Turon With Lemongrass Spiced Caramel
Crispy and caramelized vegan turon with sweet banana and jackfruit wrapped in a golden spring roll, glistening with a lightly spiced lemongrass caramel. You don’t have to be from the Philippines to freak-the-heck-out about how yummy every darned bite of these banana lumpia are!
Servings: 12 Turon
Calories: 111kcal
Cost: $6.50
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 medium-ripe regular bananas or 3 ripe saba bananas
- 1 cup yellow jackfruit cut into strips
- ¼ cup palm sugar coconut sugar, or brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 8 spring roll wrappers
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch arrowroot, or tapioca starch, mixed with 2 tablespoons water
- Oil for frying or air-frying
Lemongrass Spiced Caramel (optional):
- ⅓ cup palm sugar coconut sugar, or brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons lemongrass powder
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ cup coconut cream
Instructions
- Peel and slice the bananas in half lengthwise, and then into thin 1 cm. slices. Cut the jackfruit into thin strips about ½ cm. in thickness.
- In a small bowl, combine the palm sugar, cinnamon, ground cloves, and salt. Then, toss the fruit in the spiced sugar mixture.
- Working one at a time, using spring roll papers that have thawed enough to be soft to the touch, lay a spring roll wrapper on a clean surface with one edge facing towards you.
- Place roughly a 3-tablespoon portion of filling into the center of the bottom edge of the spring roll wrapper.
- Fold the edge closest to you over the filling, then fold in the sides, and roll up tightly like a little baby burrito. Seal the edge with a mixture of water and cornstarch to ensure it stays closed. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
- Heat oil in a deep pan or pot over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F (175°C). Fry the turon in batches until golden brown and crispy, about 2-3 minutes per side. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a wire rack suspended over a baking pan to drain excess oil.
- For air-frying: preheat the air fryer to 375°F (190°C). Arrange the turon in a single layer in the air fryer basket, ensuring they do not touch. Air-fry for 10-12 minutes, turning halfway through, until they are golden and crispy.
- To make the caramel: in a dry, medium-sized stainless steel saucepan, cook the sugar over medium heat, stirring with a dry metal spoon occasionally, for 3-4 minutes until the sugar melts. Turn off the heat and whisk in lemongrass powder, nutmeg cardamom and coconut cream until smooth.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the hot caramel on both sides of the crisp, warm turon, and allow them to cool and set for 6-7 minutes before serving, so no one scorches their whole face off!
Notes
🥟 Don’t Overfill:
Overfilling can cause wrappers to tear or burst during frying. Stick to about three tablespoons of filling per wrapper to ensure they roll tightly and fry evenly.
🔒 Wrappers Sealed Like Fort Knox:
Use the cornstarch-water mixture to seal the edges of the wrappers tightly. This prevents them from unfurling and soaking up frying oil, which can ruin your turon.
🌡️ Dialed-in Oil Temperature:
Use a frying thermometer (same thing as a candy thermometer) to keep the oil at a consistent 350°F (175°C) for even cooking. If it's too hot, the wrappers may burn before the filling is done; too cool, and they'll absorb excess oil and become greasy.
Nutrition
Calories: 111kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 137mg | Potassium: 160mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg