Grilled bananas in sticky rice with coconut sauce
an easy recipe inspired by a Saigon street vendor
Figuring out how to microwave steam sticky rice has been a boon for so many dishes. I have a list of sticky rice favorites to work through, including a request for Tawainese you fan, but today, I’d like to share my easy rendition of a Vietnamese grilled bananas and sticky rice. Called chuối nướng nếp nước cốt dừa (grilled bananas in sticky rice with coconut milk, aka “chuối nướng” for short), it’s a southern Vietnamese sweet treat. I make sure to try some each time I’m in country.
This past summer we spent a few days in my original hometown of Saigon (aka Ho Chi Minh City, but diehard locals still call it Saigon!). Chef Caroline Nguyen offered to show us some of her favorite spots and one of them was on a corner that served only one thing — grilled bananas in sticky rice with coconut sauce.
Two ladies pumped out chuối nướng during their evening shift. People bought ten or so at a time to take home. Customers arrived on motorbikes, in cars, and on foot. We stood on the quiet street corner to enjoy the chuối nướng hot and fresh. I nearly burnt my tongue (remember to let them cool!).
You don’t have to fly across the world for a taste of the Viet street eat. I came up with a super recipe that’s totally easy and doable, plus delicious.
Using readily available ingredients, my recipe simplifies the process many ways, including:
microwave-steaming the sticky rice (it takes only 30 minutes from start to finish; no long soak or steamer required)
grilling indoors instead of lighting a fire outside (you’re not going to do a pop-up, are you?)
using regular supermarket Cavendish bananas (Viet people love to be persnickety about the darn bananas but I’m not, especially in fall and winter)
adding fresh fruit to brighten the overall flavor (it’s not tradition but it’s refreshing)
A preview of how this recipe comes together:
Below you’ll find a discussion of ingredients, techniques, plus a text recipe, downloadable pdf recipe, video tips and make ahead pointers. It’s a nice addition to your PTFS sticky rice repertoire, which currently also includes sticky rice and roast chicken and sticky rice, shiitake and chestnut stuffing. And, here’s the address for the grilled banana in sticky rice vendor . . .