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Kluay tak (Thai dried bananas, oven method)
Chewy, caramel-sweet flattened bananas dried in a low oven
In Bang Krathum, a district of Phitsanulok in lower northern Thailand, small nam wa bananas are peeled and laid out under the sun in glass-roofed drying boxes for several days, then pressed flat to make kluay tak. The district is famous for them, and bags are bought as a gift on the road home and nibbled with tea or coffee in the afternoon. They are dense and chewy like a soft toffee, dark amber, with a deep caramel and honey flavour that comes only from the fruit. As sun-drying takes days and needs steady heat, this version uses a very low oven overnight, then a rest in a jar so the moisture evens out. They are naturally egg-free and need nothing to bind them: the banana's own sugars concentrate and hold it together. Chef's tip: keep the oven low and prop the door open with a wooden spoon; the common mistake is a hot oven, which cooks and blackens the outside while the centre stays wet.
- Total time
- 1340 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 12 small ripe bananas (nam wa or lady finger)well freckled with brown spots, but still firm
- 1 tsp neutral oilfor the rack
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 158°F (140°F fan). Brush a wire rack with 1 tsp neutral oil and set it over a baking tray lined with baking paper.
Step 2: Peel 12 small ripe bananas (nam wa or lady finger) and pull off every stringy fibre. Lay them on the rack, leaving a gap between each one.
Step 3: Dry in the oven for 5 hours with the door propped open about 2 cm with a wooden spoon, so the moisture escapes. Turn the bananas over halfway through. They are ready for the next step when they have shrunk, turned golden-brown and feel leathery outside.
300 minStep 4: Lay the warm bananas between two sheets of baking paper and press each one flat to about 1 cm thick with a chopping board or the base of a heavy pan.
Step 5: Return them to the rack and dry for a further 4–5 hours, turning once, until they are a deep amber-brown, bend without cracking and show no wet, pale patches when you tear one open.
270 minStep 6: Cool completely on the rack, then pack loosely into a clean jar, close it and leave for 12 hours so the moisture spreads evenly. If beads of moisture form inside the jar, give them another hour in the oven. They keep 3 weeks airtight in a cool place.
720 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 180 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kluay tak (Thai dried bananas, oven method) take?
- About 1340 minutes in total: 740 minutes to prepare and 600 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 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.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of small ripe bananas (nam wa or lady finger)?
- Mango, same weight (in smoothies and shakes).
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