Categorized | Fish, Vegetarian
A traditional Trinbago “country” dish with baby bananas.
Posted on 20 August 2009
I’m sure you’ve seen those tiny little bananas in the supermarket… normally called “baby bananas”. But have you ever given much thought as to what people do with these cute little bananas that look like they forgot to grow up? They’re quite tasty when fully ripe and can be enjoyed just as you would a normal banana, but did you know you can also cook them? Growing up in the country-side on the islands, our diet at times would be considered very rustic by some standards. Especially when you consider the amount of ground provisions that would make it on our dinner table. To this day my sisters don’t fancy anything we’d term “ground provisions” (yam, cassava, green banana, eddoes, dasheen.. etc), but my brother and myself are just like my dad.. we can’t get enough.
Back to the “little people” of the banana world. One of the dishes my mom would prepare using these baby bananas, is a quick boil and fry. Today I got a craving for this dish I grew up on as I strolled the aisle of the supermarket and saw these bananas in stock. Bear in mind that this is entirely from memory, as my mom was en route to New York to visit my brother so I couldn’t do the normal phone call when I need help with a recipe.
I truly hope this is not one of those dishes that’s slowly fading away from the framework that makes up our rich culinary heritage, as we make way for the fast food generation. This is very simple to prepare, hearty and amazingly tasty!
You’ll Need…
1-2 lbs of baby bananas
1 medium onion sliced
pinch of black pepper
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoon olive oil
couple slices of hot pepper (I used scotch bonnet) – optional
1 clove garlic crushed
4 oz dry salted fish (I used boneless Pollock)
1 scallion (garnish)
Couple tips before we start.
1. Try to use the bananas before they go ripe (bright yellow), the ideal colour is a greenish yellow and they must be a bit firm if you were to press on them gently. If they’re over-ripe it will be difficult to work with and will not produce the same type of texture we’re hoping to achieve.
2. You can cook the bananas in advance and even place it in the fridge, so they’re cool to the touch when you have to peel them.
Separate the bananas into singles if they came in a bunch, place in a deep pan and cover with water. Put on a medium to high heat and bring to a boil. Pay close attention to this as you must turn off the stove as soon as it comes to a boil or you’ll risk it going too mushy. Remove from the hot water immediately and allow to cool. When cool, peel away the skin so you’re left with the creamy insides of the banana. You’ll notice a couple things happening as the bananas cook… they will change colour (go black in some spots) and they will split. When they split, it’s a good indication that they’re ready to be removed from the boiling water.
While this cools, put the dry salted fish in a fairly deep bowl and pour in enough boiling water to cover it. This will do a couple things for us. It will make the fish more tender to work with and it will remove most of the salt which was used to preserve it. When the water cools (as we did when we made saltfish buljol) squeeze away any remaining water and shred into flakes.
Back to the bananas…they should be cool now, using the “split” that occurred during the quick boiling process as a starting point peel back and remove the skin, then place a bowl and get ready for putting everything together.
In a pan on medium heat pour in the olive oil, then when it’s hot add the flakes of shredded salt fish. Allow this to cook for about 4 minutes so the oil gets infused with the flavour of the saltfish. Then add the sliced onions, crushed garlic, black pepper and if you opt for it.. the slices of hot pepper. This should cook for about 4-6 minutes or until the onion has gone soft and started to go brown. Now add the cooked bananas and tablespoon of butter,. Gently stir everything around and allow to cook on low heat (uncovered) for about 3-5 minutes (when you think it’s been coated with everything in the pot.
* The bananas I used were a bit too ripe (see in pictures).
* If you don’t like saltfish (we can’t be friends then) or prefer not to have it in your diet, feel free to leave it out. It’s still a very tasty dish. However I would recommend using a non-stick pan in that case and allow it to cook a bit longer to encourage the heat to interact with the sugars in the banana and form a nice caramel crust on everything.
The big question of the night is… What do they call these tiny little bananas, besides baby bananas? Now my spelling may be completely wrong as I’m trying to wor it out… “chikito“. You don’t think that the Chikita” brand of bananas got their company name from this little banana, do you?
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I doubt the use of these are dying out at home – it’s very easy to have a banana plant, and harvest a whole hand of them green/half ripe and go to it. Mom drops them in soup all the time and they make a great pie (creamed like potatoes). Yours do look a smidgen ripe for the dish
.-= Chennette´s last blog ..Let’s talk BBQ =-.
@Chennette Thanks for stopping by. Yea, they were a bit too ripe, but with supplies limited I can’t be too picky. When I mentioned about fading away from our cuisine, I meant the boil and fry method of cooking this little dish.
Do stop by and leave your comments on a regular basis.
Regards
Chris
.-= Chris De La Rosa´s last blog ..The Burlington Ribfest, Dubbed Canada’s Largest Ribfest =-.
Ah, the boil and fry method – used for ground provisions and beans and what not. I think it might still be going strong, hopefully. Best thing with some kinda beans.
Will be dropping by more regularly. During my infrequent blogging and browsing this year, I hadn’t updated my RSS reader or Blogroll, but I am trying to sort those things out now! You’ll see I added you, finally
.-= Chennette´s last blog ..Let’s talk BBQ =-.
I have to try this one
I absolutely love this chikito and salt fish, I also do the same with cassava, dasheen and breadfruit.
Hey interesting recipe. I have never eaten these cooked. Always fully ripe. I am from Antigua and we call them finger rose actually. I might try your recipe one day. I just have to get my mind around eating them cooked and half ripe. Once again quite interesting.
In Jamaica we call them Chinese or Monkey bananas people rearly eat tnem unless they are from the rural areas. I will try this recipe and let you know what I think.
boy we love it so, the way my Ma(grandmother) use to make it.
keep it coming yuh is a true Trini.
Thanks for all the comments. It’s funny how we all have a different name or perspective of this throughout the Caribbean.
Keep the comments coming!
happy cooking
chris…
.-= Chris De La Rosa´s last blog ..El Yucateco Salsa Picante De Chile Habanero Green Hot Sauce Review. =-.
In Guyana this variety of banana is called sour fig because it is not as sweet when ripe as it’s counterpart which is smaller and sweet – an excellent banana.
I love any ground provision boil and fry. This is an interesting combo here given the state of ripeness of this banana. I would imagine that the savoury elements the sweetness from the bananas.
.-= Cynthia´s last blog ..Annatto aka "Poor Man’s Saffron" =-.
Hi Chris,
I am new to this site and just browsing through. In Barbados we call them figs and they are very sweet unlike the Guyanese variety. I don’t think I have ever seen them cooked, traditionally we cook the banana not the fig. Must try this recipe and let you know.
@ Cynthia, Yea, it could have been a little less ripe for best results.
@ Karen, the ones we get in Trinidad is also sweet, but still can’t compare to the larger variety or yet another variety we call silk fig. When that one is ripe, it’s probably the sweetest fig (banana) you can ever enjoy.
Thank you for this recipe. they grow in my garden . I am gonna try this recepi
I envy you all that get so much fresh products in your garden. Soon I/we’ll head back to the islands where I can once more enjoy the lifestyle.
Happy Cooking
Chris…
Good to see so many responses to my favorite dish, I guess most Trini's toss provisions after boiling in this style. As always I'm looking forward to your next recipe, Chris.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
I have never had that dish, casava and salt fish yes.
Check out http://caribbeanpot.com/cassava-boiled-and-refrie… I did pretty much the same thing with cassava as well.
Gonna try this on the wknd for sure. Chris nuff blessings on this sites, helps out ah brother when the madam wants the real food. Back in greenz we call it rock fig, but there diff kinds and we have the fatter sweet one as well.
Rock Fig.. wheys this thing have real name oui! Do keep coming back and commenting.
We call them figs in St.Vincent, but don't cook them this way at all. May give this a try.
Do share how you prepare them in St Vincent.. I'm sure we could all do with a new recipe. Happy cooking
Chris I love my "country" food . With the help of your site I can continue cooking from scratch my Trini meals. Luv yuh Chris!
You're very welcome.
I am curious – these "baby bananas" look very much like what we call figs in Barbados and are quite different to the regular banana.
I believe it's the very same thing as we also refer to them as figs in trinidad and Tobago. we also call them chikitoe as well..
I Chris i am going to try that recipe because i love those baby bananas.
HI Chris i sure do like those baby bananas, so that recipe is a must for me. Thank you.
Yes, they are very tasty.. I ate a lot of the ripe ones when I was a kid on the islands as well. oh the belly "hurt" from eating too much.
I grew up using green fig instead of the ripe ones. Less sweet. I prefer the green figs. Try it u may like it. Trinigirl
Never had this with silk figs before. Green figs that I use in this dish are a different variety all together
Hi, I live in Barbados and we call them figs, they are eaten when riped. Have never had them cook, must give the recipe a try.
Hey Chris
I'm cooking this up right now. I got a hand of these bananas from my mom's and waited patiently to reach the stage for this recipe. Can hardly wait!!! Thanks for the recipe =)
yummmm……it was delish!!
Chris thanks for all these recipes. I loved this growing up in Trini and so happy you have put this one
on as I can make it again. Love also but with dasheen and cassava.
I love my trini food.
Thanks Chris.
I dont think it's dying out, I'm 20 and my mum stll makes this ..and I agree with you…if someone doesnt like saltfish, I dont think we could be friends
I think chiquito or sucrier fig. Or as some say: sicyay fig.
Boil and fry it tastes great. I planted lots of figs in the past, our family had lots of cocoa, coffee, citrus lands
Forgot bout this reciipe, thanks so much for it.
Since chiquito is the Spanish word for small, I understand the name. If these are the same bananas I think they are (yellow and very sweet when ripe), we call them "pikin misi finga" (little miss fingers) in Suriname. Never knew you could cook them though. Thanks for this recipe! My mother is now elderly and not able to cook anymore, or she would try EVERY recipe you post. This one sounds so tasty I will try to cook it for her…if I can find the bananas. They are not so common here, so it will be harder to find the half green ones.
Chiquito figs, pound the half ripe one with butter and eat with any gravy ,yummy!!!!
My grandmother and mother used to make this all the time. I haven't tried it with the saltfish though. We called the dish boil and fry [sikcare fig] Don't know how to spell the name of fig.
The banana is also called sucrier fig (which is what i think you are trying to spell) in T&T (french for sugar) and is different from Silk fig which is sour in the centre
These "sikki yay" (our pronunciation in T&T) figs are used in a slightly different recipe here called "tun fig" or turned fig. This is dying out here now though, the younger ones have never heard of it, but much thanks for your version with the salt fish. My father-in-law will absolutely love it, will make it especially for him as soon as I can
Correction, sorry the bananas themselves are called turn fig – just before they actually get too ripe and are then boiled in the skins and eaten with the salt fish separately.