Fried Bananas

Name: Fried Bananas
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 4 medium ripe bananas; Rice flour; From 2 large eggs; Unflavoured whey protein powder; Caster sugar; Shredded fresh coconut; Sesame seeds; Vegetable oil

231 kcal a serving, against 462 for the traditional version. That is 231 kcal off, or 50%, with 9.3g of protein. Serves 4. .

What the traditional version is

Ripe bananas or plantains, halved lengthways, dipped in a batter of rice flour, coconut cream, a little sugar, and shredded coconut. Deep-fried until golden and served hot, sometimes dusted with more sugar or sesame seeds. The shell is crisp and audibly crunchy, the banana inside just starting to melt.

What changed, and what each change costs

Deep-frying swapped for oven baking

There's no other way to dodge the oil. Baking is about the only option, but the result's more of a thin, golden pancake jacket than a fierce crunch.

What it costs you. You miss out on that shattering shell. It's not a chip-shop banana fritter, and no one's likely to ask you for the recipe at the Thai Embassy.

Batter replaces coconut cream with egg white, drops nearly all the fresh coconut, and adds whey protein

Egg white holds the batter together and boosts protein without adding fat. Whey protein firms up the shell a bit and nudges the numbers in the right direction.

What it costs you. Flavour takes a backseat. You don't get the dense richness from coconut cream, and the shell is fluffier, not crisp. No one will believe you're on holiday, but the bananas still get soft and jammy.

Cut sugar in half, but keep a little for taste

The original is sweet as anything, thanks to coconut cream and sugar. Halving the sugar means it's still a pudding, but less of a quick route to dental work.

What it costs you. It's not a dessert for anyone who wants that toffee crunch. The sweetness is dialled back, but the bananas can carry themselves.

Add a bit of shredded coconut and sesame seeds at the end

A sprinkle on top instead of all through the batter gives a hint of the original, keeps the calories down and saves the sesame seeds from disappearing into the batter.

What it costs you. You get just enough coconut and sesame on the nose, but only the first bite. The rest is banana wrapped in a low-fat coat, not a coconut duvet.

What goes in it

The ingredients, without the quantities. The weights are what the figures below are computed from, and they are in the book.

4 medium ripe bananas
Rice flour
From 2 large eggs
Unflavoured whey protein powder
Caster sugar
Shredded fresh coconut
Sesame seeds
Vegetable oil

How it starts

Heat your oven to 210C (fan 190C).
Whisk the egg whites in a bowl until a bit frothy, not stiff.
Halve your bananas lengthways.

The rest of the method, and every weight, is in Authentic-ish Thai.

The numbers

Per serving	Traditional	Lightened
Calories	462	231
Protein	3.6g	9.3g
Fat	29.6g	4g
Saturated fat	11.1g	1.2g
Carbohydrate	49.3g	41.7g
Protein per 100 kcal	0.8g	4g

Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Thai prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked. How every number is computed sets out the method.

Allergens. eggs, milk, sesame.

The method is in the book

No one's mistaking this for a Thai street market. The oven-baked version is softer, more pudding than fritter, and the crunch has made its excuses and left. Do I miss the original? Of course. But you do get a sweet banana, some crisp edges and the coconut-sesame hint. If nothing else, you've got something hot and just sweet enough to eat after dinner without stewing in oil. If you want authentic, book a flight. If you want a guiltless banana pudding, you'll make this again.

The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Thai, along with 48 more. Buy the paperback