BALINESE FOOD GUIDE

Pisang Goreng

Fried Banana

Bali's favorite snack — ripe bananas coated in a light, crispy batter and deep-fried until golden. The outside shatters into a delicate crunch while the inside becomes warm, caramelized, and custardy. Best eaten piping hot, sometimes drizzled with palm sugar syrup, chocolate sauce, or served with a scoop of coconut ice cream at more modern establishments.

Nederlandse versie in redactie. Deze pagina blijft buiten Google totdat de tekst als zelfstandige Nederlandse gids is bewerkt.

Spice level

None

Cooking difficulty

Easy

Preparation

10 minutes

Where it belongs

Central Bali

TASTE & CONTEXT

What makes Pisang Goreng distinctive?

Pisang goreng requires almost nothing to make and delivers near-universal pleasure — which is probably why it has persisted as the street snack of Southeast Asia for centuries. The technique is simple: a ripe banana is peeled, coated in a thin batter of rice flour (or wheat flour), a pinch of salt, and sometimes a spoonful of sugar, then lowered into hot palm oil where it fries rapidly to a golden, crackling exterior while the banana inside softens and caramelizes in its own sugars. The critical variable is banana selection. In Bali and across Indonesia, pisang goreng is made with varieties that simply do not exist in Western supermarkets. Pisang raja (king banana) — short, fat, intensely sweet with a dense, custard-like flesh — is the premium choice. Pisang tanduk (horn banana) is larger, less sweet, with a more starchy interior that holds its shape during frying. Pisang kepok (cooking banana) is the most widely used for street-cart frying, offering a reliable texture and neutral-sweet flavor that works well with a thick batter. At market stalls and school gates across Bali, pisang goreng is sold in paper bags of three to five pieces for a few thousand rupiah — still piping hot, eaten standing up or on a motorbike. At the other end of the spectrum, restaurants in Canggu and Seminyak serve elegant versions with coconut ice cream, palm sugar caramel, toasted coconut flakes, and a pandan cream sauce — same concept, entirely different context.

IN THE KITCHEN

How it is traditionally made

Ripe but firm bananas (pisang raja or pisang kepok) are peeled and may be halved lengthwise. Batter is prepared from rice flour or a mix of wheat and rice flour, a pinch of salt, and enough water to achieve a thin, pourable consistency — some recipes add a teaspoon of sugar and a drop of vanilla. Bananas are dipped in the batter to coat evenly and immediately lowered into palm oil heated to 175-180°C. They fry for 3-4 minutes, turned once, until deep golden and the batter is crisp. Removed and drained briefly on paper before serving immediately — pisang goreng degrades quickly as the batter softens, so it must be eaten fresh.

TRY IT IN BALI

Where and how to order

Street carts and warung snack stalls across the island, especially near schools and markets in the afternoon. Look for the small roadside stalls frying fresh batches — the smell alone will guide you. Cafe-style versions with toppings can be found in Ubud, Canggu, and Seminyak.

Pisang goreng is ubiquitous across Southeast Asia, but in Bali it holds a special place as the island's go-to afternoon snack (jajan). It is often served alongside Balinese coffee during social visits and is a staple at market stalls and school gates. The banana varieties used in Bali — particularly pisang raja and pisang tanduk — are naturally sweeter and firmer than Western bananas, making them ideal for frying.

Explore the Bali street-food guide

VARIATIONS

Why two plates may differ

Pisang goreng tepung (flour-battered): The standard street cart version — thin batter, plain interior, designed for volume and freshness at high turnover.

Pisang goreng crispy (Bandung/modern style): A thicker, crispier batter with breadcrumb or panko addition that stays crunchy longer — popular at modern cafes in Canggu.

Pisang gepuk (pressed banana): The banana is pounded flat before frying, creating a wider, thinner piece with a more caramelized surface — found in Javanese-style warungs.

Pisang goreng keju (cheese fried banana): A modern Indonesian fusion variant topped with grated cheese and condensed milk — extremely popular with younger Indonesians and available at night markets.