Turon is “saba banana” that has been coated in sugar and rolled in lumpia (spring roll) wrapper before being fried. In the Navotas-Malabon area where my parents grew up, these are called Valencia. It’s actually wrapped in a more rectangular and sometimes squarish shape compared to the long thin ones that we commonly see peddled on the streets of Manila. What we consider Turon are those stuffed with mashed sweetened monggo (mung beans) instead of bananas.
For a more authentic Turon, I made used of the Filipino lumpia wrapper that is circular in shape and much thinner than the spring roll wrapper you get at Asian stores in Northern America. It makes for a crisper and lighter end product.
To make, you will need some ripe Saba bananas. You can use plantain or Thai bananas as substitute. Peel and slice your bananas lengthwise and coat with sugar. I used a combination of light and dark brown sugar. Either is fine it’s just a matter of preference. Take a lumpia wrapper and place a couple of slices of bananas on the lower center. Pull the wrapper that is facing you up and over and bananas. Then fold both sides up towards the middle. Roll it tightly from the bottom to the top. Make sure to moisten the tip with water to seal.
Heat your oil in non-stick frying pan. Carefully drop in your bananas and cook until golden brown. This will only take a few minutes to cook so make sure to keep watch. Sprinkle some sugar on it while frying. As the sugar melts this will coat your Turon and give you a nice caramelization. Serve immediately.
