A rustic dish: stir-fried bananas

My friend in My Tho texted me: "Come back to My Tho this weekend, my mom has been asking where you've been for a long time. Come back, she'll make you stir-fried bananas."

My college friend lives in My Tho. When we were in school, we'd all go to her house to visit almost every month, partly because it was quite close, and partly because her mother, Aunt Muoi, made many delicious dishes, and my favorite was stir-fried bananas.

After graduating and starting work, I no longer had much time to visit her home. For the past two years, my friend has moved back to My Tho to live and work, so we see each other even less often. Therefore, when I received her message, I immediately arranged my work schedule to return to My Tho.

When I arrived, Aunt Muoi was busy in the kitchen with her usual stir-fried bananas. I eagerly offered to help, hoping to learn the trade. She said, "Peel the plantains, slice them diagonally, and then boil them. Don't use ripe bananas because they'll become mushy, and green bananas are bitter and hard to eat."

Bananas and sweet potatoes are steamed until cooked.

Coconut milk and peanuts are two essential ingredients in stir-fried bananas.

Diagonal slices of banana and sweet potato were arranged in a bowl. Slightly unripe, boiled plantains turned a pale yellow, while the turmeric-yellow sweet potatoes were interspersed. Thick coconut milk was poured over, and Auntie Mười sprinkled some crushed roasted peanuts on top. And that wasn't all; she also tossed a few shredded jackfruit slices on top. "The jackfruit was boiled too," she said, smiling at my bewildered expression.

Auntie's stir-fried bananas looked so tempting that I swallowed hard. Seeing my drool, she smiled and said, "Seeing your eager expression makes me happy. Come on, eat quickly."

Without waiting for my aunt to offer more, I grabbed a spoon and started devouring it. The bananas, sweet potatoes, and jackfruit were soft, chewy, and sweet, mixed with the rich, fragrant coconut milk and the nutty flavor of roasted peanuts – it was absolutely wonderful.

It's strange how some things, so simple and rustic, leave such a deep impression on us. Perhaps it's because they contain the unpretentious essence and the affection of a mother in the countryside for her children far away.

Stir-fried bananas, a simple yet unforgettable dish.

Then, Auntie took some sweet potatoes to wash and boil until cooked. After removing the bananas and sweet potatoes, Auntie Muoi continued by pouring coconut milk into a pot, putting it on the stove, and taking out some tapioca starch and chopped green onions. She said, "Mix the tapioca starch into the coconut milk to thicken it, and add the green onions to give this dish its unique flavor."

I wondered, "I only ever see you boiling them, so why do you call it stir-fried bananas?" Aunt Muoi smiled kindly and said, "It's because of that little bit of green onion, my dear. There's green onion in the coconut milk, and when you eat it, you'll taste the flavor of a stir-fry."

When I returned to the city, just like when my childhood friend went back to school, Aunt Muoi packed a large bag of boiled bananas and sweet potatoes, along with coconut milk and roasted peanuts, and told me to take it with me: "Take it up there and eat to your heart's content, and when you have time, come back here and I'll make more for you."

Source: https://nld.com.vn/diem-den-hap-dan/dan-da-mon-chuoi-xao-20210121211624342.htm