Turon is a saba (a type of banana that you have to cook first similar to plantain) wrapped in a lumpia (egg roll) wrapper then deep fried. You’ll see this being peddled on the side streets here in the Philippines and it sells like hotcakes. It is sweet, crunchy and very filling that’s why it is a very popular merienda (snacks) and easy on the pocket too. I just learned how to make turon a couple of months back through a cleaning lady who used to sell turon. She was kind enough to teach me her method, which in turn I’d like to share with you.
Without further ado, here it is:
Banana Turon
you will need:
saba banana or plantain
brown sugar
fresh langka (jackfruit), sliced into thin strands
lumpia (eggroll) wrapper
cooking oil for deep frying
Directions:
Wash the unpeeled saba banana and put in a pot and fill it with water just enough to submerge the unpeeled banana. Put it on the stove on high heat and boil for about 10 minutes or until the banana is cooked (you can check by poking it with a fork or knife). Drain and rinse with cold water; let cool for a few minutes before peeling, careful though as it’s still hot inside. Slice each banana into quarters, lengthwise.
Meanwhile, put some brown sugar on a plate, put a little water on a small bowl and start heating some oil in the pan for deep frying.
Assembly: Get a piece of lumpia wrapper and lay in on a clean flat surface or on a plate. Get 2-3 pieces of sliced saba banana, roll each one on the brown sugar to coat; arrange the banana slices on the middle of lumpia wrapper, put some langka on top (about a tbsp) then begin rolling by folding the end of the wrapper that is near you (or facing you), then fold both sides over it and roll again to the other end of the lumpia wrapper, seal end with a little water and lay on a separate plate, repeat until all the bananas are wrapped.
Deep fry until the wrapper turns golden brown and the sugar starts to caramelize and seep through the wrapper. Lay on a metal strainer to drain excess oil. Let stand for a few minutes to cool before serving. Cool completely before serving to small children.
Enjoy!
Olive
Banana Turon
Ingredients
- SABA BANANA OR PLANTAIN
- Brown Sugar
- FRESH LANGKA JACKFRUIT, SLICED INTO THIN STRANDS
- LUMPIA EGGROLL WRAPPER
- COOKING OIL FOR DEEP FRYING
Instructions
- WASH THE UNPEELED SABA BANANA AND PUT IN A POT AND FILL IT WITH WATER JUST ENOUGH TO SUBMERGE THE UNPEELED BANANA. PUT IT ON THE STOVE ON HIGH HEAT AND BOIL FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES OR UNTIL THE BANANA IS COOKED (YOU CAN CHECK BY POKING IT WITH A FORK OR KNIFE). DRAIN AND RINSE WITH COLD WATER; LET COOL FOR A FEW MINUTES BEFORE PEELING, CAREFUL THOUGH AS IT’S STILL HOT INSIDE. SLICE EACH BANANA INTO QUARTERS, LENGTHWISE.
- MEANWHILE, PUT SOME BROWN SUGAR ON A PLATE, PUT A LITTLE WATER ON A SMALL BOWL AND START HEATING SOME OIL IN THE PAN FOR DEEP FRYING.
- ASSEMBLY: GET A PIECE OF LUMPIA WRAPPER AND LAY IN ON A CLEAN FLAT SURFACE OR ON A PLATE. GET 2-3 PIECES OF SLICED SABA BANANA, ROLL EACH ONE ON THE BROWN SUGAR TO COAT; ARRANGE THE BANANA SLICES ON THE MIDDLE OF LUMPIA WRAPPER, PUT SOME LANGKA ON TOP (ABOUT A TBSP) THEN BEGIN ROLLING BY FOLDING THE END OF THE WRAPPER THAT IS NEAR YOU (OR FACING YOU), THEN FOLD BOTH SIDES OVER IT AND ROLL AGAIN TO THE OTHER END OF THE LUMPIA WRAPPER, SEAL END WITH A LITTLE WATER AND LAY ON A SEPARATE PLATE, REPEAT UNTIL ALL THE BANANAS ARE WRAPPED.
- DEEP FRY UNTIL THE WRAPPER TURNS GOLDEN BROWN AND THE SUGAR STARTS TO CARAMELIZE AND SEEP THROUGH THE WRAPPER. LAY ON A METAL STRAINER TO DRAIN EXCESS OIL. LET STAND FOR A FEW MINUTES TO COOL BEFORE SERVING. COOL COMPLETELY BEFORE SERVING TO SMALL CHILDREN.
