Everyday meals
Pulaka mafa (pulaka mafa)
Pulaka mafa is giant taro slowly cooked on hot stones buried in the ground, following the traditional mafa method. Its flesh becomes melting and lightly smoky, and it accompanies fish and crab dishes.
Ingredients
Ingredients
Spices & seasoning
Optional extras
Instructions
- Wash the pulaka under water without peeling it, then wrap it tightly in banana leaves.
- Heat the flat stones over a wood or charcoal fire for about 1 hour until they are very hot.
- Dig a small hole in sandy soil, lay down a layer of hot stones, then place the wrapped pulaka on top.
- Cover with the remaining hot stones and soil, then let it cook for about 1 hour 30 minutes.
- Dig up the pulaka, remove the cooked skin and cut it into pieces.
- Serve hot with a pinch of salt and a drizzle of coconut milk if you like.
Variations and tips
Oven version. Wrap the pulaka in aluminium foil and bake at 200 °C for 1 hour 30 minutes to mimic the slow cooking.
More ideas
Palm heart in coconut milk (ni kakai)45 min · 4 serv. · budget-friendlyAnanas au lait de coco (fakai)30 min · 4 serv. · budget-friendlyBénitier (vai i te kaokao)50 min · 4 serv. · budget-friendlyPieuvre en sauce coco (fe'e fa'ai)1 h 20 · 4 serv. · budget-friendlyGrilled fish in coconut milk (ika ni 'ota)40 min · 4 serv.Cooked banana shoots (fa'i tupu)1 h · 4 serv. · budget-friendlyOven-baked bananas in their leaf (fa'i tunu fala)40 min · 4 serv.Taro leaves in coconut (fakaa ni niu)1 h 20 · 4 serv.
Tuvalu
Tuvalu
Tuvalu
Tuvalu
Tuvalu
Tuvalu
Tuvalu
Tuvalu
Original Ecomely recipe.