Goreng Pisang (Chinese Fried Bananas)

Goreng pisang is one of those street food desserts that’s impossible to walk past. Whole bananas sliced lengthwise, dipped in a thin batter, and fried until the outside shatters and the inside goes soft and caramelized. A roll through brown sugar while still hot, and you’ve got something that tastes far more special than its simple ingredients suggest.

The batter is the key to the crunch. It uses a mix of self-rising flour, rice flour, and cornstarch. The rice flour and cornstarch keep things extra crispy and light instead of doughy and heavy, which is what you’d get with all-purpose flour alone.

Mix the batter to the consistency of heavy cream. Too thick and it clumps around the banana; too thin and it slides right off. Shake off any excess before lowering into the oil.

Chef Tips

• Use bananas that are ripe but still firm. Overripe bananas fall apart in the fryer. You want sweet flavor with enough structure to hold up.
• Get the oil truly hot, almost smoking, before frying. That initial blast of heat is what sets the batter into a crisp shell.
• Fry in small batches so the oil temperature stays high. Crowding the pot drops the heat and gives you soggy results.

Variations

• Coconut batter: Add a few tablespoons of desiccated coconut to the batter for extra texture and tropical flavor.
• Chocolate drizzle: Skip the brown sugar and drizzle warm Nutella or melted chocolate over the fried bananas instead.