Sweet Saba Bananas with Coconut Cream

     Saba bananas are a common cooking banana found in the Philippines and here on Guam. Although they can be eaten raw, they are more commonly used for cooking and serve the purpose of a starch at a meal. The green unripe bananas are simmered in coconut milk until the coconut milk reduces down leaving a nice coating on the bananas and served like potatoes at our large fiesta style gatherings. When the bananas begin to turn yellow they are used to make a dessert. Two popular desserts here are banana doughnuts or fried banana. In the Philippines, Banana Que, is a common street food. The bananas are deep fried and caramelized with brown sugar and served on a skewer. There is also a spicy banana ketchup that is unique to the Philippines made with the saba banana.

Ripening Saba Bananas

     A few weeks ago while vacationing with my husband in Thailand we took a cooking class. For desert we made Banana Spring Rolls which he really liked. I have to admit those deep fried banana spring rolls dipped in sweetened condensed were pretty tasty :-)  For some strange reason there has been a shortage of bananas at our grocery store lately. An island without bananas?! Finally some of the local saba bananas started to show up. Randy was really hoping I would make those spring rolls when he brought these home but I said no because I'm a 'no fry' cook. This recipe was my compromise to give him a sweet banana treat.

     The saba bananas themselves are not sweet like the 'Chiquita' banana. Chiquita bananas would not make a good substitute and become mushy when cooked. If you don't have saba bananas try another cooking banana like plantains.

Sweet Saba Bananas in Coconut Cream
dairy free
Serves 4
printable recipe

Ingredients:
8 saba bananas
1 1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups brown sugar

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan or deep saute pan bring the water to a boil. Add the sugar and stir it to dissolve. Reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer for 10 minutes.

2. While the sugar water is simmering cut the bananas. There is a thick skin on the bananas so make one long vertical slit in the skin, peel the skin back and remove the banana. Slice each banana in half, the length of the banana. Even though the skin of these has begun to turn yellow, these are still firm bananas. They will stay firm while cooking but become a little more tender.

    

Love the inside color of these, like bundles of sunshine!

3. Add the bananas to the simmering sugar water and let cook uncovered until bananas are tender, about 20- 30 minutes. 

4. You can serve as is or with this whipped coconut cream. While the bananas were cooking I placed a can of coconut milk in the freezer for about 15 minutes. The cream is at the top of the can and will firm up, making it easy to separate from the thinner coconut milk.

   
I removed about 4 T. of the solid cream that is at the top of the can and whipped it with electric beaters. Place the whipped cream on top of the warm sweetened bananas just before serving. Enjoy!

 Note: I will use the extra coconut milk to make a curry dish. At other times I will use all the coconut cream, add 1 T. powdered sugar and whip up. I like to use this for fruit parfaits.