Recipe · By Marc Dessein · 21 October 2026

Kolak pisang ubi, banana and sweet potato in coconut milk

Name: Kolak pisang ubi, banana and sweet potato in coconut milk
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Indonesian
Ingredients: 2 very ripe pisang tanduk bananas, cut into pieces (otherwise, 2 ripe plantains); 1 sweet potato, diced; 500 ml thin coconut milk and 400 ml thick coconut milk (otherwise, coconut milk from a carton, thinned with water for the thin one); 200 g light brown sugar; 1 tbsp white sugar; 200 g jackfruit (nangka), finely diced (otherwise, very ripe mango); 2 pandan leaves, tied in a knot (otherwise, 1 split vanilla pod); salt

Banana kolak in coconut milk in a green dish — Photo Tiya Nh, cropped, licence Pexels

Total timeAbout 30 min
Serves2 people
MealDessert
ServeWarm or cold

An Indonesian pudding of banana and sweet potato cooked in coconut milk, sweetened with sugar and scented with pandan. In Indonesia it is often served to break the Ramadan fast, either warm or over ice.

The brown sugar gives a caramel flavour. The sweet potato stays soft and the banana keeps a little bite. The pandan adds a gentle scent, close to vanilla.

Method

Put the thin coconut milk, brown sugar, white sugar, a pinch of salt and the pandan in a saucepan. Cook until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens slightly.
Add the sweet potato and cook until half done.
Add the banana and the jackfruit, then bring back to the boil.
Pour in the thick coconut milk. Bring to the boil, stirring now and then so the coconut milk does not split. Take off the heat.

Serve warm, or cold with a few ice cubes.