Cooking in
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Thai
Khao Tom Mud (Sticky Rice and Banana Parcels)
Glutinous sticky rice mixed with coconut milk and palm sugar, wrapped around a whole or halved banana (or taro, black beans, or sweetened coconut), folded in banana leaf, and grilled over charcoal or steamed. Khao tom mud is one of the most widely eaten Thai dessert street foods — the banana leaf imparts a subtle, slightly smoky aromatic to the rice during grilling; the banana inside softens and sweetens against the rice's neutral stickiness; the coconut milk rice provides a rounded, sweet-fat richness that holds the preparation together.
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Cook
I
The Market List
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400 g
glutinous (sticky) rice
soaked overnight in cold water
Origin · Thailand
200 ml
thick coconut cream
60 g
palm sugar
shaved or grated
Origin · Indonesia
1 tsp
fine salt
Your own market
8
nam wa bananas
ripe but firm; or 4 Cavendish bananas, halved lengthways
8 sheets
banana leaf
cut into rectangles large enough to enclose one parcel fully
8
toothpicks or bamboo strips
to secure the ends of each parcel
II
The Method
1
Drain the soaked glutinous rice and spread it into a muslin-lined steamer basket if the holes are wide enough to let grains fall through, so no rice is lost into the water below. Steam over vigorously boiling water, covered, for 20–25 minutes. The rice is done when every grain is translucent and fully tender but still holds its shape — no white, chalky centre remains when a grain is pressed between the fingers.
From the canon — Glutinous rice — called sticky rice (khao niew) in Isaan and northern Thai — is a different grain from jasmine rice, with a different starch structure (almos… Glutinous Rice / Sticky Rice (Khao Niew): Soaking and Steaming →
2
While the rice steams, warm the thick coconut cream in a small saucepan with the palm sugar and salt over low heat, stirring steadily so the sugar does not catch and turn bitter on the base of the pan. Continue until the sugar and salt are fully dissolved and the cream is fragrant and just beginning to thicken — it should coat the back of a spoon and smell of warm coconut with a clean caramel note.
From the canon — Palm sugar — made from the sap of the palmyra palm (Borassus flabellifer) or coconut palm — is the primary sweetener of the Thai kitchen and one of the most … Palm Sugar (Nam Tan Pip): Selection and Use →
3
Transfer the hot rice to a wide bowl and pour the sweetened coconut cream over it immediately, so the still-open grains drink in the cream rather than closing as they cool. Fold gently but thoroughly until the cream is absorbed and the rice is glossy and cohesive, then allow to cool to handling temperature — warm but not hot to the palm of the hand.
4
This is where the dish lives or dies: soften each banana leaf rectangle by passing it briefly over a gas flame — approximately 5 seconds per section — or drawing it through steam, so the fibres relax and the leaf becomes pliable enough to fold without cracking at any point. A cracked seal will allow the sticky rice to escape during grilling. The leaf is ready when it darkens slightly and yields to a gentle bend without splitting; it must not char or tear.
5
Lay a softened banana leaf rectangle flat and place a portion of the sweetened sticky rice at the centre, then set one nam wa banana across the middle. Fold the rice up and around the banana so it forms a complete, unbroken seal enclosing the fruit — any gap will let moisture escape during cooking, leaving the rice dry and the banana unevenly cooked. Fold the leaf over the parcel, bring the ends up, and secure firmly with a toothpick or bamboo strip so the finished parcel is compact and tight, with no gaps in the leaf.
6
To grill: place the parcels over medium charcoal and grill for 10–12 minutes per side, allowing the outer leaf to char in patches so its smoky, grassy perfume passes through to the rice within — the dish is ready when that aroma rises clearly and the parcels feel firm and set when pressed. To steam: arrange the parcels in a covered steamer over boiling water for 20–25 minutes, until a clean, grassy scent emerges and the parcels feel equally firm when pressed.
III
Quality Hierarchy
01
Reserve — Nam wa bananas at peak ripeness, sourced from a Thai or Southeast Asian specialist; hand-pressed thick coconut cream; unrefined palm sugar from a block, shaved to order; fresh, unblemished banana leaves cut from the plant.
02
Estate — Nam wa bananas from an Asian grocer; canned thick coconut cream (first pressing, unsweetened); good-quality palm sugar in blocks; fresh banana leaves sold in folded packets, softened before use.
03
Market — Ripe but firm Cavendish bananas, halved lengthways; commercial thick coconut cream; palm sugar granules or soft palm sugar paste; fresh banana leaves from a supermarket with an Asian range.
04
House — Cavendish bananas; standard canned coconut milk reduced briefly to thicken; light brown sugar in place of palm sugar; banana leaves from the freezer section, fully thawed and dried before softening.
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Touch. The soaked glutinous rice, once steamed, is fully translucent and a grain pressed between the fingers yields with no hard, chalky core.
◇Touch. The sweetened rice, folded with coconut cream, is warm but not hot against the palm — cool enough to handle without burning but still pliable for wrapping.
◇Sight. The softened banana leaf darkens slightly and bends without cracking — the unambiguous test that it will hold a fold without splitting during wrapping.
◇Smell. Over charcoal, a smoky, grassy aromatic rises from the parcels after 10–12 minutes per side; over steam, a clean, green, grassy scent signals the parcels are set and the banana has softened within.
◇Where it lives or dies. The banana leaf must be softened sufficiently — 5 seconds per section over a gas flame or through steam — to fold without cracking at any point; a cracked seal allows the sticky rice to escape during cooking.
Pillar V
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VI
What to Pour
The pairing
Bushmills Malt 10 Year Old
Old Bushmills Distillery · County Antrim — Bushmills Distillery
Not yet stocked in France
Whisky
From France
Nothing from France holds against this yet.
Without alcohol
Genmaicha — Yamamotoyama Genmaicha Green Tea with Roasted Rice
Yamamotoyama · Uji
Not yet stocked in France
Tea
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The whole pairingPillar VII
Origin and lineage are part of membership.
Where the dish comes from and how it came to be — on every recipe.
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The working kitchen