Maja Banana (manjar de plátanos con canela)

I wanted to make a traditional Filipino dessert called maja blanca. It's made with coconut milk and corn kernels, cooked and set in corn flour. Mmmmm! However, living in the Sub-Himalayan part of the Indian Subcontinent means I get snow and little access to fresh coconuts because they don't grow here. I could buy tinned coconut milk from the local supermarket but they're imported from Thailand and that just defeats the whole reason this food item was invented in the first place. This dessert is an adapted version of the Spanish manjar blanca, which means white delicacy, made with dairy milk. Since we Southeast Asians didn't have a prevalent cow-milking culture before and during the days of colonisation, we made use of what was available to us -- coconuts -- thus maja blanca was born. In channelling the spirit of those who came before me, I simply couldn't make do with something flown in from Thailand -- at least for this food item -- so I decided to use what was in the pantry: bananas and cinnamon.

maja banana

This recipe makes

- 1 small bowl mold good for 4 people if served as a dessert or snack


You will need:

- 2 tablespoons of corn flour (also known as corn starch)

- 3 large bananas, mashed to oblivion or blended

- ½ teaspoon of powdered cinnamon 

- 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar (adjust to taste)

- 1 cup (450ml) of water 

- 1 tablespoon of neutral cooking oil (sunflower and corn oil are good)

- ⅛ teaspoon (or a small pinch) of salt 

Let's do this!

1. In a small frying pan (ideally non-stick), heat some oil and lightly fry the bananas with a tiny pinch of salt. After 2 minutes, add powdered cinnamon and sugar, and stir to incorporate well. Cook over medium heat with constant stirring for 3 minutes until aromatic.

2. Mix the corn flour and water well to make a slurry and pour it into the pan. Cook in high heat with constant stirring until the mixture becomes very thick. Not sauce-thick, not batter-thick. I mean sticking-to-the-spatula and difficult-to-stir-thick. But be careful not to burn it or dehydrate it too much. Use wise judgement, for heaven's sake!

3. Transfer to a greased mold or bowl and refrigerate covered for at least 3 hours to set.

4. Invert the mold onto a plate to reveal the set maja banana. Serve as a snack or dessert. 

Tip:  Best served with tea, coffee or hot chocolate.