Turon de Saba (Saba Banana Spring Rolls)

Copyright 2012 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

Being back home means being able to cook native treats without having to worry about substituting the right ingredients for what is needed. As such, another treat I have been dying to make is one of my cousin's favorite go-to dessert for their get together in Illinois which can be made in a flash. The ingredients are also readily available or easily substituted in the US so this will be not be something to be really worried about if you think this dessert is something you would like to try. 

Green Cavendish, Yellow Saba and Red Bananas

Copyright 2012 LtDan’sKitchen blogs

A few substitutions come to mind if you are not able to obtain the exact ingredients: First, use ripe plantain bananas for the filling. We use a different banana cultivar which is the Saba variety, perfect for cooking in stews as well as in local desserts. Plantains are longer so you may have to cut it in half crosswise before slicing into quarters. The other concern is the wrapper. Spring roll wrappers available in the frozen section of most grocery stores do quite well for this treat. I'm using our market version which is made fresh but the overall taste is quite similar. You can actually make your own fresh wrapper but it is an acquired skill that is even beyond my culinary prowess.

Turon De Saba (Saba Banana Spring Rolls)

10 ripe Saba Bananas (about 6 large plantains)
30-40 wrappers
1/2-1 cup dark brown sugar
oil for frying

1. Peel the bananas and slice in quarters lengthwise. 

2. Lay one or two pieces of the sliced bananas on a wrapper and sprinkle with
    a bit of sugar. Fold one edge of the wrapper over the banana slices and 
    gather the sides towards the center. Roll tightly and wet the edge with 
    water to seal. Do the same for the remaining banana slices and wrappers.

3. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan at medium heat. Fry the banana rolls in 
    batches until golden brown. Add about 4 tablespoons of the brown sugar 
    and keep frying until the sugar melts and starts to coat the rolls. 

4. Remove the candied roll from the oil and allow to drain. Do the same for 
    the rest of the rolls. Let cool for about 5 minutes before eating. Best when
    served with a glass of ice-cold soda on a hot summer day.