The Crunchiest Banana Tempura Ever

This banana tempura recipe is crunchy, light and crispy. Today we’ll learn how to make a tempura batter that is delicate, brittle and perfect for this Japanese inspired dessert. At most hibachi restaurants or Japanese steakhouses like Benihana, tempura banana is a soggy, sad, spongy mess. In this video, we’ll learn how to make banana tempura the right way. I’ll show you how to make a crunchy banana tempura with a batter that blows the traditional tempura batter out of the water. Deep fried banana desserts are popular all around the world. But all too often they’re just bland and soggy. We’ll learn how to make a chocolate ganache with 3 ingredients in less than 5 minutes. We’ll make a tempura batter that is better than anything you can get at any teppanyaki restaurant. You’ll never order banana tempura from Benihana ever again once you learn to make it at home, for a fraction of the cost. This hibachi at home recipe promises to be a crowd favorite. So, get your ice cream ready, because today we’re making tempura banana!
Recipe:
Ingredients:
Tempura batter (makes enough for 4-5 bananas):
Dry:
½ cup (65 grams) all purpose flour (or cake flour, preferably)
½ cup (65 grams) cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
Wet:
1 egg
1 teaspoon (4.5 gram) vanilla extract
¼ cup (60 ml) vodka
½ cup (120 ml) carbonated water
Vegetable or Canola oil for frying
Powdered sugar
Bananas, sliced in half diagonally and then in half lengthwise
Ice cream
Instructions:
1. Heat 2 inches of oil in a medium to large pot to 325 F or 165 C
2. Combine dry ingredients for batter
3. Prepare a medium bowl of ice
4. Whisk together egg, vanilla extract and vodka until completely homogenous
5. Stir in carbonated water to egg mixture
6. Using chopsticks or a fork, gently stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients and STOP once everything is incorporated. You want it to be lumpy, with some dry spots.
7. Dust banana slices in powdered sugar
8. Dip bananas slices into tempura batter and lift so excess falls off
9. Slowly lower banana slices into hot oil
10. Once all slices are frying, using one hand, gently drizzle tempura batter onto the frying banana slices
11. Agitate banana slices so they don’t stick together
12. After 1.5-2 minutes, lift the banana slices out of the oil, allowing excess oil to drip off
13. Dust fried banana tempura with powdered sugar
14. To finish, place banana tempura on plate, drizzle with chocolate sauce, dust with more powdered sugar and serve with ice cream
Chocolate ganache (chocolate sauce/syrup)
Ingredients:
3.5 oz (100 gram) semi-sweet chocolate
½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
3 tablespoon (60 gram) light corn syrup
Directions:
1. Place chocolate in bowl
2. Heat heavy cream and corn syrup in small saucepan over medium-high heat
3. When skin forms and cream mixture is just under a boil, pour it over chocolate
4. Allow chocolate/cream mixture to sit for 1-2 minutes
5. Then stir until chocolate has incorporated into cream
6. Cool down and store in covered container in fridge for up to 1 week
7. Reheat before using
Ingredient links:
Semi-sweet chocolate chips: geni.us/hjDP5e
Light corn syrup: geni.us/ZjdiVef
Vanilla extract: geni.us/GkZTY7
Vegetable oil: geni.us/Cvt2u
Powdered sugar: geni.us/VgpYbft
Corn starch: geni.us/9LPRl
Cake flour: geni.us/uzRWT
All purpose flour: geni.us/DuYfC3
Diamond Brand Kosher Salt: geni.us/YCUSn
Club soda (carbonated water): geni.us/bZ4FM6
Kitchen gear in video:
Misono UX10 Chef's Knife: geni.us/UaUygE
Induction Cooktop: geni.us/3EYpArE
John Boos Work Table: geni.us/giAaB
Diamond Brand Kosher Salt: geni.us/YCUSn
All Clad D5 8 QT Stockpot: geni.us/NwZHJR
Music by Epidemic Sound (free 30-day trial! Affiliate link): share.epidemicsound.com/v23gld
Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Jason Farmer may earn commissions from qualifying purchases from amazon.com
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:18 Chocolate sauce
1:17 The bananas
1:42 Setting up the fry station
2:14 Tempura batter
3:58 Frying tempura bananas
5:06 Plating tempura bananas
5:26 Thanks!

[@dentfix]

Tempura cheesecake. Goes great with the bananas. Top with powdered sugar and chocolate sauce. I worked as a kitchen chef in a sushi restaurant. Freeze the cheesecake wedges first. We used chocolate chip cheesecake.

[@farmageddon]

That’s a phenomenal idea! I’m gonna look into this! Thank you!!

[@Nesh108]

This channel is simply amazing. Thank you for existing, Jason!

[@lukapasaricek9592]

I just discovered your channel and am thoroughly enjoying it! I would love to try this recipe, but corn syrup isn't easy to find in my country. Could you recommend any alternatives?

[@igotaction]

Another awesome video. The garlic butter, ginger and mustard sauces are always in our fridge and we make the hibachi steak or chicken at least once a week now. Thanks Jason!

[@farmageddon]

Man, that is so great to hear! I'm really happy you're enjoying these recipes! It's really great to see you again!!

[@StephanieManley]

Love your videos!

[@farmageddon]

Thanks, Stephanie!! I love your channel too! I was checking out your videos a couple days ago!! :)

[@lovetobake6]

Great recipe

[@georgemartinez9987]

NEED MORE VIDEOS!

[@user-ss7hz8yz9r]

Thanks

[@araxkermani6871]

I've got to give this a spin. Not much on sweets, but I love banana-y flavors.

[@farmageddon]

I just saw this! Thank you so much!! You are always so generous and I want you to know that I sincerely appreciate you! It's great to see you again and I hope you have a wonderful day! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to drop me a line!

[@MoosaIslamic]

Batter: 65g AP/cake flour 65 cornstarch 3g Kosher salt 1 egg 1tsp vanilla extract 60ml Vodka 120ml carbonated water (Cold) Combine lightly

[@elchingon98734]

Nice tempura video. Lots oF good tips

[@farmageddon]

Thank you!!

[@jlynnfarmer]

Dang! Bill Nye the science guy in the house! Got it down to a science! *chef's 💋 kiss*

[@brucelee5576]

Fried bananas with honey is great too.

[@kareentorres847]

Is the same batter for Benihana’s shrimp tempura? Can you do a video for that?

[@user-wk1yn2bz8c]

تمبورا التفاح هم طيبة🌼🏡

[@bruceyap3905]

Wow, luxe version. If u get the chance in se Asia, there is something called “goreng pisang”. Check it out

[@farmageddon]

Very cool! I just googled goreng pisang! I'm gonna have to do some research and maybe I can make a video on Indonesian fried bananas in the future! Thanks for watching!! Nice to see you again!!

[@dk2853]

It's so good!

[@oxide___]

what would you recommend as an alternative for vodka?

[@farmageddon]

hello! I would just leave it out and add additional sparkling water!

[@oxide___]

@@farmageddon thanks for the reply

[@trying3841]

Can you change vodka for something else?

[@farmageddon]

just leave it out or use sparkling water!

[@mochimoshi7599]

would love to see tempura in general. tempura in restaurants are covered in a forest of craggly bits of tempura. not sure how they do it.

[@farmageddon]

I'll put that on my list of dishes to investigate!!

[@farmageddon]

oh, and the way they do that is to drop it in the fryer and then sprinkle bits of the tempura batter over it while it's frying!

[@mochimoshi7599]

@@farmageddon i see! thanks! I tried it a few times like that but i think the way i do it is wrong because the little craggly bits are more like thick dots rather than spiky branches. and their batter seems lighter...maybe it's the brand of tempura i'm using.

[@farmageddon]

@@mochimoshi7599 no prob! I would look into Kenji Lopez's tempura recipe, I believe it's on Serious Eats. It's definitely in his Food Lab book. That's going to be the best recipe to use.

[@tonkabear2369]

Is there a reason why this batter would not work on other items like vegetables?

[@MoosaIslamic]

Is there an alternative if you don't want to use Vodka in the batter?

[@farmageddon]

Hello! You can just sub in more carbonated water!

[@nicholasswensen6720]

Sup from Reddit

[@farmageddon]

What’s up! Thanks for stopping by!!

[@reighdcastro7442]

A.k.a...... Maruya

[@farmageddon]

Honestly, yeah! Basically a slight Japanese variation on maruya. I actually know a maruya recipe that's better than this one (in my opinion). I'm going to do a video on it in a couple months!

[@julioo534]

why you would fry a banana?

[@erinlikesacornishpasty4703]

Because it's delicious! Try it 😊.

[@jacquelinerobinson7036]

What if some of your viewers are gluten free?

[@farmageddon]

Hey, Jacqueline! Try cup4cup gluten free flour! It’s the best GF flour I’ve ever had before. The pastries baked and fried with it are indistinguishable from regular flour! The stuff is amazing!

[@jacquelinerobinson7036]

@@farmageddon Thank you Jason Farmer for the suggestion. I will look for the gluten free flour.

[@evanchong6482]

No hate but why do westerners always recommend CANOLA OIL ? That shit is probably the most GMO'ed oil out there. Other oils are muchh better than canola.

[@farmageddon]

Well, canola is recommended because it's one of the two oils available to everyone in most Western countries. The other being vegetable, which is often soybean, but sometimes a blend of soybean/corn oil. It's just the availability, the high smoke point, that it's a neutral oil. That's why it's often recommended. But you're right, there are much better oils if they're available. For deep-frying stuff like this, peanut is the best option, in my opinion. On a side note, did you know that in Sichuan cooking they use roasted canola oil? I just recently found this out when I was researching how to make some Sichuan dishes. It's called Caiziyou. My friend who owns a Sichuan restaurant was telling me that's the oil they use in Sichuan province, although they sometimes cut it with pork lard. Apparently, caiziyou (roasted canola oil) is made from non-GMO rapeseed. I'm gonna have to check it out! Take care, man!!

[@MiguelGarcia-vj7oo]

There's nothing wrong with GMO.............. Do some fucken research please..........