Bananas In Coconut Sauce Recipe

Last weekend, as part of our weekly date night, my wife and I attended the Gateway Buffet at the Polynesian Cultural Center. The buffet is located in a large and beautiful dining hall, decorated with dark woods and a huge mural of native Hawaiian people graciously welcoming visitors from around the world.

While the interior of the buffet is beautiful, let’s get to the important part of the evening: the food. I have lived in Hawaiʻi for a while now, long enough to have experienced a good portion of the foods offered at the buffet, but something I was able to try for the first time was a dish called Faʻalifu Faʻi, translated into English as “Banana and Coconut Milk.”

Faʻalifu Faʻi is a fairly common dish in the islands of Samoa. It requires only a few ingredients, takes very little time to prepare, is delicious, and can be quite filling.

Given the fact that Samoans have a reputation for a loose adherence to the western idea of eating three main meals a day, choosing instead to eat whenever they are hungry, these characteristics make the dish a convenient way of satisfying the rumbling stomach of just about anyone.

How to Make Faʻalifu Faʻi

To make enough to serve two people, you will need the following ingredients:

• 4 to 5 green or only slightly ripened bananas
• 1 cup of coconut milk (coconut cream mixed with a little water works too)
• 1 small onion
• Salt to taste

1. Start by peeling the bananas. They will be green, so soaking them for about five minutes in hot water before peeling will make this easier.
2. Once peeled, put the bananas in a saucepan, cover with water, place a lid on the pan, and boil for about 10 minutes.
3. While the bananas boil, mix the coconut milk, salt, and chopped onion in a medium-sized bowl. (If you crush the onions against the side of the bowl while mixing, it will help release their flavor better.)
4. Once the bananas are done boiling, drain the water from the pan and add your coconut milk mixture to the pan.
5. Put the pan back on the stovetop and bring it to a boil.
6. After 3 to 5 minutes, remove from heat, stir a few times, and serve. (Be careful, it will be hot!)

The whole process should take about 20 to 25 minutes, and if you are feeling adventurous, you can spice up the taste by adding whatever you would like to the coconut sauce prior to adding it to the bananas. Some curry powder, for example, would add an extra kick, and a little pineapple juice could add a nice tangy flavor.

Have a great day, and happy eating!

Peter Gregory

Author Bio

I am Peter. I grew up in Seattle but have been living in Hawaiʻi and Japan for the last four years. I love traveling, learning about different cultures, food, and my wife. We are hoping to go to Korea next year, and graduate school the year after that. My life is the best kind of dream, the one you do not have to wake up from.