Somali Banana Fritters

The Minnesota Historical Society Press is publishing a cookbook of Somali foods this summer.  They invited employees to try the recipes and bring them in to be photographed for the book.  I decided to try something that would let me learn a new skill: the banana fritters.

I had all the ingredients for the recipe, but I have not deep-fried anything since college. (Back then we made Moldovan mushroom- and cheese-stuffed mamalyga balls for my Russian food/culture/history class in the shared kitchen in the basement of Fitch.  Mmmm.  Those were good.  I should make them again some time!)

The recipe as given was not really very descriptive at all. Among other things, it said that the batter could be made in a blender.  That is just not true!  It is much too thick with 2 1/2 cups of flour in it.  I also had to look up directions about the actual frying--how hot to make the oil, in particular.

Because these were for a photo shoot, I was really worried about making them perfectly round.  It wasn't really possible, since they are fritters and not shaped donuts.  Ultimately, they turned out pretty good and I can't wait to see the photo in the book!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 2 bananas, mashed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 cup sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
  
• vegetable oil for frying
• powdered sugar for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Place all the ingredients except for the oil and powdered sugar in a bowl and mix into a thick batter with mixer.  Alternatively, place ingredients into food processor and process into batter.  Note: Batter will be probably be too thick for a blender.   
2. Batter should be thick and sticky.  Add more flour if it is runny.
3. Let batter sit while heating oil.
4. Pour vegetable oil into a heavy pan or pot, to a depth of at least 1 inch
5. Heat on medium until oil is 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  If you do not have an oil safe thermometer, you can use one of the following methods to check the temperature:
• Dip the handle of a wooden spoon or a wooden chopstick into the oil. If the oil starts steadily bubbling, then the oil is hot enough for frying. If the oil bubbles very very vigorously, then the oil is too hot. If very few bubbles pop up, then it’s not hot enough.
• Drop a single kernel of popcorn into the oil as it is heating. The kernel will pop as the oil reaches between 350 and 360 degrees.
6. Drop spoonfuls of dough into the heated oil. Large dough spoonfuls may not cook through very well.  
• Hint: Do not put too many dough dollops in the oil at a time (2 to 4 is plenty).  Putting too much dough in the oil at once will lower the temperature. 
7. Let dough cook until light brown, flipping once if they do not flip themselves. 
8. Remove fritters from oil with a slotted spoon and drain on a plate or cooling rack lined with double-thickness of paper towels.  
9. Let cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar for serving.  

Good as a substitute for donuts (or donut holes!) for breakfast, but they are more traditionally served with coffee or tea as a snack.  They are only crispy the day they are made, but still good the next day.