5 Ingredients or Fewer

Your Ten-Minute Bowl of Bananas in Coconut Milk

by:
April 24, 2013
0
0 Ratings
Your Ten-Minute Bowl of Bananas in Coconut Milk
Photo by James Ransom
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

A last-minute, unfancy, deeply unphotogenic, invariably child-pleasing dessert, with very little sugar and a lot of warm, fuzzy feeling. Southeast Asian in origin, but top at whim. (Homemade coconut milk totally optional.) —Nicholas Day

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Homemade Coconut Milk (optional)
  • 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • The Actual Dessert
  • 4 bananas
  • 1 can of coconut milk or the homemade coconut milk from above
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • optional toppings: chopped Marcona almonds, sesame seeds, cinnamon
Directions
  1. Homemade Coconut Milk (optional)
  2. Place the shredded coconut in a blender and pour in 2 cups of very hot water (but not boiling, to avoid the danger of the glass cracking). Blend on high for about 30 seconds, or until the coconut and the milk are throughly combined. Let it soak for five or ten minutes and then pour it through a fine-mesh strainer, straining again through a cheesecloth if necessary (or if you are feeling finicky). Squeeze the coconut solids to push as much liquid out as you can. If not using soon, refrigerate.
  1. The Actual Dessert
  2. Slice the bananas however you like. (I prefer slicing them lengthwise twice and then horizontally once, but that's just me. Chunks are fine too.) Warm the coconut milk in a saucepan and dissolve the sugar and salt over low heat. Then add the bananas and cook for several minutes (if you like them firm) or up to ten (if you like them mushy). Dish into bowls. Top at whim.
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Nicholas Day
I'm the author of a book on the science and history of infancy, Baby Meets World. My website is nicholasday.net; I tweet over at @nicksday. And if you need any good playdoh recipes, just ask.

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6 Reviews

Sj D.
Sj D. April 12, 2016
In South India, a popular breakfast has a very similar flavorful profile wherein cardamom is crushed and mixed with shredded coconut which is then smashed into a ripe banana while eating..
 
HalfPint
HalfPint January 20, 2016
Yeah, we Viets cook this longer and with a bit more sugar ;)

Totally agree, the homemade coconut milk elevates this to incredible deliciousness.
 
Kevin F.
Kevin F. July 20, 2015
Made this for the family - and they raved. Added a bit more sugar to sweeten it up, and added cinnamon and sliced almonds as well. Will make this again, and again, and again. Thanks!
 
Angelica
Angelica April 24, 2015
Feeling under the weather... This made a perfect simple snack to replace dinner. Luckily made simpler having prepared the mylk last night.
 
Wilma D.
Wilma D. February 19, 2014
I made this for quick lunch. I did not have coconut. I added a bit of sweet condensed milk to coconut milk and the salt. I used 3/4 of can because its just my craving. Sliced banana and topped with chopped walnuts. Awesomeness!! My tummy is dancing. Thank you.
 
twinjadojo
twinjadojo January 13, 2014
I whipped this up after fried egg pho for dinner. It's darned delicious! I added a few shakes of ground cardamom to the coconut milk along with the sugar and salt, and then topped with more unsweetened shredded coconut, raw sesame seeds and a sprinkle of cinnamon. The twinjas liked it, though I think they really loved it and we're just deducting points for momma serving it too hot. Will happily dump the extra coconut 'broth' into our next smoothie. Thanks for this. It's always the simple things . . .