There is one pudding from Zanzibar called ndizi mbivu, which is overripe sweet plantains stewed with coconut milk and cardamom. As a kid, the look of the dish always put me of – it looked messy, unlike all the pretty, quintessentially British puddings I was used to seeing. Much to Bibi’s dismay, I would compare it to baby food and always turn up my nose at it. I must have been about 20 when I started to appreciate it and understand how something so simple could yield so much comfort and flavour. I wanted to include this “prettier” version: the version that let me feel as if I fitted in, and as if our food made sense. Bringing all the same ingredients into a cake seemed like the perfect way for others to relate to how comforting ndizi mbivu is for us. Even my mum and Bibi enjoy this version with a cup of tea
| Created by | Spinneys |
| Prep time | 15 minutes |
| Cook time | 45 minutes |
| Serves | 6-8 |
| Cuisine | African |
| Diet | Family Friendly |
| Preparation | Moderate |
Ingredients
Cooking Instructions
Download PDFPreheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Grease a 20cm cake tin and line it with parchment paper.
To make the caramel, place the sugar in a saucepan over a low-medium heat and allow it to gradually melt, gently swirling the pan to help ensure all the sugar melts evenly. Once it has completely melted, add the butter and keep stirring until smooth.
Slice one banana and arrange the slices in the base of the prepared tin, then pour over the caramel. Set aside.
Place the remaining bananas in a blender and blitz until puréed. Pour into a large bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, caster sugar, 80 grams of brown sugar, eggs, sunflower oil and cardamom and whisk until fully incorporated and smooth, but don’t over-whisk. Pour the batter over the sliced banana and caramel.
Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 190°C, gas mark 5 and bake for a further 25 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Leave to cool in the tin for approx. 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool further or slice while still warm. This will keep for 4-5 days in an airtight container.
