Ingredients
- 8 baby bananas (2 per person)
TIP: You can use larger bananas by cutting them into smaller pieces, but the baby bananas hold their shape better & Linh prefers their taste. - 1 package tempura batter mix
- water (follow tempura batter mix instructions)
- vanilla ice cream
- canola oil (for frying)
TIP: Use canola or vegetable oil for frying because it has a high smoking point.
Instructions
- Step 1 Following the directions on the back of the tempura batter mix package, combine the batter mix with water. Do not over-mix the batter - a few lumps are normal.
- Step 2 Peel the bananas, then cut them in half cross-wise & gently flatten with the blade of the knife. Be careful not to apply too much pressure when flattening the bananas. They should still hold their shape.
- Step 3 Dredge the flattened banana pieces in the batter, coating all surfaces.
-
Step 4
Pour canola oil into a deep sauce pan until the oil is about 1/4 inch deep.
TIP: Use a pan with a small diameter so that you need less oil. You will need to fry the bananas in smaller batches, but you will waste less oil. -
Step 5
Heat the oil over medium heat. You want the oil to be hot, but not too hot, so that the banannas cook evenly and do not burn on the outside while remaining raw on the inside.
TIP: Test the oil by dropping a small amount of batter into the oil; if the oil immediately starts to bubble and cook the batter, it is ready. -
Step 6
Gently place the batter-coated banana pieces into the hot oil. Place the pieces away from you so that the oil splatters away from you and make sure that any utensils you use to handle the bananas while they are frying are completely dry to minimize oil splatter due to water coming into contact with the oil.
TIP: Remove any stray pieces of batter from the oil so that they do not burn, turning the oil bitter. -
Step 7
Fry the banana pieces until they are golden brown, flipping once to get an even color on both sides.
TIP: Linh prefers her bananas slightly darker golden brown, but you can cook them to your own desired level of doneness. -
Step 8
Once the banana pieces are ready, remove them to a plate lined with a paper towel.
TIP: You will know the banana pieces are done when the oil starts splattering a lot. The splattering is due to the banana pieces letting off water, which they do once they are ready. - Step 9 Place a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream in a bowl and top with 1 to 2 pieces fried banana.
