Pisang Goreng Recipe | Crispy Fried Banana Bali Style

Pisang goreng are crispy fried bananas found at every corner in Bali. Here is the batter recipe that gives them that perfect golden crunch.

Pisang goreng (fried banana) is perhaps the most ubiquitous snack in Bali. Every afternoon, street vendors set up their woks and the aroma of frying bananas fills the air. The secret to great pisang goreng is the batter - it must be light, crispy, and just slightly sweet.

Not all bananas work. In Bali, pisang goreng is made with pisang raja (king banana) or pisang tanduk (horn banana) - starchy, cooking bananas that hold their shape when fried. Regular sweet bananas become too mushy. At home, use slightly underripe bananas.

The batter: Mix 100g rice flour, 50g all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, a pinch of salt, and 150ml ice-cold water. The batter should be thin enough to coat the banana but thick enough to create a crunchy shell. A tablespoon of cornstarch adds extra crunch.

Method: Halve the bananas lengthwise. Dip in batter, letting excess drip off. Fry in hot oil (180C) for 3-4 minutes, turning once, until golden and crispy. Drain on paper. Serve immediately, optionally drizzled with condensed milk, chocolate sauce, or palm sugar syrup.

The trick that makes street-vendor pisang goreng extra crispy: add a tablespoon of very cold carbonated water to the batter just before frying. The bubbles create tiny air pockets that expand in the hot oil, producing an incredibly light, shatteringly crispy coating.