Homemade Filipino-Style Banana Ketchup
Expect something between ketchup and a smooth fruit chutney: sweet initially, then vinegary and savory, with mild banana flavor and warm spices. The banana becomes much less obvious when it's used on grilled or fried food.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespooncooking oil
- ½ smallyellow onion (finely diced)
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 teaspoonfresh ginger (finely grated)
- ¼ teaspoonground allspice
- ¼ teaspoonground turmeric
- ⅛–¼ teaspooncayenne or red-pepper flakes (optional)
- 3 very ripe medium bananas (roughly 1½ cups mashed)
- ⅓ cupcane vinegar, white vinegar, or apple-cider vinegar
- ¼ cuplight-brown sugar (packed)
- ½ cupwater (plus more as needed)
- ½ teaspoonfine salt
- 1 teaspoonsoy sauce or gluten-free tamari (optional)
- ½ teaspoonsmoked or sweet paprika (optional, for a warmer red-orange color)
Instructions
- 1
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until soft and translucent but not browned.
05:00 - 2
Add the garlic, ginger, allspice, turmeric, cayenne, and paprika. Cook for 30–60 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
- 3
Stir in the mashed bananas, vinegar, brown sugar, water, salt, and optional soy sauce.
- 4
Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook uncovered for 15–20 minutes, stirring frequently. It should become glossy, cohesive, and slightly thicker than ordinary ketchup.
20:00 - 5
Carefully blend until completely smooth using an immersion blender. Alternatively, let it cool slightly before transferring it to a countertop blender. Don't tightly seal hot liquid inside a blender.
- 6
If it's too thick, blend in additional water one tablespoon at a time. If it's too thin, return it to the saucepan and simmer for another few minutes.
- 7
Taste after it has cooled for a minute. Add a small splash of vinegar for more tang, a pinch of sugar for more sweetness, or cayenne for more heat.
- 8
Cool completely and refrigerate in a clean airtight jar.
Notes
Keep it refrigerated and use it within two weeks. This is a refrigerator condiment, not a shelf-stable canning recipe; its acidity has not been laboratory tested for home canning.
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