Kolak [ Compote Banana ]

Kolak or Kolek is an Indonesian dessert made with palm sugar and coconut milk, with pandanus leaf (P. amaryllifolius) for flavour. In some versions, mung beans are also used, and cooked till soft. Banana may be added to this base, the dish then being known as kolak pisang. Pumpkin, sweet potato, jackfruit, plantain and/or cassava, and sometimes pearl tapioca may also be added. It is served either hot (especially if freshly cooked) or cold. Kolak is popular during the holy month of Ramadan, and is usually served cold during Iftar.

Ingredients

• 1/2 bunch ripe bananas (use “grey saba” bananas)
• 150 gr sweet potatoes
• 100 gr palm seed
• 150 gr cassava
• 200 gr palm sugar / brown sugar
• 100 ml pure coconut milk
• 300 ml water (to make coconut milk less thicker)
• 2 screwpine leaves or pandan leaves

How To Make

1. Sliced all bananas, cassava, palm seed and sweet potatoes diagonally or dice.
2. Prepare a big stock pot enough to hold all the liquid. Dilute a part of coconut milk with water and heat it up over medium heat.
3. Notes : save a little bit of coconut milk for using later
4. When the water is lightly steaming, add cassava and sweet potatoes and palm sugar. wait for ± 3 minutes.
5. Toss in bananas pieces when sweet potatoes&cassava are half-way cooked. wait for ± 5 minutes. Add the palm seed.
6. And A pinch of salt (± 1/4 teaspoon)
7. Pour the rest of the coconut milk to the pot. This is the part when you need to be very careful. Continuous stirring over low heat is the only tips I can offer. Wait until all the ingredients are very soft, but not yet falling apart.
8. Finish

Categories: Sweet Desserts