We always have bananas in our household. But sometimes we don’t eat them quickly enough before they get overripe. There are three ways I use up our bananas when they start getting to that point: I chop them up and freeze them for smoothies; I make banana bread, pudding, or muffins; and I make turons (or banana lumpia as some people call them).
My husband is Filipino, and my mother in law taught me how to make turons, a very simple but fantastic Filipino banana treat. It’s not healthy; I’m warning you now. But since it has fruit in it, you might be able to enjoy their deliciousness in a state of calorie-denial.
To get started you need several bananas, egg roll wrappers, brown sugar, and oil for the frying pan.
Cut the bananas into fours, and then dip each into the brown sugar before rolling. Start in the corner of the egg roll wrapper and roll diagonally.
After you’ve rolled the banana all the way up, tuck the corners underneath.
I have to admit, my turons don’t look that great. My MIL’s always look fantastic. Hers are perfectly proportioned and smooth. I think mine might look better if I’d used larger bananas here, or if I’d cut the wrappers in half. But mine at least taste good, and that’s what’s important, right?
While rolling your turons, pour some oil into a frying pan, and heat it up. I usually turn mine to medium heat on the stove top. Please be very careful when doing this. Obviously working with hot oil can be hazardous! I use tongs to place the turons into the pan and take them back out again, after they’re fried.
When the turons have started turning light brown, carefully flip them over, using tongs to do so. After both sides have been browned, place them in a paper-towel lined pan to soak up the oil. After they’ve cooled, enjoy!
FYI- that first bite might be a juicy one, so have the napkins ready!
