← Nouns Cooking · Malaysian & Singaporean

Ingredients

• 6 ripe but firm bananas (pisang raja, saba or 3 plantains)
• 120 g Rice flour
• 2 tbsp tapioca starch or cornflour
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• ¼ tsp Salt
• 1 pinch ground turmeric, for colour (optional)
• 1 tbsp Sesame seeds (optional)
• 170 ml ice-cold water
• 750 ml oil, for deep-frying

Method

1. Whisk the rice flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, sugar, salt, turmeric and sesame (if using) in a bowl. Whisk in the cold water to make a smooth batter like pouring cream that coats the back of a spoon.
2. Peel the bananas and halve them lengthways (cut plantains into thick diagonal slices). For the hawker-style fan, slice each banana into 3–4 strips that stay joined at the top and press them flat.
3. Heat the oil in a wok to 180°C (350°F); a drop of batter should sizzle and float straight away.
4. Dip each banana in the batter, let the excess drip off and slide it into the oil. Fry in batches for 3–4 min, turning once, until crisp and deep golden. Flick a few drops of extra batter over them as they fry for crunchy bits.
5. Drain on a rack (not paper, which makes them soggy) and eat warm.

Tips

• The banana matters more than the batter: it should be fully ripe and sweet but still firm, or it turns mushy. Pisang raja and saba are ideal.
• For gluten-free, check that your baking powder is wheat-free.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Singaporean Malaysian Recipes What To Cook Today Huang Kitchen