of a saucepan. Aim for a banana that is wider but still whole, thick, and even, without mashing it.
- Prepare a clean, slightly damp towel and a plate of warm water. Quickly dip one rice paper sheet, just enough to soften it. It should still be slightly firm when you remove it; it will continue softening on the towel.
- Place the softened sheet on the towel. Put a flattened banana in the center, fold in the sides, and roll tightly without crushing the fruit. The wrapper must be well sealed, without thick folds at the ends, so oil does not enter too quickly.
- Repeat with all the bananas, then let them rest on the towel for a few minutes. The rice paper should become supple, slightly sticky, and adhere well to the fruit. If it is still stiff, wait a little rather than forcing it.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a tall saucepan or wok to 170 °C. Without a thermometer, a drop of batter should rise fairly quickly with a steady sizzle, without browning immediately.
- Whisk the batter again. Dip each wrapped banana into the batter, let it drain very briefly, then slide it into the hot oil away from you. Do not overcrowd the oil: the fritters must be able to float and move freely.
- Fry until the surface is pale golden, blistered, and firm. Gently turn them when the underside resists the tongs and sounds slightly dry against the utensil. The sizzling should remain steady, not violent.
- Remove the fritters to a rack rather than a flat plate. Wait for the oil to return to temperature before starting the next batch; if the oil is too cool, the rice paper absorbs the fat and the crust becomes hard instead of crisp.
- For a crisper shell, return the fritters to the hotter oil, around 180 °C, just until they take on a deeper golden color and the surface sounds very crisp under the tongs.
- Drain again on a rack and serve hot, while the outside still crackles and the banana inside is soft and nearly confit-like.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 539.7 kcal
- Protein
- 5.52 g
- Carbohydrate
- 66.07 g
- Fat
- 28.22 g
- Fibre
- 2.21 g
- Calcium
- 91.52 mg
- Iron
- 1.13 mg
- Magnesium
- 55.04 mg
