GREAT BALLS OF BANANA! – Deep Fried Banana Bread Balls

Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, there’s no denying that the holiday season is a favourite for all. The weather is great, everyone’s home for the holidays and getting together usually means great food! This is one of my all time favourite fried snacks! If you’re a fan of banana bread then you’ll adore its deep fried cousin – banana balls! It’s the perfect tea time snack that you can whip up in under ten minutes. These banana balls stay crispy on the outside and soft on the inside well after you fry them as well! 

Equipment

The Wonderchef Royal Velvet Non-Stick Cookware Set is the only set you’ll ever need in your kitchen. First off – that purple colour is just gorgeous! I love any cookware that brightens up my kitchen. More importantly though, the entire set is made with pure grade virgin aluminium – which ensures faster cooking and even heat distribution. The set comes with a dosa tawa, a wok, a frying pan with a lid and a mini frying pan. For a big batch like this, I like to use the wok. It’s got a wide mouth which means I can fry a larger batch in one go. If you’re making a smaller batch, then you can do so with the frying pan, or even the mini frying pan. 

What Bananas To Use?

We grow bananas of every size and shape at home! Since there are so many different varieties of bananas, I like to measure it in cups rather than numbers. That way I know it’ll turn out just the same every time. You definitely want to use ripe bananas, but the recipe is pretty forgiving. Just mash it well and I promise you’ll have a winner on your hands! Despite our almost unhealthy obsession with bananas, we’re seldom able to finish an entire stem. Bananas ripen fast and a great way to use up a bunch is to make these banana balls!

Dress it up!

While these beauties are just as good on their own, you can always jazz it up for your guests. I like to roll them in cinnamon sugar. Bananas and cinnamon are a match made in heaven and if you’re a particularly big fan, you can even add cinnamon powder to the batter. I like to keep the batter simple so I can use it in many ways. Like serving it with chocolate sauce! These also taste heavenly with a butterscotch sauce, bourbon caramel sauce, whipped cream and even nutella! The choice is yours! 

RECIPE CARD

Makes: 30 Balls 
Time: 20 minutes 

Ingredients 

• 2 cups Mashed Bananas (about 3-4 large bananas)
• ½ cup Sugar
• 2 cups Plain Flour 
• 1½ tsp Baking Powder 
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp Cardamom Powder 
• Oil for frying

Method: 

1. Mash the bananas into a bowl until there are no large lumps left. 
2. Mix in the sugar. 
3. Add the flour, salt, baking powder and cardamom powder and use a spatula to combine until you don’t see any streaks of dry flour. 
4. Fill a large wok with oil and place on high heat. 
5. Grab two spoons and rub a little oil on them. Use these two spoons to quenelle the batter and drop dollops of it into the hot oil. 
6. Fry for 3-5 minutes or until they’re golden brown and cooked through on the inside. 
7. Remove the balls and place into a bowl lined with paper towels. Let the excess oil drain. 
8. Roll in cinnamon sugar or serve with your choice of sauce. 
9. Enjoy with a cup of tea!

Author:  Sneha Sundar is the creator of You Dim Sum, You Lose Some; a philosophy she adopts both in and out of the kitchen.