Banh Chuoi Chien (Fried Banana Fritters), Sweetened with Monk Fruit

Method

1. Put 200g rice flour, 25g tapioca starch, 30g all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder and 72g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend in a bowl, add water and stir steadily so no lumps form.
2. Strain the batter through a sieve until smooth, cover the bowl and rest it for about 45 to 50 minutes at room temperature.
3. Wash the bananas, trim the ends, peel them and pull off the strings.
4. Wrap a board in cling film or lay out a plastic bag, then press each banana with light pressure so it flattens without breaking, and set the slices on a plate.
5. Add enough oil to a pan and heat it until very hot.
6. Dip each pressed banana in the batter, let the excess run off and lower it gently into the pan.
7. For a thicker, crisper shell, lift the fritter out once the batter has set, dip it again and return it to the oil.
8. Fry until the outside is golden brown and puffed, then lift onto a plate lined with paper towel.

Tips

• A batter rested for the full time is what keeps the shell crisp longer.
• Press the bananas with light pressure so the slices flatten evenly without breaking.
• Mix the batter to about the thickness of drinking yogurt, since a thin one slides off the banana.
• The oil has to be very hot before the fritters go in, which puffs the shell and keeps it from soaking up oil.
• Two coats of batter give a thicker shell that stays crisp far longer.