Banana fritter

Use just-ripe, firm bananas and a fairly thick batter, then fry in small batches so the oil stays hot. Drain on a wire rack rather than stacking them on kitchen paper, which traps steam.

Aim for 175 °C: the batter should sizzle as soon as it enters the oil, without browning instantly. Fry for about 2–3 minutes, turning once, until golden and cooked through.

Choose ripe bananas that are still firm enough to slice cleanly. Very soft, heavily speckled bananas can collapse in the batter and make the fritters harder to turn.

Yes, but use a thick batter and spoon it into small, well-spaced mounds on a greased, lined basket; loose batter can drip through. Cook at 190 °C for about 8–10 minutes, turning carefully halfway, until set and browned.

They are often served warm with icing sugar, honey or a drizzle of syrup; coconut, cinnamon and a squeeze of lime also work well. For a dessert, add yoghurt or a scoop of ice cream.

Reheat them in an oven or air fryer at 180 °C for a few minutes until hot and crisp again. A microwave warms them quickly but makes the coating soft.

Banana fritters are coated in batter, while fried banana is usually cooked as slices or pieces without a batter coating. Fried banana has 200 kcal per 100 g, compared with 282 kcal in banana fritters.

A small fritter of about 40 g contains 113 kcal. Size and the amount of oil absorbed during frying can change the amount in each piece.