Brilio.net - Banana leaves are generally used to wrap various foods, especially traditional menus. Indeed, banana leaves have a flexible texture , especially if they are still young. However, many people also use old banana leaves to wrap food because they are larger.
So, when you want to use it, old banana leaves are usually dried in the sun first so they are more flexible and don't tear easily. However, drying banana leaves usually takes hours. Instead, some people choose to burn the banana leaves one by one on the stove.
How to quickly stretch banana leaves.
Instead of heating them one by one, there is actually another method that is more practical and faster, you know. A female Instagram user @ammaizza1 once shared this method more clearly through one of the uploaded videos. Instead of drying or burning them one by one, the trick that is shared tends to be faster because banana leaves can fade in 5 minutes.
Reported by BrilioFood from the Instagram account @ammaizza1 on Monday (10/6), the method used by Instagram user @ammaizza1 is by steaming. Yup, steaming banana leaves can help soften the texture due to exposure to the hot steam produced. That way, the banana leaves won't tear easily, you know.
photo: Instagram/@ammaizza1
To be clear, first prepare the banana leaves you want to use. Then roll it until it is smaller in size and can be put into the steamer pan. If so, boil water in a steamer pan. Only then add the banana leaves that have been prepared earlier. Make sure you add the banana leaves when the water is really boiling.
photo: Instagram/@ammaizza1
When steaming, you don't need to cover the pan so that the banana leaves don't wrinkle. Then steam the banana leaves for approximately 5 minutes. Don't forget to turn the banana leaf back and forth so that the entire surface is evenly flexible.
"This method is effective for flexing banana leaves and can be done a lot at once, you know," said Instagram @ammaizza1.
photo: Instagram/@ammaizza1
After steaming, immediately remove the banana leaves. Then air it first before using it. That way, the banana leaves won't tear when you want to use them to wrap various types of food. How? Quite fast and very easy to imitate, right?
This post about the trick of bending banana leaves has been viewed more than 32 thousand times since it was uploaded on April 29. It's not surprising that the comments column was filled with a flood of responses from netizens. Some of them also provided other suggestions for flexing banana leaves.
"Wow, it's true, I actually dried it all day," said Instagram @dedeniarsih.
"Heated with sunlight before being dragged from the handle," explained Instagram @tikyatini.
"Just like my mother, steamed," wrote the Instagram account @cutliaafriana.
"Thanks for the tips," commented the Instagram account @darwisitae1.
"I was rubbed by DNK," said Instagram @nuraida5394.
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