Description

Turon, sometimes called banana lumpia, is a popular sweet street treat in the Philippines. Eaten as a snack or a dessert, it is made of sliced saba bananas rolled in brown sugar, wrapped in lumpia or spring roll skin, deep-fried, then coated with hard caramel. In addition to the banana, it can often include other fillings like jackfruit, mango, coconut, ube, and even cheese.

Directions

1. Gather the ingredients.
2. Peel apart 8 lumpia wrappers and set aside. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap so they don't dry out.
3. Peel the bananas and cut them in half lengthwise and then in half crosswise, so you have 8 total pieces.
4. If using, drain the jackfruit from the syrup and place 4 pieces on top of a paper towel and pat them dry with another paper towel. Slice the jackfruit into quarter-inch strips.
5. Place the dark brown sugar in a shallow dish or bowl and set aside.
6. In a small dish, combine the cornstarch with the water and mix—this will be the glue to seal your turon.
7. Take one lumpia wrapper and place it on your work surface (if it's square in shape, place it with the corner facing you, so it looks like a diamond).
8. Take one piece of banana, roll it in the brown sugar to coat, and then place it in the center of the wrapper about two inches up from the bottom.
9. Top the banana with 4 slices of jackfruit, if using.
10. Fold the bottom of the wrapper over the fruit and roll upwards once.
11. Fold the sides inwards and continue to roll the rest of it up until there is about an inch of wrapper left.
12. Using a pastry brush, paint the edge of the wrapper with the cornstarch mixture and finish rolling the turon. Repeat with the remaining wrappers, bananas, and jackfruit.
13. In a medium pot heat the vegetable oil to 350 F.
14. Using a pair of tongs carefully lower the turon into the hot oil. Fry in two batches, so as to not overcrowd the pot. Fry for 2 minutes on each side or until browned and crisp.
15. Place them on a wire rack to cool for about 20 minutes
16. Once the turon have cooled for about 20 minutes, start making the caramel. Place half a cup of the sugar into a clean saucepan. (Make sure all your tools are clean for making the caramel so it doesn't crystallize).
17. Heat on medium-high until the sugar starts to melt and turns amber in color. At this point, you can swirl the pot to incorporate any unmelted sugar granules.
18. Sprinkle the other half cup of sugar into the caramel a little at a time, swirling constantly until everything is melted and the caramel is clear dark amber brown. Turn off the heat.
19. Using a pair of tongs pick up one turon and dunk it in the caramel to coat. Place on top of a piece of parchment paper or a Silpat. Repeat with the other pieces. Let them set on the parchment until the caramel is hard, about 5 minutes. Enjoy immediately!