Pastelles or pasteles are a popular favorite amongst Trinbagonians around Christmas time. It is believed that pastelles were introduced by Spanish colonizers who ruled the island between the late 15th and early 18th centuries. Many regions of the world have their own variation of banana leaf wrapped snack/meal and there are many versions in the Caribbean, Central, South and Latin America. Pastelle making is rooted in tradition and usually involves many family members assisting in the process.
My Jamaican co-worker talks about dukunu/blue drawers which has a banana-sweet potato filling. In the Dominican Republic, it is known as tamal or guanimos, and is made with corn flour stuffed with ground meat. Puerto Ricans use mashed green plantain and root vegetables to make theirs. My Venezuelan friend described their version as hayaca, a corn dough stuffed with similar meat variations and ingredients-sometimes using hard fowl.
Pastelles are made made up of two components, the corn flour mix and a savory filling such as beef, chicken, pork, or seafood cooked with raisins, capers, olives and other Caribbean flavorings. The filing of your choice is enclosed within the soft, melt in your mouth corn flour paste which are wrapped and cooked in banana leaves. This pastelle recipe has a wonderful balance of flavors-sweet, savory, spicy (optional) and a hint of salty from the olives and capers.
You can find frozen banana leaves in your supermarket in the Caribbean section. These leaves are already supple which does not require heating over an open flame or immersing in hot water.
These pastelles are already flavorful and do not require any condiments but I won't hold it against you if you drizzle it with a little Caribbean pepper sauce.
LINK TO PRINTABLE RECIPE:
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Make cornmeal
2 cups fine yellow corn flour (Promasa is a popular brand in Trinidad--do not use cornmeal)
1 ½ teaspoons Himalayan salt
2 tablespoons raw brown sugar
4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
3 cups warm water (1 ½ cups for the traditional method)
Equipment
Large stock pot or wide saucepan.
Banana Leaf, cut into rectangles 10 x 6 inches
Foil or parchment paper, cut into rectangles, 12 x 8 inches
Twine (not required if using foil)
For the meat filling
1 lb minced meat
½ large sweet onion, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons grated carrot (or ½ small carrot)
½ large red sweet pepper, finely chopped
20 olives, finely diced, or to taste
1/2 cup raisins, chopped
2 tablespoons capers, drained and finely diced
1 ½ tsp salt
4 Scallions, chopped
2-4 Caribbean pimento peppers (seasoning peppers) and/or hot peppers (habanero or scotch bonnet), diced, optional
2 tablespoons green seasoning
2 tablespoons ketchup or tomato paste
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp roasted cumin
Salt, to taste
Thanks for watching and happy holidays! if you make this, please come back and leave your feedback below or tag me on social media! Appreciate your support! Please like, share, subscribe and leave a comment below!
Love,
Ria