Maruya is a kind of fritter made from ripe saba (plantain) or cardava banana.
Growing up, my grandma used to make Maruya for our afternoon snack so often since we have a farm and it's abundant with plantains.
This is also one of the popular Filipino street snacks and very affordable.
When deciding to prepare the Pinay-pay (fanned fritter), better to wait until it gets ripe so it's sweet, but not way too overripe as the flavor can get fermented.
Some people are okay with the flavor but I prefer the perfect ripe just like the photo below.
There are two ways way of preparing Maruya from where I grew up. One is slicing it thinly and looks like a hand fan that's why it's also called Pinay-pay, which means a fan. Another way of preparing Maruya is by smashing it when the saba (plantain) is already over ripped.
Up to this day... I still crave for my childhood favorite snacks so I decided to prepare it at home at share with you this recipe.
Ingredients:
- Ripe saba (plantain)
- Flour
- Water
- Vegetable Oil for frying
- White sugar (optional if not a fan of too much sweet)
Preparation:
- Remove the peel and cut the banana into thin slices (just like a hand fan), leaving about one to one and a half on the edge (depends on the size of the bananas. See the photo below.
- Mix enough water and flour for the batter.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan and once the oil is hot enough to fry, dip the fanned banana in the batter and cook in the hot oil right away.
Tip: Use a barbecue stick or a chopstick to test the oil. Once the oil starts bubbling a lot around the stick, then it's good to fry.
Transfer to a plate with table napkins and sprinkle some white sugar if you like.
Serve while warm and enjoy!
