This banana tempura recipe is crunchy, light and crispy. Today we’ll learn how to make a tempura batter that is delicate, brittle and perfect for this Japanese inspired dessert. At most hibachi restaurants or Japanese steakhouses like Benihana, tempura banana is a soggy, sad, spongy mess. In this video, we’ll learn how to make banana tempura the right way. I’ll show you how to make a crunchy banana tempura with a batter that blows the traditional tempura batter out of the water. Deep fried banana desserts are popular all around the world. But all too often they’re just bland and soggy. We’ll learn how to make a chocolate ganache with 3 ingredients in less than 5 minutes. We’ll make a tempura batter that is better than anything you can get at any teppanyaki restaurant. You’ll never order banana tempura from Benihana ever again once you learn to make it at home, for a fraction of the cost. This hibachi at home recipe promises to be a crowd favorite. So, get your ice cream ready, because today we’re making tempura banana!

Recipe:

Ingredients:

Tempura batter (makes enough for 4-5 bananas):

Dry:
½ cup (65 grams) all purpose flour (or cake flour, preferably)
½ cup (65 grams) cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt

Wet:
1 egg
1 teaspoon (4.5 gram) vanilla extract
¼ cup (60 ml) vodka
½ cup (120 ml) carbonated water

Vegetable or Canola oil for frying

Powdered sugar

Bananas, sliced in half diagonally and then in half lengthwise

Ice cream

Instructions:

1. Heat 2 inches of oil in a medium to large pot to 325 F or 165 C
2. Combine dry ingredients for batter
3. Prepare a medium bowl of ice
4. Whisk together egg, vanilla extract and vodka until completely homogenous
5. Stir in carbonated water to egg mixture
6. Using chopsticks or a fork, gently stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients and STOP once everything is incorporated. You want it to be lumpy, with some dry spots.
7. Dust banana slices in powdered sugar
8. Dip bananas slices into tempura batter and lift so excess falls off
9. Slowly lower banana slices into hot oil
10. Once all slices are frying, using one hand, gently drizzle tempura batter onto the frying banana slices
11. Agitate banana slices so they don’t stick together
12. After 1.5-2 minutes, lift the banana slices out of the oil, allowing excess oil to drip off
13. Dust fried banana tempura with powdered sugar
14. To finish, place banana tempura on plate, drizzle with chocolate sauce, dust with more powdered sugar and serve with ice cream

Chocolate ganache (chocolate sauce/syrup)

Ingredients:

3.5 oz (100 gram) semi-sweet chocolate
½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
3 tablespoon (60 gram) light corn syrup

Directions:

1. Place chocolate in bowl
2. Heat heavy cream and corn syrup in small saucepan over medium-high heat
3. When skin forms and cream mixture is just under a boil, pour it over chocolate
4. Allow chocolate/cream mixture to sit for 1-2 minutes
5. Then stir until chocolate has incorporated into cream
6. Cool down and store in covered container in fridge for up to 1 week
7. Reheat before using

Ingredient links:

Semi-sweet chocolate chips: https://geni.us/hjDP5e
Light corn syrup: https://geni.us/ZjdiVef
Vanilla extract: https://geni.us/GkZTY7
Vegetable oil: https://geni.us/Cvt2u
Powdered sugar: https://geni.us/VgpYbft
Corn starch: https://geni.us/9LPRl
Cake flour: https://geni.us/uzRWT
All purpose flour: https://geni.us/DuYfC3
Diamond Brand Kosher Salt: https://geni.us/YCUSn
Club soda (carbonated water): https://geni.us/bZ4FM6

Kitchen gear in video:

Misono UX10 Chef's Knife: https://geni.us/UaUygE
Induction Cooktop: https://geni.us/3EYpArE
John Boos Work Table: https://geni.us/giAaB
Diamond Brand Kosher Salt: https://geni.us/YCUSn
All Clad D5 8 QT Stockpot: https://geni.us/NwZHJR

Music by Epidemic Sound (free 30-day trial! Affiliate link): https://share.epidemicsound.com/v23gld

Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Jason Farmer may earn commissions from qualifying purchases from amazon.com

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro
0:18 Chocolate sauce
1:17 The bananas
1:42 Setting up the fry station
2:14 Tempura batter
3:58 Frying tempura bananas
5:06 Plating tempura bananas
5:26 Thanks!