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Paime (recipe)

15 December 2006 7,107 views View Comments
This entry is part 8 of 9 in the series Trini Christmas

Trini Christmas

Paime

As promised, here is a recipe for Paime (pron. PAY-me)! Paime is basically a sweet version of the savoury pastelle. I only recently discovered that Paime is also a traditional Xmas dish. Well that explains why it seemed I never could find it lol! No one in my family makes this traditionally, so I have only been offered/given it by acquaintances of myself or my family. It is definitely a favorite of mine, being sweet (yet not candyish) and slightly chewy in texture (like a pone). Thanks to Titilayo I now know that in Barbados they also have a dish that is similar to paime, but they call it conkie and eat it around the time of Guy Fawkes day (who knew anyone in the Caribbean observed it!). Unlike paime it includes milk, flour and eggs. Jamaica also has a similar dish to Paime, but there they call it by several different names, some of which are Tie-A-Leaf, Blue Drawers (no don’t ask me why!), and Duckanoo …. we’re an interesting lot us Caribbean types! :D

(14/07/07) ETA: I have submitted this post to Mid-Winter Xmas Feast 2007 :)



Paime (from the Naparima Girls High School Cookbook)

Ingredients:

1 grated coconut
1 lb. cornmeal
1 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. salt
4 oz. dried fruit
banana leaves
1 lb. pumpkin
1 oz. shortening
1 oz. margarine
sugar to taste (I used 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 pt. water
twine for tying

Mise en Place

Directions:

1. Grate coconut and pumpkin (I decided to try out this cassava farine that includes coconut, sugar and spices. It worked out quite well!)


2. Add all other ingredients
3. Stir in enough water to make a dough of dropping consistency (I think 2 1/2 – 3 cups in all will do)

4. Wipe banana leaves and heat them to make them pliable (or use foil if you’re lazy like me :P )
5. Cut into pieces about about 8″ by 8″
6. Place about 2 tbsp. mixture on each piece

7. Roll up, fold over and tie. (Click here for a video on how to fold the leaf/foil)


12 little paimes, all in a row :D

8. Place in boiling water and boil for about 20-30 minutes.

9. Test one to see if it has set, if not, cook for a longer period of time, depending on size of paime.

Makes 12 paimes

Spelling variations: paimee, paimie

  • Amanda
    so glad you posted this, have been looking for a recipe for years under the Trinidadian and Jamaican names (yes, even blue drawers). even had an interesting experience in a belezean place where they had ducanoo on their menu, but it was potato salad!
  • Alice Gonzalez
    Thank you for such wonderful recipes. I have just been in Trinidad 13 days and I have been online a lot checking out the local foods and have bought 2 great cookbooks 1 by the Naprima School and 1 by Wendy Rahamut. I just love the fact that you want to share the best of your foods, cultures and their origins. I will be leaving in a few days but can't wait go home and try some of the recipes. I need to find where to buy some sorrel leaves and mauby bark, any suggestions, we are staying in the Cocorite area.
    Thank you, Alice
  • Nya
    This is a very good. I often feel home-sick in the UK and crave something from back home. I wanted the original thing though - no foil substitute, so I got some banana leaves from an asain shop on the high road and the result was ... very nice indeed!!! That just hit the spot.
  • Debra Allen
    well I am gonna try paime
  • Go for it :) It's really pretty easy :D
  • liz
    Tried it, but i did not add enough pumpkin, taste really good, yet a little dry, well next time i will add the additional pumpkin:)
  • These look so tasty and interesting, a great Christmas dessert idea. Thanks so much for submitting it to our Mid-winter feast. Look for the round up this weekend on http://www.nihowera.com/.
  • Joshua - go for it :D

    Veron - how interesting :D I really need to learn more about Filipino food :) We also have a cornmeal dish in Trinidad called pastelles but it is savory, not sweet :)
  • That looks so good! We have a similar dessert called pastelle that is made of cassava (I think) in the Philippines.
  • Wow! These instructions are great. Leads me to believe that even I could make this! ;-)
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