Minatamis na Saging (Plantain Bananas in Caramel Syrup) - Pinoy Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between a banana and a plantain? ›

Plantains are larger than bananas, have a thicker skin and a higher starch content. Plantains can be eaten when ripe (yellow or brown skin) or unripe (green skin) and are used in sweet and savory applications. Plantains are frequently cooked like vegetables in Caribbean, Latin American and African cuisines.

Let the water and sugar dissolve and form a thin syrup. Add the banana pieces. If you have soaked the bananas, drain the limewater away and rise the banana pieces in water. Let the banana pieces cook in syrup over very low heat for one hour to 1 ½ hour, until your banana turns reddish.

Bananas and plantains have very similar nutrition profiles. Both are good sources of several vitamins, including potassium, magnesium and vitamin C. They're also good sources of fiber. Bananas do have more sugar, though, and plantains have more starch.

Which is healthier? Neither the banana nor the plantain is superior to the other nutritionally, as they are both nutrient-rich foods. However, cooking methods can affect the nutritional content of these fruits. This has less to do with the fruit itself and more to do with what you're adding to it.

However, there are ways to make banana bread with less sugar or using alternative sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, or coconut sugar. Some recipes also use ripe bananas as a natural sweetener, which can reduce the amount of added sugar needed.

Using Cornstarch

In a small bowl, combine equal amounts of cornstarch and warm water, starting with 3 tablespoons (44 mL) of each. Mix them together with a spoon until they form a gritty paste. Cornstarch is a thickening agent that won't change the flavor of your syrup.

Plantains and bananas have similarities. Their colours indicate how they will taste when ripe – both taste bland when green, but as they ripen, they become sweeter. Raw bananas are sweeter than ripened plantains, primarily due to their higher natural sugar content. However, ripe plantains are very sweet when cooked.

I think most people are confused because it looks so much like a banana but it doesn't peel like a banana, taste (much) like a banana, and it isn't eaten like a banana. The plantain is a starchy cousin of the banana, and all that added starch means it almost always needs to be cooked before it can be eaten.

Cooked plantains are nutritionally very similar to a potato, calorie-wise, but contain more of certain vitamins and minerals. They're a rich source of fiber, vitamins A, C, and B-6, and the minerals magnesium and potassium. This hidden superfood warrants a trip your local grocery.