Ingredients
Bananas
- 8karat bananas, or other orange-fleshed fe’i bananas
If cooking green
- water, for boiling
- or a wood fire or grill, for roasting
Sometimes served with
- fresh grated coconut
- coconut cream
- a pinch of salt
For a weaning mash
- 1ripe karat banana
- 1 tbspcoconut cream, or breast milk
Directions
- Peel it as you would any banana and eat it in the hand. The carotenoids are fat soluble, so a little coconut cream helps absorption.
- Cut the ends off each banana but leave the skin on. Score the skin lengthways in one or two places. Put them in a pot and cover them with water.
- Bring it to the boil and cook them for about twenty minutes. They are done when a knife slides into the flesh without resistance.
- Drain them and let them cool just enough to handle. Peel back the split skin, which comes away easily once cooked. Now roasting them, which is done over a wood fire.
- Lay the whole unpeeled bananas directly on the embers. Turn them every few minutes with tongs as the skin blackens.
- Roast them for about fifteen minutes until they feel soft throughout. Peel back the burnt skin and serve the flesh hot. Serve them hot with grated fresh coconut scattered over.
- Take a fully ripe karat and peel it. Mash it thoroughly with a fork until no lumps remain. Serve it fresh, since mashed banana browns within minutes. Make only as much as will be eaten at that feeding.
Technique
- The karat is a fe’i banana with orange flesh, not a variety of the common yellow banana.
- Ripe fruit is eaten raw; green fruit is boiled or roasted.
- Carotenoids are fat soluble, so coconut cream alongside helps absorption.
Substitutions
- Any orange-fleshed fe’i banana, though the karat is the Pohnpei variety.
- A grill in place of a wood fire, though the smoke is lost.
Variations
- Roasted whole over embers for a sweeter result.
- Mashed with coconut cream as a baby food.
- Boiled and served alongside grilled reef fish.
History
The orange-fleshed karat is exceptionally rich in provitamin A, and Pohnpei’s Go Local campaign promoted it to reverse vitamin A deficiency.
Frequently asked questions
What is Karat Banana?
Karat Banana is a snack from Micronesia: orange-fleshed Pohnpei banana rich in carotene, traditional weaning food. The orange-fleshed karat is exceptionally rich in provitamin A, and Pohnpei’s Go Local campaign promoted it to reverse vitamin A deficiency.
How long does Karat Banana take to make?
Karat Banana takes 10 min of preparation and 25 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Karat Banana?
Yes, within limits. Any orange-fleshed fe’i banana, though the karat is the Pohnpei variety. A grill in place of a wood fire, though the smoke is lost.
What is the most important thing to get right in Karat Banana?
Lay the whole unpeeled bananas directly on the embers. Turn them every few minutes with tongs as the skin blackens.
