Nam Van

Ingredients

Coconut base

• 800 mlcoconut milk
• 300 mlwater
• 150 gpalm sugar or white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoonsalt
• 2pandan leaves, knotted

To fill, choose one or more

• 6small ripe bananas, in thick slices
• 100 gsmall tapioca pearls
• 200 gripe jackfruit, in strips
• 200 gpumpkin, in cubes
• 100 gcooked sticky rice

To serve

• crushed ice, for the cold version
• toasted sesame seeds
• a pinch of salt

Directions

1. Use the small pearls rather than the large ones. Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Use plenty of water so they do not stick. Pour the pearls in and stir immediately. Boil them for about ten minutes. Stir them often as they are cooking. Take them off and let them stand covered. Drain them and rinse them in cold water.
2. Set them aside in cold water until needed. Put the coconut milk and water in a pot. Add the palm sugar and the salt. Chop palm sugar finely so it melts evenly. Add the knotted pandan leaves. Set the pot over a medium heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
3. Bring it up to a bare simmer only. Never let coconut milk boil hard. Keep it at a bare tremble throughout. Cooking the fruit is done in the base. Add pumpkin first if you are using it. It needs about twelve minutes to soften.
4. Add banana slices and give them five minutes. They should soften without collapsing. Add jackfruit at the very end. It needs only a minute or two.
5. Stir in the drained tapioca pearls. Add cooked sticky rice if you are using it. Warm everything through for two minutes. Taste it and adjust the sugar and salt. It should be sweet, salty and strongly coconut.
6. Add more coconut milk or water if needed. Serving it warm is one option. Ladle it into bowls straight from the pot. Scatter toasted sesame seeds over the top.
7. Let the mixture cool completely. Fill glasses or bowls with crushed ice. Spoon the cold mixture over the ice. That is how vendors sell it in hot weather. Warm it gently to soften the pearls again.

Technique

• Nam van is a general Lao term rather than one fixed recipe, and it covers many combinations of fruit and coconut milk.
• Nam van mak kuay is the banana version and is probably the most common.

Substitutions

• Tinned coconut milk works well throughout.
• Plantain can replace banana, though it needs longer cooking.

Variations

• Nam van mak kuay uses banana alone.
• A version with sweetcorn is common and is very close to a Thai sweet.
• Some vendors add strips of pandan jelly or water chestnut for texture.

Frequently asked questions

What is Nam Van?

Nam Van is a dessert from Laos: sweet coconut milk with banana, tapioca pearls or jackfruit, served warm or iced.

How long does Nam Van take to make?

Nam Van takes 20 minutes of preparation and 30 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 6. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Nam Van?

Yes, within limits. Tinned coconut milk works well throughout. Plantain can replace banana, though it needs longer cooking.

What is the most important thing to get right in Nam Van?

Use the small pearls rather than the large ones. Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Use plenty of water so they do not stick. Pour the pearls in and stir immediately. Boil them for about ten minutes. Stir them often as they are cooking. Take them off and let them stand covered. Drain them and rinse them in cold water.