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1
Peel and Grate the Cassava
15 Mins
Room temperature, 20°C (68°F)
Peel the cassava thickly with a sharp knife, cut off both ends, and split each root lengthways to lift out the woody core running down the middle — the core is tough and must not go into the pudding. Grate the flesh finely on the small holes of a box grater, and grate the peeled sweet potato the same way. Work carefully: fresh cassava is hard, so keep your fingers well clear of the grater.
Grate over a wide bowl so nothing is lost, and wear a glove on the hand holding the root if your knuckles get close to the grater.
Done when: You have a bowl of fine, snowy-white grated cassava and pale grated sweet potato, with the woody cores set aside.
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2
Squeeze and Mix the Pudding
10 Mins
Room temperature, 20°C (68°F)
Tip the grated cassava into a clean tea towel or muslin cloth, gather the corners, and twist firmly to squeeze out the excess liquid — you should get about 100 ml of starchy liquid out. Discard the liquid. In a large bowl, mix the squeezed cassava with the grated sweet potato, coconut cream, brown sugar, grated coconut, salt and vanilla. Stir and press with a spoon until the mixture is even, thick and smooth, like stiff mashed potato. Taste a tiny pinch: it should be clearly sweet, with the coconut coming through.
If the mixture looks runny, squeeze the cassava again — a wet mixture steams into a soggy pudding that never sets.
Done when: The mixture holds its shape when pressed with a spoon and does not drip liquid.
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3
Wrap the Parcels
15 Mins
Room temperature, 20°C (68°F)
Lay a softened banana-leaf square shiny-side down on the counter. Spoon about 200 g of the mixture — roughly a heaped half-cup — into the centre and shape it into a short, fat log about 12 cm long. Fold the near edge of the leaf over the log, then the far edge, then fold in the two ends like a parcel. Tie each end with a thin strip of banana leaf or kitchen string so the parcel cannot open in the steamer. Repeat until you have 8 parcels.
Do not overfill: a parcel that is too fat bursts open in the steam. If a leaf tears, wrap a second leaf around the outside.
Done when: 8 neat, firmly tied parcels, each holding its shape when lifted.
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4
Steam Until Set
45 Mins
Steaming, 100°C (212°F)
Bring water to a rolling boil in a large steamer pot, then arrange the parcels in the steamer basket in a single layer with small gaps between them so the steam can circulate. Cover with a tight lid and steam for 40–45 minutes over medium-high heat, topping up the water underneath if it runs low. The parcels are done when the leaf has darkened and the pudding inside feels firm when pressed through the leaf — open one parcel to check: the cassava should be cooked right through, dense and moist, with no raw white streaks and no liquid centre.
Keep the lid on: lifting it lets the steam escape and the cooking time stretches. Check the water level once, halfway through.
Done when: The leaf is dark olive-green, the parcel feels firm, and the opened pudding is cooked through with no raw streaks.
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5
Rest and Unwrap
5 Mins
Cooling to about 60°C (140°F)
Lift the parcels out of the steamer and rest them for 5 minutes — the pudding firms up as it cools slightly and is easier to unwrap. Serve each parcel in its leaf, with the leaf opened at the table so the steam and the coconut smell escape as you eat. Offer extra coconut cream in a small jug for drizzling over the top.
Eat the pudding warm: it is at its best within the hour, soft and fragrant, and it firms up a lot once it goes cold.
Done when: The parcels are warm, not scalding, and the pudding slices cleanly when cut.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Unwrap a parcel at the table and eat it warm, with a drizzle of extra coconut cream if you like. This solomon islands cassava pudding recipe should taste gently sweet and richly coconutty, with a dense, moist bite — not a cake, and not a porridge, but something in between that is entirely its own.
Solomon Islands
1h
Spain
Vietnam