Trinidad Green Banana or "Fig" Salad
This is basically the same concept as the potato salad but uses boiled green bananas instead of potatoes.
Earlier this year, I visited one of my mothers-in-law (yes I have more than 1…lol) for a little bbq get together when my brother was visiting from Australia. The menu was vast and included both potato salad and green “fig” /banana salad. I had both and was pleasantly surprised with the taste of the green banana version. And you know what? It’s even healthier since the glycemic index (ability to impact your blood sugar) in bananas is lower than that of potatoes….even more so if they are green.
My husband is a guy who does not like green bananas, but he likes this salad. I mean, what’s not to like? It’s packed with tons of vegetables and has a great mayonnaise-based dressing to marry it all together. It pairs excellently with bbq, baked meats and typically any Trinidadian Sunday lunch. With this recipe, you can add more mayo if you are looking for a creamier salad, and throw in any seasonal veggies you might have on hand. I like the taste of honey mustard here too. If you do not have honey mustard then you can use my replacement in the recipe below.
Ingredients
For the bananas:
3 pounds green bananas, about 5 cups when chopped.
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon oil
Water for boiling
For the salad:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon honey mustard or 3/4 teaspoon mustard plus 1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup finely diced onions
1/2 cup diced carrots, boiled until tender
1/2 cup corn kernels
1 celery stalk , finely diced
1 small bell pepper, diced
3 pimentos, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped bhandania/culantro/chadon beni leaves
1 tablespoon sliced chives or Trinidad celery or parsley
Method
Prepare the Bananas: Remove the ends of the bananas, place in a pot with the skin on, cover with water, add 1 tablespoon salt and 1 tablespoon oil. Boil until tender. You will know it is tender when it can be pierced with a fork very easily. Drain and allow to cool. Peel the skin off of each banana once it’s cool enough to handle. Cut into slices and place in a bowl.
Mix the mayonnaise, mustard, salt, black pepper, garlic, bhandania and chives/celery in a small bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients to the bananas, together with the mayonnaise mixture. Mix everything together, place in the refrigerator to let the flavours combine until you are ready to enjoy.
