Banana Tempura Recipe

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!

Download the full recipe document here:

Banana Tempura Recipe Document

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

Amazon ingredient affiliate 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

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