Grilled Bananas With Coconut Sticky Rice Food

THAI GRILLED SWEET STICKY RICE WITH BANANA FILLING

Steps:

• Fill the steamer pot with water as full as you can without the bottom of the basket touching the water and set the pot over high heat. Drain the rice, being careful not to break the grains. When the water boils, place the rice in the bamboo basket and rest the basket in the top of the pot. Steam the rice over rapidly boiling water, stopping when it has barely turned glossy and is still dry (it will be cooked again), about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• While the rice is still hot, combine the coconut cream, coconut milk, coconut oil, sugar, and salt in a 2-quart saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the hot sticky rice, making sure every grain is separate and coated with the coconut syrup. The mixture will appear soupy at this point, but don't panic. Cover the pan tightly and leave the rice undisturbed at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, wipe the banana leaves clean with a damp cloth, then cut into 12 pieces, each 12 by 10 inches, with the 10-inch side parallel to the leaf grain. Have ready 24 toothpicks.
• After an hour, the rice will have absorbed the hot coconut syrup, cooled, and become firmer. At this point, it should be fully cooked but not soft, and tender enough to eat. Use a butter knife to divide it, directly in the saucepan, into quarters. Then divide each quarter into three equal wedges. Lay a piece of banana leaf, dull side up and with a long side facing you, on a work surface. Place a portion of the sticky rice in the center of the leaf. Use your fingers to form the rice into a flat, oblong bed parallel with the grain of the leaf. The bed should be about the length of a banana half and twice its width. Press a banana half firmly into the center of the rice bed. Using your fingers, gently fold the overhangs of the sticky rice over the banana half and manipulate it so it covers the banana entirely. With the banana leaf positioned in such a way that its grain is perpendicular to your body, lift up the left edge of the leaf and fold it along the grain over the filled sticky rice, tucking it in tightly. Continue to roll from left to right, forming a compact packet. Secure each end with a toothpick, positioned as close to the rice as possible. Trim off the overhangs, leaving only about 1 inch on each end. Repeat with the remaining banana leaves, sticky rice, and banana halves.
• To grill the packets, light natural wood charcoal and allow it to burn until you have low coals under a heavy layer of ash. Grill the packets directly over the coals, flipping them every 5 minutes, until the leaves are thoroughly charred and the packets are heated through. This should take 35 to 45 minutes. Alternatively, place an oven rack in the lowest position in the oven and preheat the broiler (if your broiler is adjustable, set it at low). Arrange the banana packets on a large sheet pan, place the pan on the oven rack, and broil the packets, flipping them every 5 minutes, until the leaves are charred and the packets are heated through, about 40 minutes (fewer, if your broiler automatically sets at high). Leave the packets to cool for about 15 minutes before serving.
• Leftover packets can be frozen, then thawed overnight in the refrigerator and baked in a preheated 350°F oven until softened and heated through, 30 minutes.

BANANA AND COCONUT STICKY RICE PACKETS

Steps:

• Put the rice in a bowl and add water to cover by 1 inch. Let stand for at least 5 and up to 12 hours. (The cooking technique below requires a longer soaking than normal.)
• Drain the rice in a mesh strainer and rinse. Let sit a minute, then shake to expel excess water.
• Combine the coconut cream, sugar, and salt in a large nonstick skillet. Heat over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture begins bubbling. Add the rice and stir to mix well. Cook for about 6 minutes, stirring often. Slightly decrease the heat if the mixture sputters so much that it feels out of control. This stage of cooking is complete when most of the liquid has been absorbed and the thickened mixture resembles a slightly soupy rice pudding or risotto; the rice grains will be translucent and cling together as a slippery mass in the glossy liquid. Expect the rice to be chewy firm and not fully cooked. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for about 20 minutes, or until cool enough to touch. The rice will absorb more of the liquid.
• Meanwhile, peel the bananas, removing any strings as you work. Cut each in half crosswise, then halve each lengthwise. You should have 12 quarters total. Set aside on a plate. Have the beans nearby. If the banana leaves feel stiff, soften them by passing each over the flame of a gas stove or a hot electric burner.
• Before assembling the packets, use a rubber spatula to divide the rice into 12 wedges like a pie.
• Use one piece of banana leaf for each packet. Put it on your work surface, smoother side up and one of the shorter sides closest to you. Tear or use scissors to cut off a long, narrow strip, about 1/3 inch wide, and set aside to use later to secure the packet. Put a portion of soft rice on the center of the leaf and use the spatula to press it into a 5-inch-diameter circle. Sprinkle a scant 2 teaspoons of beans on the rice. Then vertically center a piece of banana on top and gently press down to secure in place. Pull up the long sides of the leaf so that they meet in the center, pressing gently so the rice covers the top of the banana; pick up the packet and mold it into cylindrical shape, if you like. To close, fold the long side of the leaf over twice; for less bulk, reopen the packet, fold one of the sides of the leaf down to cover the rice, then roll it up cigar style. The result will be a long, open-ended tube. Now, fold the ends of the leaf in to close (they will partially overlap, as they would if you were wrapping a gift ), and tie the ends down with the reserved leaf strip. (You can use kitchen string instead.) Repeat to make the rest.
• Place the packets, seam side down, in steamer trays in one layer. Steam over boiling water (see steaming guidelines on page 17) for 20 to 25 minutes, until the rice is tender; the banana leaf will turn dark olive green.
• Serve warm or at room temperature, unwrapped on an open leaf, and with a fork; the leaf is inedible. Refrigerate left overs and steam for about 10 minutes to refresh. To freeze for up to 1 month, wrap each packet in plastic wrap and then put them all in a zip-top plastic bag; thaw and steam to reheat.