African Fruit Salad (West Africa)
This is a refreshing, low-fat dessert that’s a common finishing touch at dinner parties in West Africa.
African Fruit Salad
1 large papaya
2 mangoes
1 large pineapple (fresh, or canned,chopped pineapple)
2 large bananas
1. Cut papaya in half and scoop outseeds. Peel the halves. Cut the fleshinto ￥-inch pieces and place in alarge serving bowl.
2. Peel the mangoes. Slice as much ofthe flesh off the pit as possible,being careful to catch any juices.Cut the flesh into ￥-inch pieces.Add the pieces and their juices tothe serving bowl.
3. Using a sturdy, sharp knife, cut topand bottom off pineapple. (Youmay need to ask an adult to helpyou with this.) Working from topto bottom, slice off dark, pricklyoutside skin. Cut out any remaining“eyes” or dark spots. Cut pineapplelengthwise into quarters. Cut eachquarter lengthwise again to removethe tough inner core. Cut pineappleinto 1-inch squares, again keepingthe juices. Add pineapple and juicesto other fruits. Toss well, cover, andrefrigerate until well chilled, about30 minutes.
4. Just before serving, peel bananasand cut into ?-inch slices. Add tobowl, toss well, and serve.
Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus 30 minutes chilling time
Serves 8
* You can make this salad up to 4 hoursbefore you serve it. Cover the bowl with plasticwrap and refrigerate. Add the bananas just beforeserving, however, or they will turn brown.To varythe recipe, you can also use fruits such as guava,melon, orange, peach, pear, and tangerine.
