Learn how to do anything: How to Make Turon (Bananacue Wrap)

Thursday, June 11, 2015

How to Make Turon (Bananacue Wrap)

Turon is a famous Filipino dessert made with saba (plantain bananas) and langka (jackfruit) wrapped in delicate lumpia wrappers and fried to a crisp. The resulting delicate little rolls can be served with a topping of brown sugar syrup or something more special, like a sweet coconut sauce. See Step 1 to learn how to make this delectable dish.

Ingredients

20 lumpia wrappers (spring roll wrappers work well, too)
10 saba (or 6 small bananas)
1 cup chopped langka (jackfruit)
2 egg whites, beaten
2 cups oil for deep frying
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup water or coconut milk

Steps

Assemble the Turon

Prepare the filling. Turon filling is composed of chopped langka and saba. Simply chop up the fresh langka to get it ready to go. The fruit can be eaten raw when it's fully ripe. To prepare the saba, cut each one into three long pieces and roll each piece lightly in brown sugar. Lay out the bowl of langka and the plated of sliced, sugared saba so you can start filling your rolls.
- If you can't find langka, it's ok to leave it out of this recipe. Many recipes for turon don't call for langka, though it's a common traditional ingredient.
- If you can't find saba, use the smallest bananas you can find. Bananas are larger than saba so you won't need as many. Saba tastes like a cross between a plantain and a banana.
Pull apart the lumpia. The sheets of paper-thin lumpia are difficult to pull apart; be very gentle so they don't tear. Pull them apart and lay them out to get them ready for assembly.
- It might help to wet your fingers with warm water so they don't stick to the wrappers. You can also steam the wrappers first to help them come apart more easily.^[1]
- If you can't find lumpia wrappers, spring roll wrappers also work well. Lumpia is a bit thinner than spring roll wrappers but the taste is quite similar.

Filling and Frying the Turon

Fill the turon. Lay 2 - 3 slices of saba on a wrapper. Spoon a few teaspoons of langka over the slices.
Wrap the turon. Start by folding the top and bottom of the wrapper toward the middle. Gently turn the wrapper 180 degrees so that an unfolded side is facing you. Roll the wrapper away from you, as you would an egg roll or a jelly roll. Brush a big of egg white on the edge of the wrapper to seal it in place. Finish filling and rolling the rest of the wrappers.
- After the turon is wrapped, one traditional preparation method is to roll the turon in brown sugar. The sugar will caramelize as the turon fry. Alternatively, you may make a brown sugar syrup to serve with the turon after they're fried.^[2]
Heat the oil. Place the oil in a deep cast iron skillet or dutch oven suitable for frying. Let the oil heat until water sizzles when sprinkled over it.
Lay the turon in the oil. Carefully place them in the oil one at a time. They should begin to sizzle and fry right away - if they don't, the oil isn't hot enough. Don't overcrowd the pan, or they won't cook evenly. Fry them in batches if you have too many to fit all at once.
Turn the rolls once. Halfway through the frying process, turn the rolls with a pair of tongs.
Remove the rolls when they are golden brown. They should be crispy and golden on the outside and creamy on the inside. Place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- If you didn't opt to give the rolls a caramelized sugar coating, top them with brown sugar syrup, which can be made as instructed below.

Making the Syrup

Combine the ingredients in a saucepan. To make the syrup, all you need is brown sugar and water. Place 1 cup of sugar and 3/4 cup water in a saucepan and stir the mixture.
- For a richer, creamier topping, replace all or half of the water with coconut milk.
Cook the syrup. Put the saucepan on medium low heat and allow it to come to a simmer. Let it cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. When it's ready, it should be thick, bubbly and caramel-colored.
Pour it over the turon. You can also serve it alongside turon as a tip.
Finished.