Last week, we made lumpia, this week we’re doing turon (too-rohn). What is turon? It is another popular street food and delicious Filipino snack. It’s sweet, crunchy, and very filling. It will be hard to put these down, it’s just that good! Whoever thought of this is a genius, really, who would ever think to put a sugary banana in a lumpia wrapper? This recipe is pretty easy to make, like, REALLY EASY. There really isn’t much that you would need to prepare. Just have yourself a fun little wrapping party and cook these up! 

Turon is such a filling snack, it was my #1 snack in college. When I would have a break in between classes, I would go down to the cafeteria and just grab me a couple of pieces. It was even to the point where I became a regular and the cafeteria workers would save me some! I know, some of you might think that this is the weirdest thing ever, but seriously, don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it!

What is a saba banana?

You’re probably asking, “what the heck are saba bananas?”. Well, saba bananas are smaller, chubbier, and squarer than the normal bananas we are used to seeing. They originate from the Philippines and they can be seen in most Asian supermarkets. They can also be called cooking bananas, cardaba banana, or sweet plantains. Why are these used for cooking instead of regular bananas?As these ripen, not only do these get sweet, but they stay firm and dense. Which is perfect for cooking! Standard bananas tend to get softer and mushier the more ripe they get. 

Let’s talk about optional steps:

• Adding langka (lung-kah) aka jackfruit, which I know that jackfruit isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. So don’t feel like you need to add this to your banana lumpia. Personally, I don’t mind it, I think it adds flavor to the dish. And I know that in some places fresh jackfruit isn’t readily available, so if you want to add it in you can totally use the canned stuff. Either way, it will still be delicious with or without the langka.
• Caramel coating! So I’ve eaten turon with and without the caramel coating. It gives the banana lumpia an extra kick of sweetness and crunch! Personally, it’s too sweet for me, but you might like it! I added the caramel coating in the recipe card just for those who want to add it.

Pro Tips:

• Use fresh lumpia wrappers. The older the wrappers are, the less pliable they are with rolling. They tend to break more and are harder to seal. Check the dates on the packaging to make sure they are still good to use. 
• During assembly, cover the wrappers with a damp cloth to prevent from drying out.
• Banana lumpia is the best deep-fried. Use enough frying oil to cover the rolls fully.
• Make sure your oil is hot enough. It should be at 350°-375°F. Another way to tell if your oil is ready is to take the wooden skewer or the end of a wooden spoon and stick it into the oil. If you see bubbles forming around the wood and they start to float up, then it is ready. If it’s bubbling vigorously, the oil is way too hot. Reduce the heat and allow the oil to cool and check the temperature again. 
• Do not use a paper towel to drain the excess oil, they tend to make the lumpia soggy. Drain on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet or in a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl.

If you enjoyed this recipe as much as I did, let me know what you think of it in the comment section! And don’t forget to rate it. You can also share and tag me in your recreations on Instagram @flouredframe or on Pinterest @flouredframe. Happy cooking!

Turon (Banana Lumpia)

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• Author: Floured Frame
• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 14 pieces 1x
• Category: Snack
• Method: Cooking
• Cuisine: Filipino
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

What is turon? It is another popular street food and delicious Filipino snack. It’s sweet, crunchy, and very filling. It will be hard to put these down, it’s just that good! Whoever thought of this is a genius, really, who would ever think to put a sugary banana in a lumpia wrapper? Some of you might think that this is the weirdest thing ever, but seriously, don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it!

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Ingredients

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• 7 – ripe saba banana (cooking banana, see notes)
• ⅓ cup – jackfruit, fresh or canned (optional)
• ⅓ cup – brown sugar
• 14 pieces – lumpia wrapper
• 1 tbsp –  cornstarch
• 1 tbsp – water
• Oil for frying
• ½ cup (100g) – granulated sugar (for caramel coating, optional)

Equipment:

• 3 plates or bowls
• Small microwave-safe bowl
• Medium-size saucepan or large pot
• Tongs
• Baking sheet with a cooling rack or fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl

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Instructions

1. Prep all your ingredients. If the wrappers are in the freezer, give them 30 minutes to defrost. Slice the saba bananas in half lengthwise, thinly slice the jackfruit, and pour the brown sugar, all on separate plates or bowls, set aside. If you are using canned jackfruit, dry off the excess liquid, it’ll cause the wrapper to get too soggy.
2. In a small microwave-safe bowl, mix the cornstarch and water until it has dissolved. Then microwave the mixture in 5-second intervals, while mixing in between, until a paste form. Don’t let it go any further, or it’ll cause it to be hard and rubbery. 

Assembly (I will provide a video on how to fold, it is from my lumpia recipe, but it is the same technique):

1. On a large plate, or a clean work surface set one wrapper in front of you. Cover the rest of the wrappers with a damp cloth, so they don’t dry out. If your wrapper is square like mine, position it into a diamond and make sure that a corner is facing you. 
2. Take one half of a saba banana, and coat it in brown sugar. Place it about 1 ½ inch from the bottom corner/edge of the wrapper and add a couple of strips of jackfruit next to the banana. 
3. Take the bottom corner/edge that is in front of you and bring it towards the center of the wrapper. Slightly tuck the filling into the wrapper so that it is tight. 
4. From the bottom, roll it up and stop at the center. Fold in the slides and continue to roll up until you reach about an inch of the top corner/edge of the wrapper. Dab a little bit of the cornstarch paste at the corner/edge and continue tightly rolling it up to seal it. Continue this for the rest! 

Cooking:

1. In a medium-sized saucepan or large pot, fill it up with enough oil so that you can submerge the banana lumpia in. (Yes we are deep frying this.) Place it over medium heat, the temperature must be around 350°-375°F. See the notes section on how to tell if your oil is ready.
2. When the oil is ready, cook a few pieces of banana lumpia at a time. Do not overcrowd. Cook for about 3-5 minutes or until golden brown all-around. You might need to rotate the banana lumpia as sometimes one side might tend to stay at the top. Transfer the cooked banana lumpia over to a baking sheet with a cooling rack or fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl to drain the excess oil. Allow to cool.

Caramel Coating (Optional):

1. Take a large skillet,  place it over medium heat, and melt the sugar. Do not stir! Keep a close on it, and continue to cook until it starts turning into an amber color. Once it gets to that color, remove from heat and toss the fried banana lumpia in it. Allow the caramel to harden before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

• You can find saba bananas at your local Asian supermarket. If you can’t find it, you can use regular bananas in its place. Use regular bananas when the peel is perfectly yellow, with no spots. Also, cut it half along with cutting in lengthwise since they are longer than saba bananas.
• Unfortunately, you cannot freeze these. Trust me, I’ve tried those one time, and they did not work well. Frozen bananas get mushy once they are warmed up! So make enough to serve right away!
• How to tell if your oil is ready is to take the wooden skewer or the end of a wooden spoon and stick it into the oil. If you see bubbles forming around the wood and they start to float up, then it is ready. If it’s bubbling vigorously, the oil is way too hot. Reduce the heat and allow the oil to cool and check the temperature again. 

Keywords: vegan, filipino, snack, recipe, lumpia, banana