Tahitian Banana Po'i

          You may remember from this post that the temperatures in Phoenix have been blazing and I am determined not to turn on my oven.  But, what do you do when you have bananas that look like this?  

,          It seems like in the summer we don't eat them as quickly and they turn black before we know it.  You can't make banana bread or muffins, it would take forever to cool the house back down to 80 degrees! One thing we like to do at our house is make po'i.  In Tahiti, po'i isn't that pasty taro root stuff from Hawaii that you eat with your fingers wondering why you are eating it.  In Tahiti, they make po'i out of fruit like papaya or bananas.  It is a fruity type of pudding.  My husband, many years ago before I met him, once served as a missionary in Tahiti.  He lived there among the people on many of the outer atolls, as well as on some of the larger, more well known islands for two years.  He loved the food there and one older woman who liked to cook for missionaries who appreciated her food gave him the recipe for po'i.  It is super simple and very delicious.  It looks kind of funny and when we first introduce it to people, they are wary of  this strange looking stuff, but when they taste it, they usually convert! Try it! It is a fun addition to a Polynesian party.  Hover and click on the photos for directions.

First, mash your ripe fruit in a saucepan. In this case I have 3 bananas. This is a very loose recipe, meaning you have to kind of eye-ball things.

In this case, I added about 2 T. of corn starch. If you want it a little thicker, add more.

Also add sugar to taste. The bananas are already pretty sweet, but I added about 3/4 cup to this batch. Start blending it all together.

Now, turn on the heat and start stirring. It will take a few minutes for it to start to bubble and thicken.

You will begin to notice that the mixture begins to get thick and it kind of takes on a clear, jellied appearance.

This is the pudding-like look you want. If you put in more cornstarch it will be even thicker and you can pour it into a pan, let it cool and slice it into squares.

           In our house, we like to spoon it warm, into bowls and then pour cold coconut milk on top of it.  YUM! Even with the heat, just typing about this makes my mouth water! Let me know if you try it! Don't waste those black bananas, and don't turn on your oven!       

**UPDATE:  Now you can make Mango-Peach Po'e! Check it out! 

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