Turon Recipe

what's turon?

Turon is often sold from street vendors in the Philippines and is actually a dessert version of lumpiang shanghai. It's traditionally filled with ripe saba banana slices coated with sugar and layered with strips of jackfruit, wrapped in a thin crepe-like spring roll, deep-fried to a golden crisp, and rolled in a crunchy caramel coating. Think of it as a dessert spring roll.

tips

Use ripe bananas, because unripe bananas will not stick to the dark brown sugar coating.
Coat each banana slice as you roll each turon. Don't pre-coat in dark brown sugar because the ripe banana will end up soaking too much of the sugar.
Use thin and stretchy spring roll wrappers, like Spring House spring roll wrappers, and not thicker wrappers you would traditionally use for egg rolls, like Menlo, because they brown faster and will cook before warming up the filling. You can also use water to seal the turon with spring roll wrappers, whereas using flour and water paste is needed to seal Menlo wrappers (this is a much stickier situation).
Pre-peel the spring roll wrappers and keep them under a damp cloth to prevent them from drying out.
Only use a wire rack when draining and/or cooling the freshly fried turon. Don't use paper towels because the caramel sugar coating will stick to the paper.

serving & storage

Once the turon is fried and coated with caramel, you should eat it as soon as possible to savor the crispy shell. Turon has a tendency to soften over time, but you can toast them in the oven to revive them.

If you have leftover turon, place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat the turon, toast them in a toaster oven for one to two minutes or until the outer layer is nice and crispy again.

instructions

turon

1
Prepare the saba banana by peeling and cutting into even slices about three millimeters thick. Three ripe bananas will give you about 12 pieces total. Prepare the jackfruit by slicing into strips.

2
Prep your workstation by putting the dark brown sugar in a shallow plate, pre-peel the individual spring roll wrappers and cover them with a damp cloth, and place a water bowl next to your surface.

3
Basic egg-roll technique: Place a spring roll wrapper in a diamond shape in front of you (one corner is at the top of your workstation, while another corner is facing the bottom). Take one banana slice and coat it lightly with the brown sugar, then place it about two inches from the bottom center. Take two to three strips of jackfruit and place it on top of the banana slice. Lift the bottom corner and cover the filling. Take the left and right corners and fold them towards the center. Finish rolling the entire turon upwards until you have about one inch left. Use your fingers to brush the top corner with water and complete the roll to seal. Repeat with the rest of the turon.

4
In a pan wide enough to fit the width of your turon, fill enough vegetable oil (or other neutral oil) until it's about two inches high. Heat your oil to 350 °F.

5
When the oil is hot enough, carefully lower the turon into the oil. Deep fry for about one minute before turning over and cooking for another minute or until the turon is nice and golden brown. Remove the turon and place them onto a wire rack. Repeat with the rest of the turon.

caramel coating

1
In a new saucepan over medium-low heat, add the white sugar and watch carefully until it begins to melt. Use a spatula to move the melted sugar around and continue to cook for about one to two minutes or until the sugar is light golden brown. Remove the pan from the heat immediately.

2
Use a spoon to drizzle the caramel over the fried turon or use tongs to dip and roll the turon right into the caramel pan. Be careful when dipping because the caramel can be very hot. Let the turon rest for about one minute. The caramel should harden and it should be ready to serve!

turon

what's turon?

tips

serving & storage

tools

ingredients

turon

caramel coating

instructions

turon

caramel coating

nutrition facts