Banana won tons with passion fruit sauce

Serves 4

If you've had dim sum you'll probably have had savoury won tons, but you rarely see fruity ones on Chinese menus. Maybe the fear is that the fruit will be too hot inside and someone will burn themselves, but I'm sure they're no more risky than banana fritters. Wait long enough and it's great to bite into a crispy parcel of warm, sweet fruit.

If you've had dim sum you'll probably have had savoury won tons, but you rarely see fruity ones on Chinese menus. Maybe the fear is that the fruit will be too hot inside and someone will burn themselves, but I'm sure they're no more risky than banana fritters. Wait long enough and it's great to bite into a crispy parcel of warm, sweet fruit.

You can easily buy won ton wrappers in Chinese supermarkets, fresh or frozen, and they are well worth keeping in your freezer, divided into small quantities for snacks when you have friends round.

16 won ton wrappers
3 bananas, peeled and chopped, or mashed
Vegetable or corn oil for deep frying

for the passion fruit sauce

3 passion fruits
2tbsp caster sugar
3tbsp water
1 small piece of root ginger (about 15g), peeled and finely chopped or grated
1 star anise
50ml orange juice
1/2tsp corn flour

First make the passion fruit sauce. Halve the passion fruits and squeeze the pulp into a small saucepan with the sugar, ginger, star anise and orange juice and water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes, until the liquid has reduced by half. Dilute the corn flour in a teaspoon of water, stir into the sauce and simmer gently for another minute. The sauce should be thick and syrupy now. Transfer to a bowl and leave to cool.

To make the won tons place about a teaspoon of the banana into the centre of each won ton wrapper, brush a little water on to the wrapper and bring the corners together and twist a little to secure the filling. You may find that there's filling left so make more won tons to use it up.

Meanwhile heat about 8cm of oil to 160-180°C in a large thick-bottomed saucepan or electric deep fat fryer. Cook the won tons in two batches, removing them with a slotted spoon or a basket and transfer on to kitchen paper.

Leave to cool a little, then serve with the passion fruit dip.