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Chek k'tis
Chek k'tis (ចេកខ្ទិះ): sweet bananas simmered in salted coconut milk with tapioca pearls
Ask for something sweet at a Phnom Penh dessert cart on a rainy-season afternoon and you may be handed a warm cup of chek k'tis: chunks of small, tart-sweet bananas bobbing in coconut milk with clear, chewy tapioca pearls. The coconut milk is sweetened with palm sugar and seasoned with a good pinch of salt, which makes it taste rich rather than cloying, and a knot of pandan gives it a grassy vanilla scent. It is also cooked at home as an offering-day treat and eaten warm or at room temperature. The usual error is using very ripe, spotty bananas, which melt into grey sludge; firm, just-yellow fruit holds its shape and blushes pink as it cooks. Chef's tip: let the coconut milk only shiver, never boil hard, or it splits and turns oily.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the dessert
- 1 ⅜ oz small tapioca pearls
- 6 small sweet bananasjust ripe and firm, such as namwa or lady finger; peeled
- 1 ¾ cups coconut milk
- 1 ¼ cups water
- 2 ⅛ oz palm sugargrated or chopped
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 pandan leaves (optional)tied in a knot
To serve
- 1 tbsp white sesame seeds (optional)toasted
- 4 tbsp coconut cream (optional)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Bring a small pan of water to the boil and add 1 ⅜ oz small tapioca pearls. Simmer over a medium heat for 10–12 minutes, stirring often, until the pearls are clear with just a tiny white dot left in the centre.
12 minStep 2: Cover the pan off the heat and leave for 5 minutes, until the white dots vanish, then drain and rinse under cold water so they don't stick together.
5 minStep 3: Meanwhile, cut 6 small sweet bananas in half lengthways, then into 4 cm pieces.
Step 4: Put 1 ¾ cups coconut milk, 1 ¼ cups water, 2 ⅛ oz palm sugar, 1 tbsp sugar, ½ tsp salt and 2 pandan leaves in a medium pan. Warm over a medium-low heat, stirring, for 3–4 minutes, until the sugar dissolves and the milk is steaming.
4 minStep 5: Add the bananas and cook at a gentle simmer for 5–6 minutes, until they are tender when pierced but still hold their shape, and the flesh turns faintly translucent and rosy.
6 minStep 6: Stir in the drained tapioca and heat for 1 minute. Taste: it should be sweet with a definite salty edge; add a pinch more salt or sugar to balance.
1 minStep 7: Remove 2 pandan leaves. Ladle into small bowls, drizzle with 4 tbsp coconut cream and scatter over 1 tbsp white sesame seeds if using. Serve warm, or at room temperature on a hot day.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 44 g
- Fat
- 15 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chek k'tis take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of small sweet bananas?
- Mango, same weight (in smoothies and shakes).
- What can I use instead of coconut milk?
- Single cream, same amount (not dairy free).
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