Banana with Coconut Milk Sauce

This is one of the more different Thai dishes, not eaten with rice, but with a chili sauce. Used is banana buds, banana stalk, and Chinese eggplant, sauce is simply coconut milk and shallots with sugar and salt. The chili sauce is just chilies, shallots, shrimp paste, and a locally made liquid best described as lime vinegar, I am still working out what that is. Lot of ingredients, few steps. The Chili sauce is made ahead. The Coconut Milk sauce can be made while the vegetables are boiling.

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 15

Total Time 35

Course Side

Cuisine Thai

Servings servings

Ingredients

2 fresh banana buds, cut in half lengthwise
2 handfuls fresh banana stalk, cut into 2-3 in narrow strips
2 handfuls fresh Chinese eggplant, whole, stem end cut off

For the Coconut Milk Sauce

1 cup coconut milk, one 250 ml carton is fine
4-6 shallots, peeled and smashed
pinch salt, or to taste
1-3 teaspoons sugar, or to taste

For the Chili Sauce

handful red Bird's Eye chilies, thinly sliced
handful orange Bird's Eye chilies, thinly sliced
handul yellow chilies, thinly sliced
3-4 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
1-2 tablespoons shrimp paste, or to taste
vinegar, see Chili Sauce step 2

Instructions

Add the banana buds, stalk, and Chinese eggplant to a pot, fill with water to cover by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook until the vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and drain and set aside.

For the Coconut Milk Sauce

While the vegetables are boiling, heat a non stick pan over medium heat, add the shallots and the coconut milk and let it heat up, when bubbly, reduce heat to a low simmer, and a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of sugar, stir and taste, add more sugar as needed. Let this simmer for just a few minutes then remove from heat.
Arrange the vegetables on a plate, and spoon the Coconut Milk sauce over the top.

For the Chili Sauce

Add the slice chilies and shallots to a large bowl. Step daughter was in charge of slicing the chilies, she just chopped them, what you see in this photo could have been sliced thinner.
To the bowl add the shrimp paste and mix that in, then add the liquid best described as lime vinegar (I am actively researching what this liquid is). You are looking for a near soupy consistency. This is used as a dip for the banana buds, stalks, and the eggplant.
Served. There is a pork with red chili paste dish, that is eaten with the rice and lime leaves, and there is the plate of cooked banana buds and stalk with the coconut milk sauce spooned over that, and the large bowl of chili sauce. Perfect, low cost meal.

Notes

Low cost.

Watched my wife, Rrayada Thayer make this.
Thailand.