Kluay Buat Chee กล้วยบวชชี Banana in Coconut Milk
This is bananas in coconut milk the way it has always been made, one pot, four ingredients, fifteen minutes. There is no technique to master beyond patience and the right banana. The coconut milk should never boil. The banana should never be rushed. When both of those things are true, the dish arrives exactly as it has for hundreds of years.
Equipment
- medium saucepan
- wooden spoon
- Serving bowls
Ingredients
- 4 ripe bananas sliced into pieces
- 2 cups coconut milk
- 1/4 cup palm sugar or brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pandan leaf optional
Instructions
- Preparing the Coconut Milk:Pour the coconut milk into a medium saucepan and add the pandan leaves if using, tied in a loose knot. Warm over medium-low heat until small bubbles form at the edges, not a boil, just movement. Add the palm sugar and stir gently until it dissolves, about two minutes. Then add the salt. Stir and taste. The coconut milk should be sweet, round, and faintly savory at the back. If it tastes only sweet, add another small pinch of salt.
- Cooking the Bananas: Add the sliced bananas to the saucepan. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 10 minutes or until the bananas are soft and the mixture slightly thickens.
- Serving: Remove the pandan leaves. Ladle into bowls and serve warm.
Notes
The banana variety is the most important decision in this recipe. Kluay Nam Wa is the traditional Thai choice,short, firm, starchy. In the United States, a ripe Burro banana is the closest match. A Cavendish works if it is ripe with spots just forming. An overripe Cavendish will turn to mush in the coconut milk. An underripe one will taste of nothing.
Palm sugar varies in sweetness by brand and region. Start with the amount in the recipe, taste the coconut milk before adding the banana, and adjust from there. The finished dish should be gently sweet, not a dessert that announces itself. It should taste like something that has always been there.
Pandan leaf is worth seeking out. Asian grocery stores usually carry it fresh or frozen. Two leaves knotted and simmered in the coconut milk add a floral, slightly grassy note that is deeply Thai. Remove the leaves before serving. If you cannot find pandan, omit it entirely. Do not substitute vanilla extract, the flavors are not related.
This dish keeps in the refrigerator for two days. The coconut milk thickens as it chills and the banana softens further. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat. Do not microwave, the banana texture suffers. Some people eat it cold straight from the refrigerator. That is also correct.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupCalories: 280kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 2gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 12gSodium: 150mgFiber: 3gSugar: 20g
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