Banana balls are made using overripe bananas, wheat flour, brown sugar, salt and soda bicarbonate to produce a batter with the taste of naturally sweet banana.

Banana batter, deep-fried in cooking oil turns to a nice colour of the dark brown banana ball.

Traditionally we use fingers to make the round shape of the banana ball. Alternatively, you may use a spoon. 

Two ways to shape the dough as a ball.

1. Traditional Way of Making Jemput-jemput Pisang

Use your hand to shape the banana. 

Take a tinge of dough from your fingertips and adjust it to become a ball. 

This is where it gets the name in Malay. A tinge of dough from the fingertips means sejemput. 

In one dough you get many banana balls then they call it Jemput-jemput Pisang.

Dip the dough from your fingers directly into the hot oil. The cooking oil is ready to fry if you see many small bubbles appear in it.

You have to be careful this way. It is easy for those who are experts in making banana balls. 

Your hand becomes messy and needs to wash after each session of frying. 

2. Modern Way of Making Jemput-jemput Pisang 

There is another way of scoping the dough by using a spoon. 

Scoop the dough with one spoon and another spoon is used to push the dough into the hot oil. 

This way is easy and your finger is clean. 

Do about eight balls in one session. 

Slow down the heat to allow the ball to cook inside. 

When the ball dough is in the oil, use a spatula to turn the ball from sticking to the wok. We have to use a lot of oil for the batter to become nicely round. 

Remove the ball from the wok if the colour turns dark brown. Do not overcook it otherwise the appearance is darker and does not please the eyes.

When to eat the banana balls

Jemput-jemput pisang is good to eat immediately with coffee. It is still nice to eat even though you left it in the day at room temperature. 

If you have no heart to dispose of the leftover banana balls, you can keep them in the refrigerator. You can eat it the next day after warming it in the microwave.

It is advisable to make a small dough of banana balls if you are keen to eat it freshly after fry.

Jemput-jemput Pisang

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes 

Serving size: 6 persons

Ingredients 

• 10 overripe small banana
• 2 cups of wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon soda bicarbonate
• 2 tablespoon brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• water
• cooking oil

Instructions

Mashed the banana until fluffy. Add in brown sugar and salt. Mix it together.  

Add flour and soda bicarbonate to the banana mixture and mix well.

Rest the batter for 5 minutes. 

Preheat the oil with low medium heat. 

Scoop a small amount of the dough and drop it into the pan.  

Fry until it turns slightly brown.

Remove the banana balls from the pan and toss the oil. 

Jemput-jemput Pisang is ready to be served.