Recipe: Goreng pisang (fried banana fritters)

I love goreng pisang (fried banana fritters - in Malay language, which is Singapore's national language - it's a historical thing - 'goreng' means fried, 'pisang' means banana). When I was a little girl, Dad would sometimes pick a couple up on his way back from work at our favourite stall in Lagoon hawker centre on the east coast of Singapore.

I think people say that pisang raja (a particular type of bananas, small ones) are the best for this dish. I like them cos they have a special sweetness balanced with a raw undertone that I like. I've spied bananitos at my local Waitrose, and wonder if they're the same thing... any banana experts out there? Anyways, we have to make do with whatever we have wherever we are, right? That's how cuisines evolve. =) I mean, chinese food in Singapore looks and tastes nothing like chinese food in China, and is a completely different creature in America. But I digress...

The recipe is from Yan-Kit So's excellent classic chinese cook book. Like me, Yan-Kit So was chinese (but from China), transplanted in London and the USA. Unlike many chinese cook books, she writes with a sensitivity to modern times and offerings, yet succeeding in retaining an authentic spirit in the food (insofar as they correspond to my own memories and experience growing up eating at my mother's table). In my inexpert opinion, chinese cook books are divided broadly into

(1) authentic cookbooks written in a style or language I don't read too well, usually containing too many ingredients I can't get or processes that are laborious and passe in the light of modern techonology, and

(2) westernised chinese cooking that I don't like.

Yan-Kit So engenders that rare third category, which is authentic chinese cookery that is modern, in English and relatively easy to obtain, both in terms of ingredients and the final product. I've been collecting these rare creatures over the years. Am not a big fan of Fuschia Dunlop, although she is considered an expert in certain regional chinese foods. Siong Mui Ng is another excellent resource. Barbara Tropp I use selectively. To name a few, but I digress again...

Note: I used wholewheat flour instead for this recipe successfully. Can be eaten plain without caramelizing (optional).

RECIPE: GORENG PISANG (FRIED BANANA FRITTERS)

6 bananitos or 3 bananas, peeled and cut into 4" parts
1 tbsp plain flour
Oil for deep-frying

100g self-raising flour
1 large egg
8 tbsp water
1 tbsp oil

(optional)
9 tbsp sugar
sesame seeds

1. Prepare the batter: sift self-raising flour into a mixing bowl and beat in egg. Add water gradually and stir to blend into a smooth batter. Leave to stand for 15 mins, then blend in oil.

2. Toss banana pieces well in plain flour.

3. Heat oil in a wok on high. One by one, dip banana pieces in batter and deep-fry in oil until golden brown (2-3 mins). Turn bananas with tongs or chopsticks as needed. Remove and drain on kitchen paper.

(optional)

4. Fill a large bowl with water and ice cubes.

5. Clean wok and heat fresh oil over high heat. Add sugar and dissolve in oil, stirring all the time. As soon as it turns light brown in colour, turn heat down. Immediately add all the banana pieces, turning them to cover all over with the caramel. Sprinkle sesame seeds all round. Remove and immediately dip into ice water so that the caramel sets. Caramel threads are supposed to form, but sometimes I'm successful, other times I'm not.

Serve immediately.