RECIPE: Home Cooking from the Philippines – Turon

Delicious fried delight – Turon with vanilla ice cream

I was going to share my lumpia recipe, but it is sort of a family secret so I am going to keep that one to myself. Instead, I am writing about another sort of “lumpia”, called turon. Turon is a dessert lumpia, made primarily with banana. Often you will see a banana-jackfruit combination, but I keep it simple.

Turon

1 package frozen lumpia wrappers (30 count)
7-8 bananas, not quite ripe
granulated sugar

1. Peel lumpia wrappers apart, very carefully so you don’t rip them. It’s an art, and I am not very good at it, so I ask for the help of my friend who is really good and quick at it.

2. Peel bananas and cut them in half lengthwise, then crosswise, so you get four long, thin pieces from each banana.

3. Dip each banana in sugar on the wet (cut) side.

4. Wrap each banana in lumpia wrapper. I use square lumpia wrappers, and lay the wrapper down so it looks like a diamond. Put the banana in the center, fold the top half of the lumpia wrapper over it, fold the sides in, then roll from the top down. Seal with cornstarch mixture.

Cornstarch Mixture
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup of cold water

Dissolve cornstarch in water, then microwave for 45 seconds or until the mixture thickens into a paste. Do not over-microwave.

5. Fry in hot oil until golden brown, and serve alone or with vanilla ice cream.