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4 large, ripe bananas or 8 finger
bananas
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
canola or peanut oil for deep-frying
confectioners' (icing) sugar
Batter:
½ cup (2½ oz/75 g) all-purpose (plain)
flour
½ cup (2 oz/60 g) rice flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
⅛ teaspoon
salt
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) coconut milk
For the filling:
3 tablespoons unsalted peanuts, toasted
and minced
2 tablespoons unsweetened dried coconut,
flaked
2½ teaspoons grated palm sugar or brown
sugar
2 pinches of salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
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Method:
To make the batter, in a bowl, sift
together the all-purpose and rice flours, baking powder, and salt.
Stir in the granulated sugar. Whisk in the coconut milk until
the batter just comes together. Do not over-stir. Cover
and refrigerate for 30 minutes. To make the filling, in a food
processor, combine the peanuts, coconut, palm sugar and salt and pulse
until finely minced. Add the butter and pulse several times
until the mixture has the consistency of cooked oatmeal. If
using large bananas, peel them and halve crosswise on the diagonal.
If using small bananas, peel and leave whole. Place the bananas
in a bowl and toss with the lime juice. Using a small, sharp
knife, cut a lengthwise slit 3 inches (7.5 cm) long in each banana
piece, forming a pocket. Using a butter knife, slip about 1
teaspoon of the filling into each pocket. Take care not to
overstuff the bananas. Line a baking sheet with a layer of paper
towels. Pour canola oil to a depth of 4 inches (10 cm) into a
deep, heavy saucepan and heat to 190°C on a deep-frying thermometer.
When the oil is hot, dip 4 or 5 banana pieces into the batter, shake
off the excess batter, and carefully slide the pieces into the oil.
Fry until golden brown, 2-3 minutes. Using a skimmer, transfer
the bananas to the paper towel-lined sheet to drain, and place in the
oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining bananas, allowing
the oil to reheat to 190°C before adding the next batch. Divide
the hot and crisp bananas among warmed individual plates. Using
a fine-mesh sieve or a sifter, dust the bananas with confectioners'
sugar and serve.
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