Bananas in sweet coconut milk (Kluai buat chi)

1. Peel the bananas, halve them lengthwise and cut into 4-5 cm pieces.

2. Gently heat the coconut milk with the water and the knotted pandan leaves in a pan over medium heat, stirring.

3. Add the palm sugar and salt and stir until the sugar dissolves.

4. Add the bananas and cook over low heat without boiling for 8-10 minutes until soft but not falling apart.

5. Remove the pandan leaves and let the dessert rest for 5 minutes.

6. Serve warm or lukewarm in small bowls.

Tip: Its name literally means "bananas ordained as nuns", referring to the fruit "robed" in white coconut milk. In Thailand it is made with small, firm kluai nam wa bananas; if you use plantains, choose yellow, slightly spotted, sweeter ones.