TIPS IN USING LEAVES AS A KAKANIN WRAPPER

Leaves, like banana and taktakkong leaves, are generally “crunchy” and easily ripped. In wrapping suman, balisuso, inandila atc, the leaves have to be “softened” first so they won’t break when you twist and turn it and the kakanin won’t spill out of it.

I know of three ways to this. One, you can leave the leaves under the sun. Second, you can put it through the fire or idarang sa apoy in the vernacular. And third, you can dip it in hot water.

The idea is to heat the leaves up and cook it slightly. They will turn into a deep green color when done.

However, if you’re only using the leaves as a serving vessel, no need to do the above.

Turon

I know I’ve said this a million times, but I’ll say it again. Turon is a favorite-favorite of mine. And yes, it is a banana treat that is also peddled in the streets or found in the market.

My aunt cooks very aesthetically pleasing turons. The secret she says is in the wrapper. Turon is banana (plantain or saba variety), in lumpia wrapper. My aunt recommends the using the yellow lumpia wrapper found in the market, instead of the regular white ones.

The yellow color of the lumpia wrapper turns into an even golden brown shade when fried. It’s bigger than usual size enables wrapping two whole pieces of saba.

What to do

To make turon, in a single wrapper, lay down two pieces of medium-sized saba/plantain.

Sprinkle it with sugar. Having the sugar inside minimizes splotches of caramelized sugar outside the wrapper. It minimizes too the chances of burning your sugar.

Wrap it as you would wrap a spring roll, tucking in the edges nicely.

Deep fry.

Try this!

There are two variations I have tried with turon. One is inserting strips of langka for a more tropical flavor and the other is sprinkling it with a bit of cinnamon for a modern twist.

Banana-cue

Maybe banana-cue got its name from barbecue because both are skewered into short bamboo sticks. But while the latter is roasted on coals, the former is fried.

Banana-cue can be tricky to cook. It can be wasteful of cooking oil, because of its sugar content and sugar, because when the sugar doesn’t stay on the bananas, the tendency is to put in some more. Also, the sugar can be burnt, making it bitter instead of sweet.

Banana-cue is a snack for the sweet-toothed. I, personally, choose the ones with lots of hardened sugar clinging to it. I also make sure the ones I’ve picked have already cooled down a bit, because one, the sugar isn’t so sticky anymore (be careful just the same, carelessly biting into it will disturb the peace and might cause other sugary chunks to break off and fall), two, my tongue won’t be burnt while I bite into the bananacue’s sweet goodness. And for just P12, one bananacue serving is composed of three small-sized bananas or three medium-sized ones, you can have your fill.

What to do?

To make banana-cues, roll the peeled bananas, plaintain or saba in the vernacular, in sugar, traditionally brown sugar.

Heat 1 cup of cooking oil.

Let it simmer before putting six bananas (or just enough bananas to fill your pan). Too much oil will cook the bananaas but will also cause the sugar to settle in the bottom of the pan, which leaves the bananas themselves less-sugar coated. Too little oil however, might only be enough to melt and caramelize the sugar but will not be enough to cook the bananas.

When removing the bananas from the pan, DO NOT drain them on paper towels. It will only stick to it. Instead, you can skewer them into a bamboo stick and then let it stand on a strainer to let the oil drip.


Try this!

Dip into powdered chocolate drink, like Milo or Ovaltine.

Or, into peanut butter. YUM!