Vintage Native Recipes from the Baul: Maruya (Fritters)

There are more than a dozen varieties of maruya (fritters) in the Philippines, variety limited only by availability of ingredients and on the region where the cook is from. The most common one is made from bananas. The following recipes may not be the best, but it does have a history and like all food you have eaten from your youth, sometimes it isn’t the fanciest or the best that satisfies, it’s the one that evokes snatches of those moments that transports you back in time and leaves you with a smile lingering on your face.

*Baul: Chest drawer

Maruyang Saging (Banana Fritters)

1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 lightly beaten egg
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar
10 small saba (a variety of banana, starchy and usually cooked before eating – nic)
Solid vegetable shortening
Vegetable oil
Sugar for dredging

1. Prepare fat for deep frying: In a deep saucepan or kawali place equal amounts of solid vegetable shortening and vegetable oil. Heat until thermometer reads 375*F.
2. Measure and sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Add milk, sugar and egg. Stir with a large fork until almost smooth (do not whip). Set aside in a cool place.
4. Check the oil temperature, then it’s almost ready peel and clean the saba by removing all the stringy parts on the sides and cutting out any dark portion on both ends.
5. Press each piece of saba with the flat side of a fork several times until flattened but still in one piece.
6. Dip each piece into the batter, lightly tap on the side of the dish to remove excess liquid.
7. Carefully drop in several pieces (do not crowd, keep checking the temperature to maintain it at 375*F). Fry until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper-towel lined colander. When well drained dredge in sugar and serve warm.

Maruyang Mais (Corn Fritters)

1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups yellow corn kernels (fresh)
¾ cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar
Solid vegetable shortening
Vegetable oil
Sugar for dredging (optional)

1. Prepare fat for deep frying: In a deep saucepan or kawali place equal amounts of solid vegetable shortening and vegetable oil. Heat until thermometer reads 375*F.
2. Measure and sift together flour and baking powder.
3. Add milk and sugar. Stir with a large fork until almost smooth (do not whip). Set aside in a cool place.
4. Check the oil temperature, when it’s almost ready add corn kernels to batter, mix lightly to coat kernels well with batter.
5. Using a ¼ measuring cup, scoop up the batter and carefully drop into the hot fat (do not crowd, keep checking the temperature to maintain it at 375*F). Fry until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain well on paper-towel lined colander.
Maruya can be dredged in sugar at this point. Serve warm.

Maruyang Buko (Coconut Fritters)

1 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup milk
1 lightly beaten egg
¼ cup sugar
3 cups freshly grated coconut meat (make sure the coconut is neither too young nor too old)
Solid vegetable shortening
Vegetable oil
Sugar for dredging (optional)

1. Prepare fat for deep frying: In a deep saucepan or kawali place equal amounts of solid vegetable shortening and vegetable oil. Heat until thermometer reads 375*F.
2. Measure and sift together flour and baking powder.
3. Add milk, egg and sugar. Stir with a large fork until almost smooth (do not whip). Set aside in a cool place.
4. Check the oil temperature, when it’s almost ready add grated coconut meat to batter, mix lightly to coat well with batter.
5. Using a 1/2 measuring cup, scoop up the batter and carefully drop into the hot fat (do not crowd, keep checking the temperature to maintain it at 375*F). Fry until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain well on paper-towel lined colander.
Maruya can be dredged in sugar at this point. Serve warm.