Dive into the sweet Pengat Pisang, the delicious cream and comfort of all
Malaysians, made by simmering the bananas that are boiled gently in coconut milk
and flavored with sweet palm sugar and an aromatic spell of pandan leaves.
It is a traditional Pengat Pisang village (kampung) dessert, it is not a dairy product
and it is effortless to prepare as well. Malaysian Pengat Pisang is as refreshing a
snack as it can get as it is made of a silky batter with a faint sweetness and tropical
aroma, which is like music to the ears. It is usually consumed hot, appears attractive,
and tastes superbly on rainy evenings or sunny afternoons.
About Pengat Pisang
Pengat Pisang recipe is a Malaysian native dessert which was carried over by
generations, and mostly in the Malay-houses, during Ramadan or celebrations.
Pengat’s base ingredient is stewed fruit or tuber in coconut milk and palm sugar
and pisang means banana.
This is normally cooked using Pisang Raja, pisang Awak or other local plantain
bananas that do not turn to mush when cooked. It is the centre of Malaysian
banana dessert culture, simple, with local ingredients combined with love and a
little sweetness.
Although the main ingredient is banana, any Pengat recipe can have sweet potato,
tapioca or even jackfruit depending on what is available. It makes for a perfect Malay
kuih dessert and is enjoyed year-round.
Ingredients and Substitutes
Ripe Bananas: (Pisang Raja, Pisang Awak or Cavendish) – firm and ripe
bananas should be selected. They must not be mushy. Using plantains is fine
if needed
- Coconut Milk: the foundation of the desert. The best richness is achieved when using full-fat canned or fresh coconut milk. You may add thin coconut milk to make it lighter
- Gula Melaka (Palm Sugar): It gives a rich, caramel flavour. Can be replaced with black brown sugar or jaggery on the fly
- Pandan Leaves : Dip the treat with the scented aroma of vanilla. If notavailable, then instead use pandan extract or you can also simply omit it
- Salt : Only pinch so that the sweet can be balanced and increase flavour.
- Water : Water can be used to make it thinner and dissolve the sugar.
Optional Add-ins:
- Sweet potatoes or yam chunks
- Sago pearls (on texture)
- Jackfruit slices
How to Make Pengat Pisang
Prepare the ingredients
- Skinned and Cut 4–5 bananas, quite ripe, in diagonal thick slices.
- 1 thick cup of coconut milk
- 3/4 cup water (or thin coconut milk)
- 1/2 of a cup shaved palm sugar (to taste)
- 1–2 knotted pandan leaves
- A pinch of salt
Cook Palm Sugar Syrup
- In a saucepan, put:
- Water
- Palm sugar
- Pandan leaves
- On medium heat simmer for 5–7 minutes until the sugar dissolves completely and until the syrup is slightly fragrant. Filter out unwanted contents with strain.
Add Coconut Milk and Banana
- Reduce heat; put in:
- Sliced bananas
- Thick Coconut milk
- A pinch of salt
- Simmer (not boil) gently, 5–10 minutes until tender, but not disintegrating. Stir every now and then so that the coconut milk does not curdle.
Serve and Enjoy
Take off the heat and leave for a few minutes. It Tastes good hot to comfort or cold to
refresh. An additional drizzle of coconut milk will garnish or serve with steamed
glutinous rice to have a more filling dessert.
Authentic Malaysian Pengat Pisang with coconut milk is actually a tribute to
classic tastes: sugary, creamy, aromatic and calming. It is served after iftar on a rainy
afternoon or whenever you are with family; serving it will add a little Malaysian
banana and coconut dessert for Ramadan warmth and nostalgia to your table.
