Jemput jemput pisang, also known as cekodok pisang, are perfect for lazy Sunday afternoons with family and friends. With some tea, of course.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
What are Jemput Jemput Pisang?
Jemput jemput pisang are little fried banana balls or fritters that are a popular tea time treat and street food in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. Crisp on the outside, light, airy and a little chewy on the inside, they are a great way to use up overripe bananas.
There are actually different kinds of fritters, both sweet and savoury. So in today’s recipe, we attach the word pisang to jemput jemput to differentiate what these fritters are made with. The word pisang means banana.
I’ve probably mentioned on the odd post that my granny ran a food business from home. And since many of us lived with her, we were all involved in it. Jemput jemput pisang was one of those treats that we sold, alongside other goodies like epok-epok, goreng pisang, puteri salat and so much more! I must have made them 3-4 times a week for a few years, so I can probably still make them in my sleep!
Look out for more kuih recipes over the coming weeks as I’m going to be focusing on the sweet side for a little while. Like onde onde, little balls filled with gula melaka!
Jemput Jemput Pisang Recipe
It’s a pretty quick and easy recipe to make. As long as you have some very ripe bananas at home, you could be eating them within 30 minutes of having the thought! This is what we’ll be doing:
- Peel and mash the bananas.
- Stir in sugar, salt and sodium bicarbonate.
- Stir in flour.
- Heat the oil and drop balls of the batter in. It takes only about 1 minute each side for the the fritters to cook.
Much faster than baking banana bread and cakes!
Ingredients
This is such an easy recipe with basic ingredients, that there really isn’t much to look at. Here’s what we need:
- very, very ripe bananas
- flour – use gluten free flour mix for gluten free jemput jemput pisang
- sugar
- salt
- sodium bicarbonate
- vegetable oil for deep frying
The only thing worth mentioning is the bananas. You want overripe bananas, of whatever variety. With their soft texture and sweetness, they’ll be perfect for our jemput jemput pisang. Having said that, bananas that are very ripe but not overly so, will also do. You might just need a little more sugar.
How ripe and how sweet your bananas are, will also determine the amount of sugar you use, as you’ll see in the recipe card below.
The Batter
Just a quick note on the batter. The liquid is only provided by the bananas, there is no egg in this recipe, so it’s vegan.
You want a batter that falls off the spoons after a 2-3 seconds as you lift it up. Too runny and the inside of your jemput jemput will be on the stodgy side and will take longer to cook.
How long will they Keep?
I think jemput jemput pisang are best eaten on the day they are made. The middle will still be light and airy. However, they will keep happily until the next day. I just reheat them in the microwave for a few seconds before consumption.
And that’s all there is to it. Shall we get cooking?
If you enjoy the recipe, drop me a comment and let me know. Feeling like a star? Don’t forget that 5-star rating!😉
If you make this recipe, post it on Instagram and tag me @azlinbloor and hashtag it #linsfood.
Lin xx
More Local Treats
Jemput Jemput Pisang (Cekodok Pisang)
Ingredients
- 3 large, overripe bananas about 400 g / 14 oz pre peeled weight
- 3-4 flat Tbsp white sugar
- ½ tsp sodium bicarbonate
- ⅛ tsp fine salt
- 150-200 g all purpose flour
- enough oil to fill your frying pan or wok 2.5cm/1 inch deep if your pans are large, a small saucepan will work too
Instructions
Make the Batter
- Peel and mash your bananas thoroughly. The odd tiny piece is fine.
- Sprinkle 3 Tbsp of the sugar, sodium bicarbonate and salt all over. Mix with a wooden spoon.
- Add about 3/4 of the flour and stir it in. You want a batter that will hug the spoon, then fall off after 2-3 seconds, see video in the article.
Fry the Jemput Jemput
- Heat the oil on medium heat until it's shimmering.How to know when your oil is hot enough?1. Drop a small pinch of the batter. If it floats right back up, the oil is hot enough.2. Or place a dry wooden utensil in the oil. If you see tiny bubbles gather around it, the oil is hot enough.
- Take out that tiny pinch of batter you dropped earlier to stop it burning. Now we're going to drop small balls of batter straight into the hot oil and fry it for about a minute each side.Don't overcrowd your pan.You can do this with your fingers, or use 2 teaspoons. If using teaspoons, pick the batter up with one spoon, then push it off into the oil with the other.See video in the article for how to do it with your fingers.
- Fry the jemput jemput pisang for 1 minute each side. Then scoop them out with a slotted ladle and transfer to a plate lined with 2-3 layers of kitchen paper to absorb excess oil.
