Kolak

🛒 Ingredients

• 3 ripe bananas (peeled, then cut into rounds about 2cm thick)
• 300 grams of sweet potatoes
• 2 pandan leaves (tie in a knot for a distinctive aroma)
• 150 grams of palm sugar
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (can be adjusted to the desired level of sweetness)
• 400ml liquid coconut milk
• 200ml thick coconut milk
• 200ml clean water (to boil the sweet potatoes at the beginning)
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt (to balance the savory taste)

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1

   Boil the sweet potatoes first; prepare a pan. Add clean water, diced sweet potato and pandan leaves tied in a knot. Boil over medium heat for about 8-10 minutes until the sweet potato is half soft.

2. 2

   Add sugar and salt; add finely grated palm sugar, granulated sugar, and salt into the pan containing the boiled sweet potatoes. Stir gently until all the sugar has dissolved and the water turns brown

3. 3

   Add the bananas; add the sliced bananas to the pan. Stir well and let simmer for 3-5 minutes to soften the bananas and absorb the sweetness.

4. 4

   Pour in the coconut milk; reduce the heat on the stove, slowly pour the liquid coconut milk and thick coconut milk into the saucepan.

5. 5

   Cook over low heat (the key to perfect gravy); cook the kolak over low heat while continuing to stir slowly and consistently. This step is crucial to prevent the coconut milk from separating and to ensure the kolak sauce remains smooth and uniform. Cook for 5 minutes, until the sauce simmers and thickens, and the sweet potato and banana are fully cooked. Then turn off the heat

6. 6

   Serve: Pour the warm kolak into a serving bowl. Garnish with fresh pandan leaves for a more aesthetically pleasing appearance. Kolak is ready to be enjoyed warm or you can add ice cubes if you prefer a refreshing cold version of kolak.