Auckland Museum blog

Pai varaipani

Ma’ara here, Pacific Educator at Auckland Museum. This Saturday at World on Your Plate, you will have a chance to taste Pai varaipani (Fried sweet banana pie).

Pai varaipani is a traditional Cook Islands food which in European terms may be categorised as a dessert. It is made from very ripe bananas (Musa sp) mixed with arrowroot / cassava (Manihot esculenta) starch.

The two are mixed well and then fried (like a pan cake) for some 6 minutes. It is common for Cook Islands food to be eaten straight from the hand

Ingredients

(makes three servings)

10 x very ripe bananas

Half cup arrowroot starch

Water

Olive oil

Procedure

Skin the large bananas and place in a bowl. Mash well.  To the mashed bananas add half cup arrowroot starch and 1 tablespoon water. Mix well

Scoop 1 cup of the mixture and place into heated frying pan. Flatten out and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Turnover and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Once golden brown in colour you know it is cooked. Scoop onto a plate and enjoy.  Option: Serve with sliced bananas.