Bananacue recipe (Sweet Asian Plantain Skewers)

Remember last month when I shared two recipes for both savory and sweet plantains?  Initially, I had this dish in mind for my sweet recipe, but when I went to look at the recipe, I was shocked to find out that Bananacue used a completely different fruit!  But let's back up for a second.

Bananacue is a sweet dish found in the Philippines, and it's also sometimes known as banana cue or banana q.  The banana is fried, covered in brown sugar, skewered, then enjoyed as a tasty snack or dessert!  Personally, I love having this in the summer time along with some grilled kabobs for a complete meal on a stick!

The fruit is sweet and almost slightly creamy after frying, but the outside sugar hardens into a sweet, crunchy shell.  So delicious!

The surprising thing is that even though it is called bananacue, you probably shouldn't use a regular banana.  Then what should you buy at the grocery store?

The banana that they use in the Philippines is called saging na saba, Cardaba banana, or Asian plantain.  After working with them, I can safely say that they are somewhere between a soft regular banana and the harder plantain.  You can use a regular plantain for this recipe if you can't find this at your international store.  However, as you know from my plantain tips post, make sure that they are ripe!

Bananacue (Sweet Asian Plantain Skewers)
Adapted from here

Ingredients

• 6 saba bananas  (also called saging na saba, Cardaba banana, or Asian plantains)  see below
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 4 cups cooking oil

Directions

1.  Peel the bananas and cut to desired lengths, or leave whole.

2.  Heat the oil in a pot.

3.  Deep fry the bananas for 2 minutes.

4.  Adjust the heat to medium low, then gradually sprinkle the brown sugar over the bananas, while gently stirring to coat.

5.  Cook until the melted brown sugar coats the bananas.

6.  Remove the cooked bananas and put on bamboo skewer.

Note: Two pieces per skewer is typical, but I only used one.

7.  Let cool, then enjoy!

That's all!  You might find that they disappear as quickly as you fry them up, but at least you will have a crowd of happy people on your hands.  There really is something satisfying to eating food off of a stick, isn't there?

Also, while I would not say that these skewers are the healthiest of desserts, they are certainly gluten-free, dairy-free, wheat-free, soy-free, and paleo-friendly.  Like I said, bananacue is great for a party since everyone can enjoy it.  :)

I would love to know if any of you have ever tried these delicious treats or if you have even heard of a saba banana.

Happy skewering!

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