When I was a boy, there was a house up our street that sold merienda and halo-halo every summer. Among the turon, banana cue and camote cue that they sold was maruya, a fried banana fritter. Theirs differ from the recipe below because it didn’t have a dusting of powdered sugar, and I think they used flour, sugar and baking soda instead of the pancake mix in the list of ingredients below.
I prefer to use pancake mix when making maruya because it’s easier to prepare than the usual fritter batter. There’s no need to measure and sift the dry ingredients for the batter, making prep time shorter.
Maruya (Banana Fritters)
Ingredients:
Ripe saba
Pancake mix, prepared according to package directions minus the egg and oil
Oil, for deep frying
Powdered sugar
Heat oil. Skin and slice the saba. Arrange the battered banana pieces on a saucer and slide into the hot oil.
Deep fry until it turns golden brown. Drain on paper towels and allow to cool slightly on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
To serve as a dessert: Place warm maruya on a plate. Dust with a little powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzle with caramel or chocolate sauce. Serve immediately and enjoy!
