Kolak: Popular Sweet Dish of the Month

Kolak is an Indonesian version of compote with coconut milk. The main ingredients are plantains (the less sweet variant of banana, commonly eaten cooked only), cassava or sweet potato, palm sugar, and coconut milk. Additional spices may enrich the aroma, and the recipe may vary without altering the main taste of sweetness.

The sweet dish is very popular, especially during the Moslem's Ramadhan fasting month. Some might say it is a dessert, but it is often served as appetizer (tajil) for the fasting break after skipping meals and drinks for approximately 12 hours. For the whole month, Kolak can be easily found on street stalls during the afternoon. It is also a common dish cooked in households.

However, not so many people know the history or where the root of the word "Kolak" comes from. So here is a version of the story...

Kolak can be traced back to the spread of Islam in Java island, around the 14th century AD/CE. Moslem preachers use simple things to relate the religious teachings, including food. So, Kolak is said to derived from the word "Khalik" which means God the creator of heaven and earth. Eating the dish is supposed to remind people to get closer to God.

Two of the main ingredients also have a religious meaning. The most common type of banana used is called "pisang kepok" in local language. The word "kepok" (the variant of banana) sounds similar to the word "kapok" which means to give up on sin or to learn one's lesson. The other ingredient is cassava or sweet potato, which in local language called "telo pendem". "Pendem" refers to the cassava which is found buried underground, not on the open branches. Therefore, the two ingredients signify the meaning of burying the sins and never again to repeat the same mistakes.

But don't worry... You don't have to do the fasting, and you don't even have to be a Moslem to have a taste of Kolak. Everyone with any religious background (even atheists) can grab a bite. Well, maybe it's a no-no for someone with diabetes.

Enough with the history lesson. Let's start cooking!

Cooking the dish...

Ingredients:

• 8 pcs of plantains / banana, peeled and bevel cut thickly in bite sizes
• 400 grams of sweet potato / yam, peeled and cut in bite sizes 
• 150 mL of condensed coconut milk diluted in 1 L of water (use 1 whole coconut for freshly squeezed coconut milk)
• 6 tbsp of palm sugar
• 6 tbsp of sugar
• a dash of salt
• 2 screwpine (pandan) leaves for aroma
• 1/4 tsp  of vanilla extract for aroma
• pinch of cinnamon powder for aroma
• a couple of cloves bud for aroma
• 100 grams of Arenga pinnata fruit (kolang-kaling)

(But really, the main ingredients are banana, sweet potato, coconut milk, and palm sugar. With just the four ingredients, you would make the dish qualified as Kolak.)

Directions:

• Boil the diluted coconut milk in a large pot over a medium-low heat.
• Toss in the sweet potato along with the sugar, palm sugar, and salt.
• Wait a while before tossing in the banana and Arenga pinnata fruit.
• Add the aromatic herbs and spices into the pot.
• Keep stirring to prevent over heating, until the sweet potato and banana become tender.
• Serve warm, or chill in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving. The recipe makes up to 10 servings.