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Vakalolo
Fijian steamed cassava pudding with coconut caramel
Vakalolo is an iTaukei celebration pudding, made for church feasts, weddings and Christmas in villages across Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. Grated cassava is mixed with coconut cream and sugar, wrapped in banana or vudi leaves and steamed until it turns sticky and translucent, then served with a thick caramel of coconut cream and brown sugar poured over. Frozen grated cassava from Asian or Pacific shops saves a lot of work. Cassava must always be fully cooked, never eaten raw. A common mistake is wrapping the parcels loosely so water gets in; fold them tightly. Chef's tip: cook the caramel slowly until it's the colour of toffee, which is where all the flavour is.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the pudding
- 2 ¼ lb grated cassavafresh or frozen and thawed
- ¾ cup coconut cream
- 2 ⅞ oz sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 8 pieces banana leaves or foilabout 25 cm square
For the caramel
- 5 ½ oz brown sugar
- 1 cup coconut cream
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: If using fresh 2 ¼ lb grated cassava, squeeze out excess juice in a cloth. Mix with ¾ cup coconut cream, 2 ⅞ oz sugar and 1 pinch salt.
5 minStep 2: Soften 8 pieces banana leaves or foil by passing them quickly over a flame or dipping in hot water. Put a large spoonful of the mixture in the centre of each and fold into tight parcels; tie with string or wrap again in foil.
10 minStep 3: Steam over boiling water for 45–50 minutes until the pudding is firm, sticky and slightly translucent all through when you open one. Top up the water as needed.
50 minStep 4: For the caramel, melt 5 ½ oz brown sugar in a heavy pan over a medium heat, stirring, until it bubbles and darkens, about 5 minutes. Carefully pour in 1 cup coconut cream (it will spit) and simmer for 5–7 minutes, stirring, until thick and glossy.
12 minStep 5: Unwrap the puddings, slice and pour over the warm caramel.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 58 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does vakalolo take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of brown sugar?
- White sugar + 1 tbsp molasses or treacle per 200g.
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