Plantain Leaves
Also called: banana leaves, feuilles de banane, feuilles de plantain, koki leaves, plantain leaf
Banana leaves are not eaten. They are the wrapping. Wide, waterproof and pliable once warmed, they hold moisture in while food steams and lend it a light, green, grassy scent.
In Cameroon they are the standard wrapper for koki, a paste of ground black-eyed beans and red palm oil that is tied into parcels and steamed for a long time. Cooks use them for other steamed parcels too. Lumo has one recipe that uses them: koki.
Choose whole green leaves without big tears. Wipe them with a damp cloth, cut away the thick central rib, then pass them quickly over a flame or dip them in hot water. This makes them supple so they fold without splitting. Line the bottom of the pot with the offcuts so the parcels do not scorch. Fresh leaves keep a few days in the fridge, rolled in a cloth. Abroad, frozen banana leaves are easy to find in Asian and African grocers. Let them thaw before folding. Aluminium foil will cook koki in a pinch, but you give up the scent the leaves bring.
Recipes with this ingredient
- Koki Littoral · 2 hr
A steamed bean cake: peeled black-eyed peas blended with red palm oil, wrapped in leaves and steamed until set.