Bananes au lait de coco sucré (Kluay Buat Chi)

Prepare the bananas

Peel the bananas and cut them on the diagonal into bite-size pieces, about 3 cm thick. Soak the pieces in the salted water for 5 minutes — this keeps them from turning brown and firms them slightly before cooking. Drain well.

• 6 ripe bananas
• 500 ml water
• 1 tsp salt

✅ C'est prêt quand : the banana pieces look pale, not browned, and feel slightly firm

Make the light coconut broth

In a medium pot, combine 250 ml of the coconut milk with the extra water, the pandan leaves and the palm sugar. Warm over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar fully dissolves and the mixture smells sweet and fragrant.

• 250 ml coconut milk
• 150 ml water
• 2 pandan leaves
• 70 g palm sugar

✅ C'est prêt quand : the sugar has dissolved and the broth smells sweet and fragrant

Poach the bananas

Add the drained banana pieces to the pot. Cook at a gentle simmer, not a hard boil, for 5–8 minutes, stirring only once or twice so the pieces don't break apart. They're ready when the edges turn slightly translucent and they're tender but still hold their shape.

• 6 bananas (from step 1)

✅ C'est prêt quand : the banana pieces are tender when pierced but still hold their shape, with translucent edges

Add the rich coconut milk

Lower the heat and stir in the remaining 150 ml of coconut milk along with the fine salt. Warm through gently for 2–3 minutes without letting it come to a boil — boiling at this point can make the coconut milk curdle and look grainy instead of smooth, at around 80°C (176°F) it should just steam, not bubble hard.

• 150 ml coconut milk (remaining)
• 1/2 tsp fine salt

✅ C'est prêt quand : the sauce looks smooth, creamy and glossy, with no sign of separating

Rest briefly

Turn off the heat, remove and discard the pandan leaves, and let the pot sit for 5 minutes. This short rest lets the bananas finish soaking up the sweet, salty coconut sauce.

• 2 pandan leaves (to remove)

✅ C'est prêt quand : the sauce has thickened slightly and the bananas look glossy

Serve warm

Ladle the bananas and warm coconut sauce into small bowls and serve right away. In Thailand this is eaten warm, any time of day, as a comforting everyday treat.