WHAT YOU NEED

Ingredients
300g (101/2 oz/2 cups) peeled and cubed Japanese pumpkin (squash)
300 g (101/2 oz/2 cups) cubed white sweet potato (skin on, but washed)
1.5 litres (51 fl oz/6 cups) coconut milk
pinch of salt
300g (101/2 oz/2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
golden syrup (light treacle), to serve (optional)

For the fried Banana
300g (101/2 oz/2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
pinch of salt
2 green finger bananas, peeled and thickly sliced
500ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) vegetable oil, for frying

For the sabee dombois
Cook the pumpkin and white sweet potato in 750ml (251/2 fl oz/3 cups) boiling coconut milk and 250ml (81/2 fl oz/1 cup) water with a pinch of salt until soft.
To a bowl, add the flour and 250ml (81/2 fl oz/1 cup) water, or enough to mix to a sticky dough.
Sprinkle some flour onto a clean work surface and knead the dough for a few minutes, or until you have a nice soft-textured dough (add more flour as needed to stop the dough from sticking to the bench and your hands).
Flatten the dough to a 1cm (1/2 in) thickness and slice into strips about 5cm (2 in) wide. Pull the strips apart into small pieces.
Boil the remaining coconut milk in a large saucepan and drop in the pieces of dough. Stir and allow to cook for a few minutes – the milk should be absorbed into the cooked dough.
Put the cooked sweet potato and pumpkin mix into the saucepan with the dombois and mix through.

For the fried banana
Mix the flour, a pinch of salt and 125ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) water into a batter in a bowl.
Coat the banana slices in the batter, then fry in the vegetable oil until golden. To check that your oil is hot enough, drop a pinch of flour in; if it sizzles, it’s the right temperature.
Serve the sabee dombois with a side of fried banana.
For a sweeter version, drizzle over some golden syrup.