Jemput-jemput Pisang (Fried Banana Balls)

Jemput-jemput Pisang

My bananas are starting to be very ripe. Their skins are now turning black and Babinette wouldn't have anything to do with them any more. Looking at them, I started having visions of...Jemput-jemput Pisang (Fried Banana Balls), I've really eaten quite a number of them in my youth.

Brown, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Tastes of bananas and sugar. Rich, full of calories. Just eat it once in a blue moon.

Babinou is freaking out trying to do his homework or not wanting to. I have told the school on different occasions that I am quite sick of having to do my kids' homework with/for them. Under this IBO-PYP system they don't get the classic English and Maths homework that would logically be a reinforcement of what they've learnt at school. They do all kinds of stuff on pieces of paper (that's another issue) that at first look at least doesn't have anything to do with improving their spelling, grammar or Maths. And very often it'll just end up as competition among the parents on who is best at helping his child do his homework. I told LP the other day that I hate her huge posters with the huge photos and colourful stick-ons. I only provide plain A4 paper and wherever possible photos in black and white. Ink is very expensive as we all know.

But believe it or not, to every parent who has come up to me in the last 2 years to whinge about the system (and especially the homework), I've the Dalai Lama, yin-yang comforting piece of advice that more or less resumes in : it's a different system, give it a chance. Attend the PYP workshop. And have a life, forget the homework. Let's do coffee/lunch/play date.

As such I found myself quite booked for coffee or lunch till at least next week. And I'm not even joking. I've also found myself fielding (private) questions on expat forums about schools, housing etc in Modena. And it's only the relocation company who gets paid.

Jemput-jemput Pisang (makes about 20) :

300g (about 2-3) ripe bananas

120g self-raising flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

60g cane sugar

a good pinch of salt

100ml thick coconut milk

Mash the bananas and mix everything together in a big bowl, making sure that there are no lumps.

Leave aside for 20-30 minutes.

Heat up a small pot of oil for deep frying. Make sure that it's very hot or your fritters will be soggy, soaking up the oil.

Using preferably a Chinese soup spoon, drop a spoonful of batter into the hot oil. I'll fry just 2-3 balls at a time so that they wouldn't stick to each other. Turn the balls over onto the other side when one side is browned.

Drain on paper towels and eat them hot. To re-heat, bake in a hot oven for 5-7 minutes. But they are actually quite good eaten cold.