How We Prepare Bananas

Sanggara (Banana Fritters)

To make sanggara, that is to say banana fritters, take ripe cooking bananas and peel and slice them. When using silaja bananas, slice them in half. But if using large dewaka bananas, slice them into quarters.

Next, prepare a batter made with wheat flour and water, then add the bananas and mix with the batter until all the slices are coated.

Then take a wok pan and add coconut oil, usually around 3 cm deep, although it also depends on the thickness of the bananas. When the oil is hot, add a few banana slices. Cook one side until it is just lightly browned, then flip and continue cooking until the other side is also lightly browned. Then remove the bananas. After they have cooled a bit, the banana fritters are ready to eat. It is best to eat them while they are still warm.

The best bananas for making banana fritters are silaja and dewaka bananas.

Katampo (Banana Fritters)

Katampo is another version of banana fritters. They are made the same way as sanggara, except that the batter is made from grated and pressed cassava mixed with enough warm water so that the batter will stick to the banana slices.

Katampo banana fritters have a different taste and texture from sanggara banana fritters. If offered a choice, most Kulisusu people prefer katampo. Using a cassava batter is also more traditional than using a batter made from wheat flour.

Kamangka (Boiled Ripe Bananas)

Kamangka are boiled bananas. To prepare this dish, take ripe cooking bananas and peel them. Then place the whole bananas in a pot, cover them with water, and heat over a flame. Boil the bananas until they are soft. This may take around twenty minutes. Boiled bananas are usually served warm.

Bananas that are good for making this dish are silaja bananas.

Kurai (Boiled Half-Ripe Bananas)

Kurai, boiled half-ripe bananas, are made the same way as kamangka. The only difference is that instead of using ripe bananas, we use cooking bananas that are only half ripe, with skins that are still green.

Because of this, kurai boiled bananas are less sweet than kamangka boiled bananas. Kurai boiled bananas also keep longer, up to several days.

Kola (Banana Compote)

Kola is a type of banana compote. To prepare banana compote, take ripe cooking bananas, slice them, and cook them in coconut milk. When the bananas are soft and about ready, prepare a thin mixture of wheat flour and water and pour it in with the bananas. Stir and continue cooking until the compote is thickened and ready.

Our word kola is borrowed from the Indonesian language. An older term for banana compote used by some people is palubutu.

Manuru bananas are good for making banana compote.

Winolano Punci (Rice Porridge with Bananas)

Winolano punci is a kind of of rice porridge to which bananas have been added.

To make winolano punci, take and wash rice, then cook it with coconut milk. When it is about ready to become porridge, add slices of cooking bananas and cook it a little longer until the bananas are mushy. Sometimes we also add granulated sugar to make the porridge sweeter.

Manuru bananas are good for making this dish.