Imagine this: it’s a rainy (or balmy, choose one) evening and you have hunger pangs. You look at the clock and see it’s too early for dinner, and it’s still only about a few hours after lunch. You know then: it is teatime. And for most Malaysians, it’s time to drive or walk out to look for the perfect teatime treat: Goreng Pisang.

Other than our various kuih-muih, nothing seems to go better with afternoon or evening tea as the ubiquitous goreng pisang. There’s something about the synergy of a hot cuppa tea with pieces of battered and deep fried bananas; they just go very well together. We love our goreng pisang. Some people even eat it with fish curry! (Or am I the only one who’s seen this?)

One of the best things about goreng pisang is that you’ll find them everywhere. But here’s the thing: which one to get? I bet, if asked, everyone has his or her own favorite stall and a lot of you will proclaim that your choice ‘it’s the best goreng pisang around’.

Well, no surprise, I have a favorite too, this time to share with everyone.

There is this stall in Taman TTDI Jaya, in front of the mosque (if you’re wondering, yes, it’s at the same mini-bazaar where I found those great BBQ wings in a previous review), which sells what I think is one of, if not the best, goreng pisang around. The stall, attended by a kindly and soft-spoken makcik, sells other stuff like keropok lekor and various kuih, but it’s the fried bananas that bring me back plenty of times.

The makcik and his helper fry them in batches until golden brown and piping hot on the inside. RM1 buys you about 10 of them. The bananas are cut quite small but trust me it’s worth it. I took RM2 worth of them home to enjoy with my family.

"Golden brown and piping hot "

The bananas are best eaten piping hot. They look browner than your average goreng pisang, but it’s for a good reason of which I’ll get at. The batter covering the bananas is light, and it looks like it’s barely clinging to the fruit piece. But it’s crumbly and crunchy and most importantly provides a great contrast to the flesh of the banana, which becomes sticky and almost gooey on the inside.

What about the browner than average color? That’s a result of the caramelization of the sugars in the bananas, making the goreng pisang at this stall naturally sweet, while avoiding the cloying ‘sugary’ taste at the back of your throat. The goreng pisang from this stall is great; it’s almost candy-like in taste and texture, like crunchy taffy with a sticky caramel centre.

If there’s one thing I don’t like about these goreng pisang is that they’re quite oily. If you’re having this with tea, you’ll find an ‘oil slick’ in your drink from your greasy lips!

If you’re in the neighbourhood, look for this stall. It’s in front of the mosque, usually next to a popia van. They’re there most evenings, except Sunday. Now if you don’t mind, I have to go. It’s teatime as I write this. The goreng pisang will be gone if I'm late.



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Goreng Pisang Taman TTDI Jaya

                   

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