Recipe: Banana Fritters on a Stick (Pisang Goreng)

BANANA FRITTERS ON A STICK
(PISANG GORENG)

Most visitors to Southeast Asia think of banana fritters as dessert. In Indonesia, however, they are also enjoyed for breakfast or as a snack. The fritters are best when made with the small, thin-skinned bananas found in Southeast Asia. Thais prefer a small, firm banana called gluay nam wah, which tends to be particularly sweet, is the perfect size, and stays fairly firm when cooked. Indonesians are partial to the larger sweet king banana, or raja.

1 cup all-purpose flour, or as needed
1/2 cup rice flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water, or as needed
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
8 small, firm bananas, peeled, or 4 large, firm bananas, peeled and halved crosswise
Confectioners' sugar or ground cinnamon
for dusting
2 limes, cut into wedges

In a bowl, sift together the 1 cup all-purpose flour, the rice flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in the 1 cup water to make a smooth, thick pancake-like batter. Adjust the consistency by adding more all-purpose flour or water.

In a deep-fry pan or wok, pour in oil to a depth of 2 inches and heat to 350 degrees F on a deep-frying thermometer.

Spear one end of a banana with a bamboo skewer, running the skewer all the way through to the other end, then dip the banana into the batter, coating evenly. Carefully lower the battered banana into the hot oil, leaving the skewer in. Repeat with as many more bananas as will fit in the pan without crowding. Deep-fry the bananas until they are crisp and golden, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted utensil, transfer the bananas to paper towels to drain.

Serve the bananas hot, still on their skewers. Dust with confectioners' sugar or cinnamon. Accompany with lime wedges so diners can squeeze over the fritters.

Adapted from: Savoring Southeast Asia: Recipes and Reflections on Southeast Asian Cooking by Joyce Jue