Banana Prawn Rolls

The next time you are left with some very ripe bananas, don't take the predictable Banana Cake route. Try this Banana Prawn Roll instead. Your family and friends will thank you for it :)


The marriage of banana and prawn is a match made in heaven. When cooked, the softened bananas become creamy and sweet. Their flavours intensify ... and the crunchy, savoury prawns are the perfect complement.

The rice paper tends to become soggy after a while, so it's best eaten immediately. Which shouldn't be a problem, I promise ;)

Having said that, does anyone know what type of wrappers dim sum restaurants use to make these rolls? They are crispy and white, so it's definitely not the regular springroll wrappers (those turn brown after frying). I thought they were rice paper wrappers, but after tasting, I realised they were not (even though they were delicious).

Please drop me a comment or email if you know how to make this dish. I made these based on my own guesstimates, so I would love to hear from someone who has made these many times. Much thanks!

Recipe
- 300g prawns, shelled, deveined and smashed flat with a cleaver. Do not chop them up into bits because they will harden into lumps when cooked. I find that smashing with a cleaver prevents this from happening.
- Half a chicken stock cube (bouillon), crumbled
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of sugar
- 1/2 tsp tapioca flour or corn flour
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp Huatiao wine (optional if you don't have it, but for me, it's a must)

- 2 or 3 very ripe bananas, peeled and cut into small chunks
- Vietnamese rice paper (round ones sold in a pack), softened in lukewarm water one at a time, after every roll. Do NOT pre-soften all at one go.


1. Marinate the prawns with all the seasoning listed above. Mix them up throroughly by hand, until the mixture becomes "bouncy" and elastic. Leave aside for about 10 to 15mins.

2. Gently mix in banana chunks.

3. Soak 1 sheet of Vietnamese rice paper in a dish of lukewarm water. It should soften very quickly. Once it's pliable, remove and allow to "drip dry" to remove excess water.

3. Place on a flat surface. Arrange banana prawn mix in row and roll into a firm wrap. Resist the temptation to load up on the filling ... the rice paper will tear.

4. In a heated non-stick pan, fry the rolls, leaving ample space in between each one, else they will stick. I pan fried mine without oil and they turned out really well. No greasiness!

Serve hot off the pan.