Umbuk Pisang masak Sardin - Experimental Cooking

Liza says umbuk masak kari is the best. Hong says she cooked with sardine. I’d tried the simplest umbuk masak sup, so this time I might want to try something different, but not as complicated.

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This time, after slicing the umbut, I manually remove all the latex… quite a tedious task it is, but worth the effort.

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As usual, sauté some garlic, then add in 1 can of sardine, 3 cut tomatoes, 3 sliced onions, 1 chopped carrot, and the umbut. Bring everything to boil. Add in some chili for extra ‘kick’…. And it’s done !

Umbuk Pisang Masak Sup - Experimental Cooking

I remember eating the pith ( umbut in Malay language ) of banana trunk. Yet, I dun remember when. I remembered people talking about dishes of umbut pisang. Or it is I remembered wrongly. Mind does play tricks, you know..

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There are several plants of which their piths and young shoots are edible. Among them are bamboo, and coconut, oil palm, banana…..

Enough of talking. It’s time to make things happen.

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The banana tree ( technically it’s not a tree, it’s a giant herbaceous plant ) is peeled tilk the core, the pith, that is. The banana tree must never bore fruit. As once banana fruits, it's pith will be hardier. Lagipun, banana won't fruit twice ( Ta’kan pisang berbuah dua kali, the Malay says ), after fruiting, the tree will be chopped down. It’s not productive anymore, put to death lah.

Make sure peel till the 2^nd layer, where the pith is tender, easily snapped. The innermost layer is the best part ! Slice the pith evenly, about 0.5cm thick. There is some sort-of-latex forming once the pith is cut. Never mind that. Won’t die eat that.

Sauté some garlic, anchovies, chilies. Then pour in a bowl of water, bring to boil. Add in the pith slices. Lastly, little salt to taste.

It’s done ! It tastes good. I’m not dead yet, that’s for sure.

The local Malays cooked it with curry or asam. They say that the latex substance will dilute in acidic media. Well, try it out la !