Following My Call: My Journey to the Island: Let's Make Feta!

On Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons I have time off. My host sister Nomena is usually free these afternoons as well, so we often cook. We always start with a quick run to the market to get the ingredients we need and then to my house to cook. Nomena and I both like to cook, and I especially love to learn Malagasy recipes. A few weeks ago, we spent Tuesday afternoon making feta, which is the Malagasy version of banana bread. Here are some pictures of our adventure and the recipe, it’s delicious!

First, the recipe is very simple.

½ kilo rice flour (which you can find in the states in Asian grocery stores or sometimes in the “Ethnic food aisle” of Cub, Rainbow, etc.)

Bananas, enough to make the batter like biscuit dough when they are all mashed in, if it’s not like biscuit dough, add another banana.

About a teaspoon or so of baking powder

Sugar, add a little and taste it, it depends on how sweet your bananas are, make it so the dough is just a little sweet

Unsalted and roasted peanuts, crushed (the Malagasy use a spice type grinder for this, but you could use a food processor or blender)

Banana leaves (okay, so you can’t use banana leaves at home, I’m going to suggest using plastic sandwich bags, definitely not ideal but they will work, let me know if you have other ideas!)

First, you mix the batter together.

Then, we had to roast and peel the peanuts.

And, crush them. I used a mug and a cutting board to crush these because I didn't have a Malagasy grinder yet. Your blender will be much easier!

Then, to gather banana leaves. Nomena after she cut the leaf off the tree in my yard.

The leaf was as big as me

Then, it was time to cut the sides off the leaf to get rid of the hard part in the middle.

We also searched for and cut up sticks to put in the bottom of the pot so to make a Malagasy steamer.

Next, we had to heat up the leaves on the fire a bit to soften them so we could wrap them around the dough without breaking them. I was terrible at this part.

Then, we tear off sections of the leaves about 4 inches wide. You need two sections for each piece of feta.

Next, make a cross with the leaves and put a spoonful of dough in the middle.

Then, add a teaspoon or so of peanuts and another spoonful of dough on top.

And, fold up the leaves to the center to make a neat little square.

Then, we stacked all the feta pieces in the pan with the wood on the bottom and water under the sticks (you can use a steamer or make a 'gasy steamer, whatever you'd like.)

Then, when the dough is cooked it's finished (the amount of time varies, and will probably be different when you aren't using charcoal). It's delicious!