Turon is a famous Filipino dessert made with saba (plantain bananas) and langka (jackfruit) wrapped in delicate lumpia wrappers and fried to a crisp. The resulting delicate little rolls can be served with a topping of brown sugar syrup or something more special, like a sweet coconut sauce. See Step 1 to learn how to make this delectable dish.
Ingredients
- 20 lumpia wrappers (spring roll wrappers work well, too)
- 10 saba (or 6 small bananas)
- 1 cup chopped langka (jackfruit)
- 2 egg whites, beaten
- 2 cups oil for deep frying
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup water or coconut milk
Steps
Assemble the Turon
-
Prepare the filling. Turon filling is composed of chopped langka and saba . Simply chop up the fresh langka to get it ready to go. The fruit can be eaten raw when it's fully ripe. To prepare the saba , cut each one into three long pieces and roll each piece lightly in brown sugar. Lay out the bowl of langka and the plated of sliced, sugared saba so you can start filling your rolls.
- If you can't find langka , it's ok to leave it out of this recipe. Many recipes for turon don't call for langka, though it's a common traditional ingredient.
- If you can't find saba , use the smallest bananas you can find. Bananas are larger than saba so you won't need as many. Saba tastes like a cross between a plantain and a banana.
-
Pull apart the lumpia . The sheets of paper-thin lumpia are difficult to pull apart; be very gentle so they don't tear. Pull them apart and lay them out to get them ready for assembly.
- It might help to wet your fingers with warm water so they don't stick to the wrappers. You can also steam the wrappers first to help them come apart more easily. [1] X Research source
- If you can't find lumpia wrappers, spring roll wrappers also work well. Lumpia is a bit thinner than spring roll wrappers but the taste is quite similar.
Advertisement
-
Fill the turon. Lay 2 - 3 slices of saba on a wrapper. Spoon a few teaspoons of langka over the slices.
-
Wrap the turon. Start by folding the top and bottom of the wrapper toward the middle. Gently turn the wrapper 180 degrees so that an unfolded side is facing you. Roll the wrapper away from you, as you would an egg roll or a jelly roll. Brush a big of egg white on the edge of the wrapper to seal it in place. Finish filling and rolling the rest of the wrappers.
- After the turon is wrapped, one traditional preparation method is to roll the turon in brown sugar. The sugar will caramelize as the turon fry. Alternatively, you may make a brown sugar syrup to serve with the turon after they're fried. [2] X Research source
-
Heat the oil. Place the oil in a deep cast iron skillet or dutch oven suitable for frying. Let the oil heat until water sizzles when sprinkled over it.
-
Lay the turon in the oil. Carefully place them in the oil one at a time. They should begin to sizzle and fry right away - if they don't, the oil isn't hot enough. Don't overcrowd the pan, or they won't cook evenly. Fry them in batches if you have too many to fit all at once.
-
Turn the rolls once. Halfway through the frying process, turn the rolls with a pair of tongs.
-
Remove the rolls when they are golden brown. They should be crispy and golden on the outside and creamy on the inside. Place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- If you didn't opt to give the rolls a caramelized sugar coating, top them with brown sugar syrup, which can be made as instructed below.
Advertisement
Making the Syrup
-
Combine the ingredients in a saucepan. To make the syrup, all you need is brown sugar and water. Place 1 cup of sugar and 3/4 cup water in a saucepan and stir the mixture.
- For a richer, creamier topping, replace all or half of the water with coconut milk.
-
Cook the syrup. Put the saucepan on medium low heat and allow it to come to a simmer. Let it cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. When it's ready, it should be thick, bubbly and caramel-colored.
-
Pour it over the turon. You can also serve it alongside turon as a tip.
-
Finished.Advertisement
Community Q&A
-
QuestionI drained the langka syrup before I put the plantain, sugar, and langka into the wrapper, but I found that when I made turon and fried it, it got soggy. Why might this occur?Community AnswerYou used too much liquid. Also, don't immerse it like you would for regular frying, and carefully turn it.
-
QuestionWill the brown sugar syrup harden when poured over the fried turon?Community AnswerIt will not have a silky texture. It will be thicker. If you refrigerate it overnight, it will harden and become sticky.
-
QuestionCan I find canned lanka? Is it also called jackfruit?Community AnswerYes, you can purchase lanka in a can. It is also known as jackfruit.
Video
Tips
- Rub a bit of starch and water solution in the lumpia wrapper to make the wrapper stick.Thanks
Things You'll Need
- Frying pan
References
About this article
To make turon, start by chopping fresh jackfruit, then cutting a sweet plantain into spears. Roll the sweet plantain pieces in brown sugar, then place your fillings in a lumpia wrapper. Next, roll the wrapper like an egg roll, then seal it by brushing egg whites along the edges. Now that your rolls are ready to be fried, heat oil in a frying pan, then add your rolls, turning them over with tongs halfway through. When both sides are golden brown, take them out of the oil and put them on a paper plate. To learn how to make a delicious brown sugar sauce you can top your turon with, keep scrolling!