Kolak: The Ramadan Sweet

Ingredients

• 400 ml coconut milk
• 2 pandan leaves, tied in a knot
• 80 g palm sugar, shaved or roughly chopped
• 2 ripe bananas, peeled, cut into rounds
• 200 g sweet potato, peeled, cut into bite-sized cubes

Method

1. 1
   Combine the coconut milk, pandan leaves, and palm sugar in a saucepan over a moderate flame. Stir steadily until the palm sugar has fully dissolved — the liquid should be uniformly amber and carry no granular resistance when a spoon is drawn across the base.
2. 2
   Add the sweet potato cubes. Simmer gently, uncovered, until they yield without resistance to the tip of a knife — the flesh should be tender through, not chalky at the centre.
3. 3
   Add the banana rounds and continue to simmer. This is where the dish lives or dies: the bananas must be heated only until just softened and warmed through — overcooked, they dissolve into the broth and the kolak loses all distinction of texture. The rounds should hold their shape and give gently under light pressure.
4. 4
   Remove the pandan leaves. Taste the broth: the balance of coconut richness, palm sugar sweetness, and the faint grassy fragrance of pandan should be harmonious. Ladle into bowls and serve warm or at room temperature, as is traditional at buka puasa.