Banana Poi

by Connie Phillips

To finish out your “Luau”

No experience of Hawaiian food is complete without sampling poi.
A healthful staple of Polynesian diet, tart and starchy taro poi is rarely
made in the contemporary Hawaiian home. The taro “corms” must be peeled and
cooked carefully (taro contains crystals of calcium oxalate which, if the root is not
properly cooked, become painful irritants to the mouth and throat), then pounded
with water into a smooth paste. More frequently, taro poi is purchased in color-coded
plastic bags in Hawaiian food stores. A statewide shortage of the taro for making poi has made even the prepared variety difficult to come by. A delicious and simple alternative is banana poi, a Samoan contribution to Hawaiian cuisine. Banana poi is sweeter and creamier than the poi made from pounded taro root, and can be served as a cold side dish or dessert.

2 cups very ripe bananas, peeled
1 cup coconut cream
2 Tbsp. Lime juice

In a food processor, or in a mixing bowl, using a potato masher or fork, mash the bananas to a smooth paste. Stirring constantly, slowly add the coconut cream and lime juice until well blended. Chill before serving.