Best RecipesPisua - Tapioca in coconut caramel News Recipes

This excellent recipe was passed to me by my sister, O. It uses tapioca pearls which are more widely available than the traditionally used cassava root. Since tapioca comes from cassava there is no difference in taste between this and the traditional pisua, only a difference in form.

Enjoy this irresistible dessert of jelly-like tapioca cubes drenched in coconut caramel. 


Pisua
(serves 4)
1 cup small tapioca pearls
½ cup sugar
2½ cups water


Mix everything in a medium saucepan and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Leave to soak for at least 6 hours or overnight. 


After soaking, add another 2½ cups water and bring the mixture to a boil then reduce to simmer. Cook for about half an hour, stirring frequently, until the tapioca pearls are clear. When the tapioca is cooked, pour the mixture into a shallow rectangular pan to cool.
Once the tapioca mixture has cooled completely, cut it into small squares.


Make a coconut caramel sauce by caramelising 1½ cups of sugar until dark amber. Add 1 can of coconut cream and stir until combined. Cool slightly then pour into a bowl. Add the tapioca cubes and a 1/4 cup of sugar. Stir to combine. 

Serve for dessert or as a sweet snack.

Best RecipesMamma Jamma Pancakes News Recipes

My sister M is the only one in my family that can make traditional Samoan pancakes like my mother. She's mastered the art of those simple, tasty treats, an art which involves measuring by eye, mixing to perfection and frying to a crisp crunchy finish. And it is an art, because not everyone can make them. 


Especially moi.


Unfortunately M has also inherited my mother's Samoan abilities at explaining a recipe, because when I asked her how to make them she said over the phone, "It's easy, it's just flour, sugar, water..."
"How about eggs?" I asked.
"If we have them, I put them in," she replied.
"Do you use milk?" I asked.
"Sometimes," she said.
"Anything else?" I pressed.
"No, that's it I think," she answered.
So I faithfully tried a dozen different batters of all different proportions of flour, sugar and water and none came out like my childhood pancake memories. 


Tired and dejected, I fried the last of my unsuccessful batter into a pancake in the shape of M's head, and smooshed it with my spatula. 


That's what happens when there's only one person in your family that can make something and you leave it to them to always make it. 

It's not that I never tried to make them, because I have, but my efforts have always been hit and miss. 


So this recipe has be filed under 'inspired'. It's my own take on traditional Samoan pancakes because I honestly could not get the flour/sugar/water thing to work. And because according to my sister M, the expert, there is no baking powder in traditional Samoan pancakes. In fact, when I told her about the baking powder, she wrote: 'Are you making pagi keke mafolafola (flat pancakes) or pagi keke mamma jamma?'.


Looks like it is the mamma jamma kind. 


M, sorry about that pancake I made in the shape of your head. But you can't imagine how frustrating it is to not be able to make something that only requires three ingredients. If it's any consolation, the pancake had a nice shape, a golden brown complexion and was tough - kinda like you, Mamma Jamma.

Mamma Jamma Pancakes
(makes 12)
2 cups (250 g) flour
4 teaspoons (15 g) baking powder
3 Tablespoons (40 g) sugar
1⅓ cup (160 ml) water
oil for frying


Measure everything into a bowl and stir quickly but lightly to combine all the ingredients. Do not overmix, or try to get the batter smooth. The batter will be slightly lumpy but you shouldn't see any big lumps of flour.


Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a frypan. The oil should be generous enough to coat the bottom of the pan and then some. When you see the oil start to shimmer when you swirl it around the pan then it's hot enough for frying the pancakes. If the oil is smoking, it's too hot.


Scoop heaped tablespoonfuls of batter into the frypan. The batter should sizzle when it hits the oil. Fry each side until golden. 









The first side will be done when bubbles poke through the batter. The second side will take less time than the first. 


Add oil each time you start a new batch of pancakes.

Serve with butter and jam, or a classic Samoan mixture of the two. We used to make this when we had fa'alavelave, and had to cater for scores of people. The all-in-one spread made it easier to churn out plates of crackers, pancakes or thickly sliced white bread.

Best RecipesFilled Rolls News Recipes

This is not just a bun.


Look inside:

It's pagi popo turned inside out! Fluffy white rolls with luscious coconut cream filling.


Use your favourite bread roll (or my pagi popo recipe) and while the dough is rising the first time, make a filling and allow it to cool.


Coconut Milk Filling
(makes enough for 12 rolls)
2/3 cup (130 g) sugar 
1/4 cup (30 g)flour
1 can (14 oz/400 ml) coconut milk 


Whisk everything together in a saucepan until smooth, then cook over low/medium heat until thickened and floury taste is gone.


Coconut Caramel Filling
(makes enough for 12 rolls)
1 cup (200 g) sugar
1 can (14 oz/400 ml) coconut milk
4 Tablespoons (30 g) flour
1/2 cup water
1 cup (70 g) grated coconut


Caramelise the sugar over medium heat until deep golden brown. Add coconut milk and stir until combined. Mix the flour with the water until smooth and add this to the sugar mixture. Simmer over low heat for 30 seconds until thick. Remove from heat and add grated coconut. Mix well.


* Move quickly but carefully when making the coconut caramel filling because the sugar will continue to caramelise as long as it's on the heat and may become bitter if overcooked.


Both the fillings above will thicken upon standing. They should be at room temperature by the time you wish to use them. 


Once your bun dough is ready, divide it into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and then use a rolling pin to flatten into a circle. Scoop a generous tablespoon of filling in the centre of each circle. Gather the edges up and press together to seal. Make sure the filling is completely sealed in because it will ooze out of any holes it can find while baking. 


Place seam side down in a baking pan (12x8x2"/30x20x5 cm) and leave to rise for a second time until doubled in volume. Bake for 35 minutes at 375°F (190°C).


Cool for at least half an hour before serving.

Best RecipesHot Samoan Boys News Recipes

I'm driving through some random place in Samoa and see a young man alongside the road. Perhaps he's balancing a load of coconuts over his shoulder and heading home. Maybe he's playing volleyball or soccer. Perhaps he's just sitting around, laughing with friends, shooting the breeze. He casually throws my car a look of mild curiousity. and I glance at him with nonchalance, at first. That look soon turns to one of open appreciation, as I realise I'm looking at one of the finest specimens of male on God's green earth: A Hot Samoan Boy.


A thrill courses through me as I take in his sleek physique, his even, white smile and his confident, carefree swagger. My pulse starts racing and I'm slightly breathless. I find myself self-consciously smoothing down my hair and cranking up the air-conditioner because it's suddenly gotten hot. As his figure becomes a receding dot in my rear-view mirror, I'm thinking three things.
Hot.
Samoan.
Boys.


If you could take that electric thrill, that fiery excitement, that tingly rushing sensation, catch it in a bottle and slap a label on it, what would you call it?


Stella Muller found the perfect name: Hot Samoan Boys Chilli Sauce.

Stella and her husband are responsible for branding and marketing this hot new product from Samoa. She came up with the catchy, saucy name, which by the way, is meant to be completely non-sexual (the driving fantasy above belongs to my own lecherous imagination). 


Stella has graciously taken a bit of time to tell us a bit about this fantastic homegrown sauce.


What makes Hot Samoan Boys Chilli Sauce different from other chilli sauces? Hot Samoan Boys Chilli sauce is different from other sauces because it is:

*         An unblended sauce - HSBC is made from 100% Birds eye chilli,
unlike others that will use a mix of different chillis in their sauce

*         Created from birds eye chilli, planted and hand-picked from
villages across Samoa

*         The only chilli sauce made out of Samoa, the cradle of the Pacific


What's the best way to eat your chilli sauce? (ie. best food combinations)
HSBC is a great accompaniment to any meal, however some favourites include:

*         Raw fish - a few dashes of HSBC give any raw fish a nice kick

*         Pork - specifically pig on a spit or roast pork -  if apple
sauce is getting a bit tired, try some HSBC and you will notice the
difference.

*         Pacific Bloody Mary - Same recipe as a Bloody Mary, however
instead of using Tobasco sauce , use HSBC.

Basically you can use HSBC any way you like as it gives a nice kick, but
unlike sauces with Habanero or hotter chillis, you can still enjoy and
taste what you are eating.

How can international buyers get some?
International customers can find out how to order by visiting our website or Facebook page.


I can already think of a million and one ways to use Samoa's very own Chilli Sauce. And if you need just a tiny bit more incentive to try it, here it is:

Go get your Hot! Samoan Boys Chilli Sauce today!

Best RecipesA 'light lunch' and a basic village skill News Recipes

This was a simple to'ona'i (Sunday lunch) in Samoa, and looking back at it now, it was a relatively healthy one, especially as this food was meant for two people. From the top left clockwise is supo mamoe (lamb soup), oka (fish in coconut milk), curried chicken, selection of roast taro, ta'amu and ulu (breadfruit), a hidden package of luau and a plate of umu-cooked pork. 


And take a look at the serving 'platter' holding the various roots and luau. Do you think you can weave a serving mat like that? If you can, you can make mats for serving food, mats to sleep on, mats to keep the wind and rain out of your house, baskets for carrying things and even hats and fans. So add that to your list of basic survival skills - weaving.

Best RecipesCoconut Cookies News Recipes

I love masi Samoa. Who doesn't? But I was curious about cookies made with shredded coconut instead of coconut milk. Would the flavour be as good as masi Samoa? Would it be better?


To compare, I tried out two different kinds of cookies: coconut shortbread and chewy coconut cookies. 

I wasn't overly impressed with the shortbread. The coconut flavour was very understated and the shortbread was kind of blah. They even look kind of blah. 

But the chewy coconut cookies were sublime. The cookie was crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside, and the coconut stood out in a nice way. 

At the end of the day, masi Samoa are still number one. But these cookies are a close number two. Try them and see!


Chewy Coconut Cookies
(makes 18)
¼ cup (60g) butter, softened
½ cup (100g) white sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup (125g) flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt
½ cup (40g) coconut


Cream the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder and salt, mixing well. Finally, stir in the coconut. Shape it into a log and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for at least two hours or until firm.


Unwrap the cookie dough and slice into ¼ inch (5 mm) slices. Place 2 inches (5 cm) apart on lined baking sheets. Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 6 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.

These will soften the day after, so store them in an airtight container, or save all the hassle and store them in your belly, like I did.

Best RecipesKeke fa'i - banana cake News Recipes

In my childhood home, our pots ranged from large to gigantic. We used massive rectangular roasting dishes and deep stock pots almost every day. Food was dished from giant serving plates and bowls using matching giant serving spoons and tongs. 


We had a wok that was so big it couldn't be lifted with one hand, and a ginormous teapot bigger than the size of my head. That Jurassic teapot was always filled with tea or coffee or koko, the spout plugged with a makeshift newspaper 'cork' to keep the flies out. 


What I remember of our kitchen was that everything was either big, bigger or biggest. The chopping boards, the knives, the juice pitchers, the wooden spoons - all HUGE.


No, we didn't run a catering business. 
We were just your average Samoan family. 

So my mother would make this cake in a baking pan that I think only professional wedding cake makers use. That pan I remember was about 16 inches (40 cm) in diameter, and despite its size the cakes always came out perfectly, without sticking. When she turned her cakes out onto the cooling rack, they would land with a puff of steam, smooth dark brown edges and an irresistible baked banana smell. 


In my current kitchen, I don't have anything as big as my mother's banana cake pan, so the recipe has been dramatically scaled back. But not the flavour. In this cake, banana is the star.

Keke fa'i (serves 6-8)
makes 8" (20 cm) round cake


1½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 stick + 1 tablespoon (125g) butter, softened 

¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup mashed banana (about 2 medium overripe bananas)
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup hot milk

Grease and/or line your cake pan and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). 


Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
With electric beaters, cream the butter with the sugar until it's light and fluffy. Beat in one egg at a time, then the vanilla, beating well after each addition.


Switch from the beaters to a wooden spoon or spatula. Stir the mashed banana into the butter mixture. 
Dissolve the baking soda into the milk and stir that in too.
Finally, sift your sifted ingredients into the mixture and gently fold them in. 


As soon as all the ingredients are moistened, pour the batter evenly into the cake pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Cool completely and then fill and top with sweetened whipped cream or chocolate frosting.