The Sydney Morning Herald logo
Advertisement

Five ways with over-ripe bananas

Not sure what to do with the surplus bananas starting to go brown in your fruit bowl? Here are some great ideas to get you right through the year.

Annabel Smith
Annabel Smith

Yim Yam's special banana roti.
Yim Yam's special banana roti.luis enrique ascui

1. Yim Yam's caramelised banana roti

Purchase good quality fresh roti bread from your local Asian grocer or follow the roti bread recipe below.

For the roti

3 cups plain flour

Advertisement

1 tsp salt

3 tbsp oil

Water

1 cup butter, softened

Oil for frying

Advertisement


Mix the flour and salt and add the oil. Rub together until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Add water until a reasonably soft dough forms. Roll out on a floured surface into a 20 x 30cm rectangle.

Spread the dough with softened butter and roll it up. Cover with a tea towel and rest for 30 minutes.

Break off pieces of dough and form into tennis ball size pieces.

Roll out each ball into a disc the size of a dinner plate.

Advertisement

Fry in hot oil for 2 minutes on each side.

Place roti on cooling rack.

(Makes 3-4 pieces)


For the caramelised banana roti

1 piece roti bread

Advertisement

1 large banana

4 tsp brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 knob of butter

1-2 tbsp sweetened condensed milk (optional)

Advertisement

Vanilla ice cream, to serve


Slice the banana on an angle into 1cm wedges.

Gently mix together the banana, brown sugar and cinnamon.

On low heat, melt the butter in a medium frying pan.

Add the banana mixture to the butter and gently fry until golden brown.

Advertisement

Place the roti on top of the banana. Gently pat down the roti with a spatula until it sticks to the banana.

Flip the roti and banana by upturning the pan onto a plate, and return to the pan.

Heat for another 1 to 2 minutes until the roti is crisp.

Place the roti and banana on a plate and fold both sides in.

Flip the roti and drizzle with sweetened condensed milk (optional).

Advertisement

Cut in half and serve as is or with vanilla ice cream.

Recipe courtesy of Yim Yam Thai Laos, with restaurants in Ascot Vale, Collingwood, Moonee Ponds and Yarraville, Melbourne. See yimyam.com.au.


2. Treat Cafe's banana walnut bread

Don't think too much about the ingredients (particularly the butter!) This banana bread is worth it, though you may want to share it around.

500g butter

Advertisement

2 tsp vanilla essence

1 1/2 cups castor sugar

4 eggs

2 cups banana, mashed

1 1/2 cups SR flour

Advertisement

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1 tsp bicarb soda

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts


Preheat oven to 180C.

Cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.

Advertisement

Add eggs one at a time, mixing between each addition.

Sift together the flours and bicarb soda.

Add flour and banana to egg mix in two lots, beating between each addition.

Fold in walnuts and pour batter into a lined 20cm loaf tin. Bake for 30 minutes.

Best eaten hot with lots of butter.

Advertisement

Recipe courtesy of Treat Cafe, 736 Malvern Road, Armadale, Melbourne. See treatcatering.com.au.


3. Banana maple muffins

2 cups SR flour

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 cup sugar

Advertisement

300g sour cream

1 egg

3 tbsp pure maple syrup

3 tbsp vegetable oil

3 bananas, mashed

Advertisement


Preheat oven to 200C.

Mix the flour, cinnamon and sugar in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk the sour cream, egg, maple syrup, oil and bananas.

Add banana mixture to dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Spoon mixture into greased muffin tins.

Advertisement

Bake for 25 to 30 mins.

Cool and serve with a drizzle of maple syrup.

Note: makes 12 muffins


4. Banoffee pie

This no-bake British favourite is a delicious combination of banana and toffee, hence Banoffee.

Advertisement

Make a pie crust using equal parts almond meal, melted butter and crushed plain sweet biscuits.

Combine and press into a greased pie dish and refrigerate.

Half fill the pie with caramel spread or dulce de leche (Spanish caramel).

Thinly slice or mash two bananas and arrange in a single layer. Top with whipped cream, sprinkle with chocolate shavings and drizzle with any leftover caramel. Serve chilled.


5. Banana 'ice-cream'

This mock ice-cream is easy and relatively healthy. Simply slice a couple of bananas and freeze for a few hours. Pulse the frozen banana in a food processor until a creamy ice-cream-like consistency forms and serve immediately. Using the banana as a base, why not experiment with different flavour combinations by adding vanilla, peanut butter, coconut cream, honey, chocolate, hazelnut spread, maple syrup or additional fruits.

The best recipes from Australia's leading chefs straight to your inbox.

Sign up
Annabel SmithAnnabel Smith is deputy digital editor for Good Food.

From our partners

Advertisement
Advertisement