Maruya are the perfect snack or dessert! Coated with a fluffy batter and fried to golden perfection, these banana fritters are sure to be a family favorite.
I was up all night last night watching for the umpteenth time past seasons of The Walking Dead on Netflix. Like the rest of the world's female population, I just can't get enough of Daryl Dixon. He's got to be the tastiest, I mean, the sexiest man alive.
G and I like to graze throughout the day so we always keep cookies, muffins, or danishes around the house. But today when I needed one sugary piece the most, we had none. NONE. No mango bread. No cheese cupcakes. No coconut macaroons. NONE.
I was about to make a fast run to the nearby donut shop when I spied a bunch of saba bananas sitting on the kitchen counter. Amen for little blessings. They were ripe and soft and perfect for fritter-making.
A quick batter later, I was savoring nicely-crisp, sugar-dusted maruya with my morning jo—best way to start the day.
Cooking tips
- To keep the maruya from falling apart, use ripe but firm bananas.
- Cut the bananas into uniform thickness to ensure even cooking.
- To prepare "pinaypay-style", cut each saba vertically into three to five slices without going all the way through on one end. Carefully spread the slices to make a “fan" and dip in the batter to coat.
- For a crispy batter, use well-chilled milk.
- Do not overmix the batter; stir just until moistened.
- For maximum crispiness, make sure the fritters are submerged in oil when frying.
- Cook at the optimal temperature of 350 F to 375 F. Too high and the batter will burn before sufficiently cooked. Too low and the fritters will absorb a lot more grease.
- Do not overcrowd the pan; fry in batches as needed.
- The fritters take about 1 to 2 minutes to cook per each side. Once bubbles appear on the top of the fritter and the bottom is golden brown, carefully flip to the other side, and continue to cook until browned.
- To add another layer of flavor, mix ground cinnamon with the sugar for coating.
How to serve
- Serve as a sweet treat for breakfast, snack, or after-meal dessert.
- Maruya are best enjoyed freshly cooked as they tend to get soggy (but still delicious) over time. If not eating immediately, keep the banana fritters warm and crispy in a 200 F oven.
For more tasty treats, try these fried bananas with coconut caramel sauce or this filling banana pandan bread loaf. Enjoy!
Maruya
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 1 cup cold milk
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- canola oil
- 6 ripe but firm saba bananas, peeled and sliced lengthwise into about ¼ inch-thick
Instructions
- In a bowl, sift together flour, ¼ cup of the sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat egg.
- Add milk and butter and whisk together until blended.
- Add flour mixture to milk mixture and stir until just moistened. DO NOT OVERMIX.
- In a pan over medium heat, heat oil.
- Dip banana slices into batter to fully coat and gently slide into hot oil. Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until golden and crisp. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.
- Using a fine-mesh sieve, dust maruya with the remaining sugar. Serve warm.
Video
Notes
- To prepare "pinaypay-style", cut each saba vertically into three to five slices without going all the way through on one end. Carefully spread the slices to make a “fan" and dip in the batter to coat.
- The fritters take about 1 to 2 minutes to cook per each side. Once bubbles appear on the top of the fritter and the bottom is golden brown, carefully flip to the other side, and continue to cook until browned.
Nutrition
I've been using your recipe for pandesal. So good. I just made a bunch yesterday. So good!!
Thank you so much for the feedback. Freshly-baked pandesal rolls are the best treat ever!
Can i use evaporated milk instead?
Yes, you can 🙂
What kind of milk po ung dapat magamit sa maruya...
I use fresh milk (homogenized milk here in the U.S.) 🙂
Thanks sa masarap at madali mahanap na ingredients na recipe
You're welcome 🙂
Hi Lalaine! 🙂 Thank you sa pagshare ng recipe. First time ko gumawa nito and it turns out amazing! Ang sarap nung batter which can be use in pancake also. Hehe. Again, thank you 🙂
You're welcome, Krizzy. Glad you liked it!
your cute just
as ur recipes are!
I buy this from the street peddler in our province of Nueva Ecija. O kaya naman, luto ng lola at mga tiyahin ko. 🙂
I used to have this almost everyday during my childhood, my lola always prepare them for merienda
Ako naman, I always bought this sa isang sari sari store who also sold banana que and camote que. Ahh, delicious memories of our childhood 🙂
Hi Lalaine,
Lol! You're funny.. 🙂 Likewise, I am enamored by Daryl Dixon myself.. and speaking of Maruya, my absolute favorite banana comfort food/dessert. Thank you for sharing the recipe. I'm off to the store to get me the plantain bananas.
Isn't he delicious? So dirty and disheveled and still hot, hot, hot!
Hope you give this a try, so good with coffee or ice cold soda 🙂
Yes to both!..Lol
🙂