These Seychellois Banana Fritters – pti gato bannann Seselwa – are light and fluffy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. They are a great way to use up really ripe bananas.
Gato bannann, pti gato bannann or bennyen bannann?
Banana Fritters is translated as ‘beignets de banane’ in French. Although the word bennyen (Fr. beignets) exists in creole, it is not popularly used to describe the fritters. They are traditionally called ‘Gato bannann’ (Eng. Banana cake). This is a, however, misnomer because they are far from being cakes. They are also sometimes called pti gato bannann (Eng. small banana cake) in order to try and differentiate them from banana cake proper. This same dilemma is also found in Mauritius.
This recipe is made from mashed ripe banana, but banana fritters can also be made with bananas that are not mashed. They can be made with sliced or, if small enough, whole bananas. Fritters made from sliced or whole bananas are dipped in a batter before frying.
Do Not throw away your over-ripe bananas
Compared to most fruits, bananas have a short shelf life and can go from green to dark brown within days. For this reason, most of us tend to throw away overripe bananas, fearing they would no longer be fresh, and therefore, not fit to eat. Although they may not really look very appetising with their peel having black spots, turning black or brown, they are very good for our health. Do not throw them in the bin, transform them into delicious fritters or smoothies.
The health benefits of over ripe bananas
Here are some health benefits that you can draw from consuming an overripe banana:
It is easy to digest
As a banana ripens, the starchy carbohydrates in them convert into free sugars, thus making these bananas easy to digest. Green bananas, on the other hand, contain starches that are hard to digest.
It prevents or delays cell damage
As a banana becomes ripe, its antioxidant levels increase. These antioxidants boost the body’s immune system, protect from heart disease, and decrease the risk of developing certain types of cancer. According to Japanese research, fully ripe bananas with dark patches on their skin produce a substance called Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF), which has the ability to combat abnormal cells.
Overripe bananas boast high vitamin C level and work as an antacid. The smooth texture of the banana lines the stomach walls and protects it from harmful acids and irritation.
Types of Bananas in Seychelles
There are about 30 different types of bananas and plantains that are grown in Seychelles and are collectively known locally as bannann. Below are the ones that are the most popular:
Plantains
The most popular of all plantains is Bannann senzak (Fr. banane St Jacques) which is used for chips when green and primarily in ladob – stewed in coconut milk as a dessert- when ripe. Other plantain bananas include bannann malgas (Fr. banane Malgache), presumably introduced from Madagascar; and bannann kare which possesses four pronounced ridges- hence its name, meaning square. During the early stages of settlement these bananas were also dried and made into flour or prepared into karot. Karot was made of ripe plantain that were dried in the sun, flavoured with sugar and honey and preserved in a wrapping made out of dried out long flat stalks of the banana plant, and exported to Europe.
Bannann Sen Zak 
Bannann Kare 
bannann ostrali
Another type of plantain that has recently been introduced and getting quite popular is the the bannann Ostrali which was introduced from Australia.
Other Bananas
The other types of bananas that are grown in Seychelles are:
Gabou or Cavendish banana is the most common variety. They are the long yellow, slightly sweet bananas. They go from under-ripe green to perfectly ripe and still firm mellow yellow, to more ripe deep yellow with a brown spot or two, to super soft and browning. The perfect ripeness depends on personal taste, of course. There are three types of gabou. They are gabou zean (Fr. gabou géant), literally meaning very tall or giant banana; gabou Moris (Fr. Gabou Maurice), presumably introduced from Mauritius; and gabou nen Fr. gabou nain), meaning small/dwarf gabou.
Bannann Mil 
Bannann Msye 
Bannann Rouz 
Cavendish Banana- Bannann Gabou
Banann mil which is a very popular banana, the bunch of which is very long with large numbers of short fingers; hence ‘mille’ meaning thousand. Bannann mil is famous for being slightly sour but beautifully sweet at the same time. They are petite and slender, sharp-ended, and easy to spot in a crowd. Their skin is relatively thin, covering pale yellow smooshy-soft deliciousness.
Sometimes referred to as ‘sour banana’ in Asia, it was introduced to Seychelles by Sultan Abdullah who was exiled in Seychelles in 1877. He was a very enterprising person and during his 17 years of exile, he grew many native Malaysian fruits including the ‘Manbolo’ and Mangosteen. The bannann mil is now the most common banana in the Seychelles mainly due to its resistance to disease. It is a banana that contributed greatly in nourishing the population during the two great wars.
Bannann Tahiti is a very small banana which is delicious. It was imported from Mauritius and is now very rare.
Banann zenzli and bannan fig, both introduced from Réunion or Mauritius and have a very sweet and creamy texture and taste delicious when very ripe.
Bannann rouz, (Fr. banane rouge) the name of which is derived from the red colour of the banana.
Bannann detab,(Fr. banane de table) is a close relation to banana fig but has a finer skin.
Bannann gro Misel (Fr. banana gros Michel) is close to the gabou but of a lesser quality in taste and texture.
Bannann mignonn (Fr. banane mignonne) is a medium size banana with a delicate texture and fine flavour. This is my prefered banana.
Bannann barbar, Similar to gabou. Not seen anymore now.
Bannan nwar (Fr. banane noir) So named for its first very dark green colour. Not seen anymore now. Perhaps because it’s more susceptible to disease. Was never a popular banana.
Other rare ones include: bannann msye, (Fr. banane monsieur) bannann katreven (Fr. banane quatre-vignt); bannann blan, bannann dezire, bannann galega ( presumably introduced from Agalega), bannann simwe.
Which ones to use?
The two main bananas that have been traditionally used for the fritters are the bannann mil and gabou. I prefer the bannann mil because the slight sour taste adds another layer of flavour to the fritters.
Preparing the Seychellois Banana Fritters – pti gato bannann Seselwa
Prepare the mix
The first step is to activate the yeast by combining it with the warm milk in a small bowl. Let it stand for 10 minutes, or until frothy. In the meantime, peel and mash the ripe bananas with a fork
Place your butter for a few seconds in a microwave and melt it making sure it does not get too hot. Then crack the egg in a small bowl and give it a quick whisk in order to mix the yolk and the white.
In a large bowl combine the flour with the melted butter, wisked egg, cinnamon powder, vanilla essence, sugar and salt. Then add the yeast mixture, mix the batter for 5 minutes until sticky and add the banana and fold through.
Cover the mix and leave it to prove for 30 minutes or up to an hour in a warm spot of the kitchen so it doubles in size (the time will depend on the temperature in your kitchen).
Finishing the Seychellois Banana Fritters – pti gato bannann Seselwa
Fill a pan with 6 cm of oil over a medium to high heat. Knock back the dough by mixing with a spoon and using 2 service spoons, place dollops of the dough into the oil and deep fry for a minute on each side or until golden and crisp all over.
Use a slotted spoon to carefully turn the fritters over onto the other side to evenly cook and become golden. Enjoy the pleasant aroma created by the vanilla and cinnamon. Repeat with the remaining batter. Once the fritters are all done, transfer them onto kitchen paper to remove any excess oil.
Place the fritters onto a serving platter and dust with icing sugar and cinnamon powder before serving. Allow to cool before eating. Try them topped with 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream.
Here is the Recipe for the Seychellois Banana Fritters – pti gato bannann Seselwa
These Seychellois Banana Fritters – pti gato bannann Seselwa – are light and fluffy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. They are a great way to use up really ripe bananas.
- 100 ml milk, warmed
- 1 sachet instant yeast (7 g)
- 2 ripe bananas, mashed
- 275 g plain flour
- 20 g butter, melted
- 1 egg-whisked
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon (½ for the batter ½ for dusting)
- 2 tbsp icing sugar for dusting
- ¼ tsp nutmeg powder
- 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped or ½ tsp vanilla essence
- 3 tbsp sugar
- pinch of salt
- Vegetable oil for deep frying
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Activate the yeast by combining with the warm milk in a small bowl. Stand for 10 minutes, or until frothy.
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Peel and mash the bananas with a fork.
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In a large bowl combine the flour with the melted butter, egg, cinnamon, nutmeg powder, vanilla seeds, sugar and salt.
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Add the yeast mixture. Mix the batter for 5 minutes until sticky.
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Add the banana and fold through.
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Cover and leave to prove for 30 minutes or up to an hour in a warm spot of the kitchen so it doubles in size (the time will depend on the temperature in your kitchen).
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Fill a pan with about 6 cm of oil over a medium to high heat.
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Knock back the dough by mixing with a spoon.
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Using 2 service spoons, gently place dollops of the dough into the oil and deep fry until golden and crisp all over.
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Use a slotted spoon to carefully turn the fritters over onto the other side to evenly cook and become golden. Repeat with the remaining batter.
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Transfer the fritters onto kitchen paper to remove any excess oil.
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Mix the remaining cinnamon powder with your icing sugar and transfer in a shaker
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Place the fritters on a serving platter and dust with icing sugar and cinnamon powder. Allow to cool completely before serving. Why not top the fritters with 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream.
The two main bananas that have been traditionally used for the fritters are the bannann mil, also known as sour banana, and gabou- cavendish. I prefer the bannann mil because the slight sour taste adds another layer of flavour to the fritters.
It is recommended that you allow the fritters to cool down completely before eating.
Did you make this recipe?
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