Warm Desserts

Buad chee or simmered in coconut milk is a technique used to candy starchy bananas or squash

Thai desserts haven’t gotten as much attention as they deserve. Most people know the famous sticky rice mango or fried banana. Or you might’ve had a Thai tea tiramisu or coconut ice cream that seemed to represent the sweet flavors of Thailand. However, there are so many more types of Thai desserts that would make a pastry chef jump for joy. This article explores desserts that are cooked and served warm, usually with some kind of coconut cream.

A quick geography lesson:

Coconut based desserts originate from the central and southern regions where coconut milk and sugar is more abundant. The northern and eastern regions are landlocked therefore coconut is not a local ingredient and rarely appears in traditional regional cuisines. Today, coconut milk and sugar are available everywhere in Thailand and so are these delicious desserts. 

Buad chee or simmered in coconut milk is a technique used to candy starchy bananas or squash. Buad chee literally means to become a nun which seems like a weird way to describe dessert. I did not do any research on this but in Theravada Buddhism (most common in Thailand), nuns are clothed in white robes instead of the typical burnt orange robe of a male monk. Thus, the buad chee cooking technique coats the main ingredient in a white coconut milk mixture. Sounds like it could fit but who knows if I am reaching.

To make kluai buad chee you need unripe, green egg or namwah bananas. The bananas are peeled and cut into bite size pieces. The unripe bananas are slowly simmered in coconut milk and palm sugar for about 15 minutes until the banana becomes tender but still holds together (like a cooked waxy potato). I like to top mine with a salted coconut cream before serving.

This dish is also made with kabocha squash, taro, yams, cassava, sweet potato and other starchy fruits and vegetables.