Desserts Recipes - Pumpkin Puree in Banana Leaves Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 small pumpkin, about 1.3kg/3lb peeled, seeded and cubed

• 250ml/1 cup coconut milk

• 45ml/3 tbsp palm sugar (jaggery)

• 15ml/1 tbsp tapioca starch

• 12 banana leaves, cut into 15cm/6in squares

• salt

Serves 6

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Method:

1. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Add the pumpkin flesh and cook for 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain and mash with a fork or puree in a blender.

2. In a pan, heat the coconut milk with the sugar and a pinch of salt. Blend the tapioca starch with 15ml/1 tbsp water and 15ml/1 tbsp of the hot coconut milk. Add it to the coconut milk and beat well.

3. Beat the mashed pumpkin into the coconut milk or, if using a blender, add the coconut milk to the pumpkin and puree together.

4. Spoon equal amounts of the pumpkin puree into the centre of each banana leaf square.

5. Fold in the sides and thread a cocktail stick (toothpick) through the open ends to enclose the puree completely.