Chuoi Kho, Vietnamese Oven-Dried Bananas
Chuoi kho, or chuoi phoi, is a Vietnamese way of preserving a glut of ripe bananas by drying them flat in the sun until they turn dark, chewy, and intensely sweet, a snack sold in pressed cakes at markets. Doing it in a low oven skips the weather and the flies while keeping the idea intact: the fruit's own sugars concentrate as the water leaves, so it tastes candied without a grain of added sugar. There is no oil, no frying, and no coconut, just banana, a brush of lime to hold the color, and a pressing of sesame for crunch. Very ripe, spotted bananas are essential, since a firm banana will dry sour and pale. Keep a jar for lunchboxes and long afternoons.
Ingredients
- 6 wholes Bananas, very ripe, spotted
- 1 tbsp Lime juice
- 1 tbsp Sesame seeds, toasted
Method
- Peel the very ripe bananas and slice them lengthwise into halves, or press each one gently between two sheets of parchment into a flat oval. Using the most spotted, soft bananas you can find matters more than anything else here, because all of the sweetness comes from their own sugar, which concentrates as they dry. Brush the cut faces with the lime juice to keep them from browning.
- Lay the bananas on a parchment-lined tray and dry them in a low oven at 200 F (95 C) for 3 to 4 hours, turning once, until they are leathery and chewy but still pliable. The low, slow heat evaporates the water and caramelizes the natural sugars without frying, which is how the roadside sun-dried version works, just faster and weather-proof.
- Press the toasted sesame seeds lightly onto the sticky surface in the last half hour so they adhere. The sesame adds a nutty crunch and a little whole-food fat, the only thing joining the fruit.
- Cool the bananas completely, when they firm up further and turn glossy, then store them in an airtight jar. They keep for two weeks and grow chewier and sweeter as they sit, which is the point of drying them in the first place.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 105 calories, 1 g protein, 3 g fiber, 2 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
