Japanese banana tempura
The banana tempura with a Japanese twist is delightfully crispy on the outside, while the inside is irresistibly gooey and sweet. You can enhance the presentation by sprinkling coconut flakes on top and serving with a side of dulce de leche for dipping.
If you’ve ever had the pleasure of trying banana tempura at a Japanese restaurant like Benihana, you’ll understand just how indulgent and mouthwatering deep-fried bananas can be. Moreover, the great news is that preparing this dish in the comfort of your own home is not a challenging task. Creating light and crispy tempura with a sweet soft center is actually quite simple, requiring only seven basic ingredients.
Let me guide you through the process of creating your very own banana tempura, providing clear step-by-step instructions, and offering some imaginative ideas for serving. Would anyone like to try a delicious dessert called banana tempura split? Sure, I’m ready to go!
Banana tempura benihana
A delicious appetizer called banana tempura is created by deep-frying ripe banana slices in tempura batter until they turn crispy. It’s a famous dish at Benihana, which is a chain of Japanese teppanyaki restaurants known for their interactive dining. It is usually served hot and can have powdered sugar on top, be served with ice cream, or have chocolate or caramel sauce poured over it for extra flavor.
REASONS YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- Since there is no egg in this banana tempura recipe, it is good for vegans and people with egg allergies.
- Kids really like this dish!
- This is a great way to use up bananas that have gone bad. Consider them the new banana bread.
- If you use more rice flour instead of all-purpose flour, banana tempura is easy to make gluten-free.
Banana Tempura | Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups high-heat cooking oil I like to deep fry with canola oil the most. It doesn't taste like anything and has a high smoke point. You can also use sunflower oil.
- 3 bananas cut in half lengthwise Choose bananas that are ripe but not so ripe that they are falling apart.
- 1 cup rice flour When making tempura batter, rice flour is commonly used and is known to produce excellent outcomes. However, if you decide to substitute it with a different type of flour, the recipe will still turn out just fine.
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour The perfect texture of tempura batter is achieved by using a blend of rice flour and all-purpose flour. If you prefer a gluten-free option for your banana tempura, you can easily substitute the all-purpose flour with additional rice flour.
- 1 tsp baking powder The addition of baking powder to tempura batter results in a light and fluffy texture as it helps the batter to puff up.
- 2/3 cup ice-cold fizzy water Adding ice to your sparkling water is the secret to making your tempura extra light and crispy. Ice-cold water makes tempura that is fluffy and light.
- 1/2 tsp salt Salt has the natural ability to enhance the flavor of all the other ingredients.
Instructions
HOW TO MAKE BANANA TEMPURA
- Heat your oil until it shimmers in a deep pan, wok, or deep fryer. Drop a small piece of batter carefully into the oil to see how hot it is. It should go down a little bit, then rise back up and start to bubble.
- Peel the bananas and cut each one in half along its length. Cut each piece in half again across the middle. For smaller fritters, you can also just cut the banana into coins.
- Mix the rice flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, water, and salt together by hand in a bowl. Don't mix the batter too much. Having a few lumps is fine.
- Using tongs, dip each piece of banana in the batter and drop it carefully into the oil. If you don't leave room between each piece, your banana tempura will stick together.
- Cook the bananas for 4 to 5 minutes, flipping them over once when the time is up.
- Take the banana pieces out of the oil with tongs or a forked spoon and put them on a plate lined with paper towels or a cooling rack with paper towels under it.
Notes
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
- You can enjoy a delightful Japanese-inspired banana split by pairing it with chocolate chickpea ice cream.
- Prepare a delicious vegan dulce de leche to enjoy with your banana tempura.
- Sprinkle the surface with dried coconut flakes.
- After slicing them, you can fill your bananas with chocolate strips or chocolate chips. As the temperature rises, the tempura fries will melt, resulting in a delightful explosion of chocolate flavor.
- You can enhance the flavor of your tempura batter by incorporating a tablespoon of desiccated coconut.
- Replace the bananas with plantains. To ensure proper cooking, it is recommended to extend the cooking time by one additional minute.
Banana tempura calories
A serving of banana tempura usually has between 300 and 400 calories, but this can change based on the size of the dish and the toppings that are added.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The batter used for tempura is usually made by combining flour, water, and occasionally egg.
The tempura batter is famous for its delightful and crunchy consistency, achieved by using very cold water and minimal mixing to avoid gluten formation.
Tempura cooking is a traditional Japanese frying method that involves coating ingredients, such as seafood and vegetables, in a delicate batter and frying them until they turn crispy and acquire a beautiful golden color.
Another name for “banana fry” is “fried bananas.”
Fried bananas are popular all over the world, but in Southeast Asian countries like Thailand and Indonesia, they are especially well-known. In these parts of the world, fried bananas are a popular dessert and street food.
Different countries around the globe have their own unique versions of fried bananas, which are prepared and savored with delight. Fried banana dishes vary across different cultures, each with their own unique version and no single country of origin.
If you store tempura batter in an airtight container, it can remain fresh for a period of three days.
Yes, you can use either soda water or sparkling water for tempura batter.
Yes, you can, but once they’ve thawed, they won’t be as crispy as they were when they were still hot.
