GRILLED BANANAS WITH COCONUT STICKY RICE

Steps:

• Rinse the rice, drain in a sieve, and put into a small, heavy saucepan. Add the water, coconut milk, and salt and bring to a near boil over medium-high heat. Give the rice a stir to loosen the grains on the bottom, and then lower the heat to medium. Let cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Decrease the heat to low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes to finish cooking.
• Uncover the rice, fluff it with chopsticks or a fork, and transfer it to a bowl. Add the grated coconut and sugar and mix well. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
• For each packet, put a banana leaf rectangle, with the smoother side up and a short side closest to you, on a work surface. Tear off a long, narrow strip, about 1/3 inch wide, and set aside to use later to secure the packet. Put 1/3 cup of the rice on the center of the leaf. Moisten your fingers with water to prevent the rice from sticking to them and then press the rice into a 5-inch circle. Vertically center a banana on top of the rice. Pull up the long sides of the leaf so that they meet in the middle, pressing gently on the rice so it covers the top of the banana. To encase the banana fully, use your fingers to push and pinch the rice at the ends. You may find it easier to do this if you hold the packet in one hand. Do your best to cover the banana in rice, although thinly covered spots are okay. Once you are satisfied the banana is covered as well as possible, roll up the banana in the leaf, cigar style, to create a 12-inch-long, open-ended tube. Fold the ends of the leaf under to close the packet(they will partially overlap), and then tie the ends down securely with the reserved leaf strip. Repeat to make 5 more packets.
• Prepare a medium-hot charcoal fire (you can hold your hand over the rack for only 3 to 4 seconds) or preheat a gas grill to medium-high. Grill the packets, fold side down, for 6 to 8 minutes, or until deeply charred on the underside. Flip each packet over and grill for about 4 minutes longer, or until the second side is lightly charred. Alternatively, position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 500°F. Arrange the packets on a baking sheet and roast, turning once, for 7 to 8 minutes on each side, or until the packets are gently hissing and the leaves are tinged brown and crispy. (The banana leaf packets may be grilled or roasted about 2 hours in advance and kept at room temperature. Reheat in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes, or until warm, before serving.)
• Let the packets cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. If the packets are blackened and unsightly, open them and transfer the rice-coated bananas to dessert plates. Otherwise, enjoy the bananas directly from the packets. Drizzle about 3 tablespoons coconut sauce over each banana and eat with a fork or spoon.