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1
Prepare the Banana Leaves
10 Mins
Low heat — brief pass over a flame
Rinse the banana leaves and wipe them dry. Cut them into 12 squares about 20 x 20 cm and strip out the thick centre rib from each square. Pass each piece briefly over a low gas flame, or dip it in a pot of boiling water for 10 seconds, until the leaf turns glossy dark green and bends easily without splitting. Cut 12 lengths of kitchen twine.
Work over a low flame and keep the leaf moving — a few seconds is enough, and a scorched leaf will tear when you fold it.
Done when: Leaves are glossy, dark green and fold without cracking.
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2
Grate and Mix the Dry Ingredients
15 Mins
No heat
Peel and grate the pumpkin and sweet potato on the coarse side of a box grater, and grate the fresh coconut. In a large bowl, combine the grated pumpkin, sweet potato and coconut with the cornmeal, plain flour, brown sugar, raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, and toss everything together with your hands until evenly mixed.
Grate the pumpkin last — it releases water as it sits, and you want that moisture in the batter, not pooled in the bowl.
Done when: The dry mix looks evenly speckled with orange pumpkin, white coconut and dark raisins.
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3
Bring the Batter Together
5 Mins
No heat
Pour in the melted butter, coconut milk, vanilla extract and almond essence, then stir with a wooden spoon. Add the water a little at a time, mixing well after each splash, until you have a thick batter that holds its shape on the spoon and drops off slowly — not runny, not stiff. Taste a pinch and add a little more sugar or cinnamon if you like.
Too much liquid is the most common mistake — a runny batter leaks out of the leaf and steams into a soggy parcel, so stop adding water as soon as the batter holds together.
Done when: The batter is thick, moist and spoonable, and holds a soft peak when lifted.
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4
Wrap the Conkies
10 Mins
No heat
Lay a banana-leaf square glossy-side down and spoon about 3 heaped tablespoons of batter (about 132 g) into the centre. Fold the bottom edge up over the batter, then the top edge down, then fold in the two sides to make a neat envelope. Tie each parcel firmly with twine so it cannot open in the steamer, and repeat until all 12 conkies are wrapped.
Do not overfill — a parcel that bulges will burst open as the cornmeal swells in the steam.
Done when: Each parcel is a firm, flat envelope with no batter showing at the folds.
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5
Steam Until Firm
60 Mins
100°C (212°F) — boiling water, steamer
Set a steamer rack or an upturned heatproof plate in a large pot with about 5 cm of boiling water, keeping the water below the rack. Pack the conkies in a single layer, seam-side down, cover the pot tightly and steam over a steady boil for 60 minutes, topping up the water with boiling water from a kettle if the pot runs low. The parcels will swell slightly and feel firm when pressed.
Keep the lid on — every lift lets out steam and adds minutes. Check the water level at 30 minutes by listening: a dry pot sounds hollow and must be topped up at once.
Done when: A parcel feels firm and springy when pressed, and the batter inside no longer looks wet when one is unwrapped to check.
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6
Rest and Unwrap
10 Mins
No heat — resting
Lift the conkies out of the steamer with tongs and rest them for 10 minutes so the pudding sets and the leaf cools enough to handle. Serve warm, still wrapped, so each person unwraps their own at the table.
Do not unwrap them all at once — a conkie left open dries out quickly, while one left in its leaf stays moist for an hour.
Done when: The parcels are warm to the touch and the pudding inside holds its shape when unwrapped.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Rest the conkies for 10 minutes, then serve warm, still wrapped in their leaves, with hot cocoa tea — each person unwraps their own at the table.
Barbados
55m
