Chek Ktis

Khmer dessert of bananas and tapioca pearls boiled in sweetened coconut milk.

Illustration inspired by a dessert stall in a Phnom Penh market.

Dish details
Other names	Chek ktiss; Chek khtis; Banana in coconut milk
Dish types	Dessert
Related dishes	Sankhya Lapov; Num Plae Ai

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Chek Ktis connects to 3 pages

Num Plae Ai, Sankhya Lapov and Chek Ktis (recipe).

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On this page

1. Cultural context
2. Ingredients and preparation
3. History and origins
4. Regional and household variations
5. Preparations and recipes
6. References

On this page

1. Cultural context
2. Ingredients and preparation
3. History and origins
4. Regional and household variations
5. Preparations and recipes
6. References

Chek Ktis (ចេកខ្ទិះ) is a Khmer dessert of bananas and tapioca pearls boiled in sweetened coconut milk. Chek means banana, and ktis means coconut, both coconut milk and coconut cream. The name is also written chek ktiss and chek khtis.

Cultural context

Chek ktis comes from Cambodia. Its main ingredients are banana, coconut milk, tapioca pearls, sugar and sesame seeds. It is a light dessert, close to a sago porridge, served at the end of a Cambodian banquet. SBS Food calls toasted sesame seeds an authentic touch.

The dessert is sold in the evening in places around Cambodia. In Phnom Penh, vendors near Central Market sell it from glass cases of ready-made desserts, as a cool sweet in the tropical heat. In Siem Reap it is often served in Cambodian restaurants and cooking classes. A Phnom Penh cooking class served it as the dessert course of a full meal alongside fish amok and green mango salad. There it was a warm banana dessert made with tapioca, gelatin and coconut milk.

Ingredients and preparation

The bananas are usually sliced, often on the diagonal, from about 5 millimeters to 1 centimeter thick. Some versions cook toasted split mung beans into the dessert. Cambodian cooks typically sprinkle white sesame seeds on top.

The Grantourismo recipe cooks tapioca pearls and star anise in boiling water, then adds coconut cream, banana, grated coconut, sugar and salt. The tapioca is stirred all the time so it does not stick and burn, and it cooks until the pearls are fully clear with no white dot at the center. The pudding is topped with white and black sesame seeds, with more grated coconut and coconut cream if wanted.

The SBS Food recipe, credited to Leanne Kitchen and Liep Yong, soaks sago for an hour, then simmers it with water, sugar and a pinch of salt for about 15 minutes until the grains turn clear. Sliced banana cooks in it for three minutes, and coconut milk is stirred in at the end. It is served warm or at room temperature with sesame seeds.

The Phnom Penh Life recipe soaks the tapioca until soft and keeps the cut bananas in lightly salted water. Half the coconut cream goes into the pan with water, the bananas go in once it boils, and the sugar, salt and rest of the coconut cream follow.

History and origins

Grantourismo Travels believes chek ktis is a very old Khmer dessert. Its age is hard to judge because recipes use either sago or tapioca. Sago has been used in Southeast Asia longer than tapioca, but in recent decades the dessert has more often been made with tapioca. Many Cambodian cooks treat the two as interchangeable.

Regional and household variations

Palm sugar was the traditional sweetener, and Cambodian cooks usually top the dessert with white sesame seeds only. Many Cambodian cooks today use white sugar. In the Grantourismo recipe, the star anise is the writer's own addition to the classic dessert.

Where fresh coconuts are hard to find, cooks use canned coconut milk or cream, dried grated coconut or desiccated coconut.

Preparations and recipes

• Leanne Kitchen and Liep Yong, SBS Food

  Sago simmered in sweetened water, finished with sliced sugar bananas, coconut milk and toasted sesame.

References 7