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Pisang epe

Name: Pisang epe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: Indonesian
Ingredients: 4 firm just-ripe bananas or yellow plantains; 1 tsp vegetable oil; 120 g palm sugar; 100 ml water; 2 pandan leaves; 1 pinch salt; 3 tbsp coconut milk

Pisang epe: Makassar's pressed, grilled bananas with warm palm-sugar and pandan syrup

Features:

Along Losari Beach in Makassar, South Sulawesi, evening stalls grill firm bananas over coals, press them flat between two boards, grill them again and drown them in palm-sugar syrup. Epe means pressed. The bananas turn smoky and dense, almost like baked plantain, and the syrup is often flavoured with pandan, durian or chocolate; this is the pandan version. Chef's tip: use bananas that are just ripe and still firm, or plantains just turning yellow; soft bananas fall apart when you press them.

Total time: 25 min
Difficulty: easy
Serves: 4

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Ingredients

Serves4

For the bananas

4 firm just-ripe bananas or yellow plantainspeeled
1 tsp vegetable oilfor brushing

For the syrup

4 oz palm sugarchopped
½ cup water
2 pandan leavesknotted
1 pinch salt
3 tbsp coconut milk (optional)

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What you'll need

Griddle pan

Spices & pantry

Fresh ingredients (1)

firm just-ripe bananas or yellow plantains

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Method

0/4 done

Step 1: Simmer 4 oz palm sugar, ½ cup water, 2 pandan leaves and 1 pinch salt over a medium heat for 5 minutes, until syrupy and fragrant. Stir in 3 tbsp coconut milk if using and keep warm.
6 min
Step 2: Heat a griddle pan or barbecue to medium-high. Brush 4 firm just-ripe bananas or yellow plantains with 1 tsp vegetable oil and grill for 3 minutes, turning, until lightly charred and softened outside.
4 min
Step 3: Place each banana between two sheets of baking paper and press firmly with the base of a heavy pan to flatten to about 1 cm. Common mistake: pressing raw bananas; they split instead of flattening.
3 min
Step 4: Return to the grill for 2 minutes a side, until marked with dark lines. Serve hot, with the syrup poured over.
4 min

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 220 kcal
Protein: 1 g
Carbs: 54 g
Fat: 1 g
Fibre: 3 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does pisang epe take?: About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?: 4 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.
What can I use instead of palm sugar?: Caster sugar, same amount.

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