Do You Know How To Use Banana Leaves Right?? Tips Inside 

In addition to being beautiful, banana leaves are fun to use and easy to cook with. In Asian, Caribbean, and Hispanic cuisines, they serve a variety of purposes, from adding flavor to cooking food inside, to simply serving as a colorful setting for serving platters and plates. In addition to teaching you how to cook with them, design platters with them, and store excess banana leaves, this guide to banana leaves will also assist you in finding the ideal ones to use. 

Also read: The Science Behind Eating On A Banana Leaf

Similar to how you would use tin foil or parchment paper, banana leaves can be used to bake anything that is wrapped. It should be noted that, in contrast to aluminum foil, banana leaves are porous, so some of the liquid or juice from your dish may seep through. You should therefore put your banana leaf packets in a glass casserole dish or a tray with sides. In this manner, the liquids in your oven won't drip to the bottom. Traditional machher paturi from bengal is an example of a dish that uses banana leaves as a wrap, and similar meen pollichathu from Kerala also employ these leaves to fish.  

The leaves can be used as a "mat" for barbecuing delicate fish fillets, smaller shrimp, or vegetables that might fall through the grill in addition to boiling or baking in them. To cook your food, simply place a piece of banana leaf on your grill and cover it with aluminum foil. The banana leaf will initially turn to intense green before turning brown as you cook. Your dish will have a wonderful, pleasant smokey flavour as a result. 

Place the banana leaves on the steamer basket before adding the meal to steam. They are porous, which allows the steam to permeate the meal. Alternately, you might tightly wrap the food in the leaves and then put the pouches in the steamer. 

Serving on Banana leaf 

A lovely placemat or tablecloth made of banana leaves can be used to serve food. Rinse thoroughly with hot water and pat dry any food before putting it on a banana leaf or setting it out on the table. They make great appetiser or finger food platters. Make banana leaf bowls or boats using skewers, toothpicks, or staples to serve salads, rice, fish, or other dishes with little liquid. Numerous online instructions demonstrate how to perform this feat. Alternately, you might trim a banana leaf to fit into a bowl, serving plate, or platter. Onam sadya meal is incomplete without banana leaf, which is used as a plate.  

Storing 

Due to the leaves' big size, it's typical to have leftovers that you won't utilise right away. Freeze them wrapped in plastic wrap or inside of a tight plastic bag fastened with elastics to preserve their freshness for a future event. It only takes 30 minutes for frozen banana leaves to thaw, making this a practical method of preserving their freshness. If using within a week of purchase, keep them wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator.