Thai fried bananas

Mix the flour, coconut, sugar and salt. Gradually pour in 150 ml of cold water and stir into a thick, lump-free batter like sour cream.

Peel the bananas, cut each in half crosswise, then slice each half lengthwise into 2 pieces.

Heat the oil in a deep saucepan to 170–180 °C: a drop of batter should rise and sizzle at once.

Use at least 3 cm of oil, but never fill the pan more than halfway. Keep water well away from the hot oil.

Dip the banana pieces in the batter and lower them into the oil, away from you, 4–5 at a time. Fry for 2–3 minutes, turning, until golden and crisp.

Don't overcrowd the pan: the oil cools down and the batter soaks up fat instead of crisping.

Lift the bananas out with a slotted spoon onto paper towels and let the oil drain. Serve warm. Done!

The banana inside gets hotter than the crust — wait a minute before biting in.