Kluay Buat Chi (Bananas in Sweet Coconut Milk)

Method

1. 1
   • coconut milk 4 dl
   • water 1½ dl

   Warm the coconut milk — Pour the coconut milk and water into a medium saucepan and warm over medium-low heat until it steams and just trembles at the edge. Do not let it boil hard, or the coconut milk splits into oil and grain.

2. 2
   • palm sugar 4 tbsp
   • white sugar 1 tbsp
   • salt ½ tsp

   Sweeten and salt the syrup — Stir in the palm sugar, white sugar and salt until completely dissolved, then let it barely simmer for 3 minutes. Taste it: the syrup should be sweet with a clear salty edge, not sugary alone.

   ⏱3 min
3. 3
   • banana 4

   Slice the bananas — Only now peel the bananas and cut them into thick diagonal slices about 3 cm long. Cut them any earlier and the exposed flesh browns while it waits.

4. 4
   • banana 4

   Poach the banana — Slide the banana into the pan and poach very gently for 5 minutes, turning the pieces once. They are ready when the edges look translucent and the tip of a knife slides in with no resistance but the slices still hold their shape.

   ⏱5 min
5. 5
   • banana 4
   • sesame seeds 1 tbsp

   Rest and top with sesame — Take the pan off the heat and let it stand for 5 minutes so the banana drinks up the syrup. Ladle warm into small bowls with plenty of the coconut liquid and scatter with toasted sesame seeds and coconut.

   ⏱5 min