AI-generated image
Antiguan ducana
Sweet potato coconut dumplings
Ducana: sweet potato and coconut dumplings boiled in banana leaves
In Antigua, ducana turns up beside saltfish and chop up on Saturday plates and at Independence celebrations in November, little leaf-wrapped parcels of grated sweet potato and coconut with sugar, raisins and spice, boiled until set. It cuts through the salty fish with a soft, sticky sweetness. Many cooks add a little flour; this version keeps to sweet potato and coconut and is gluten free. The common mistake is wrapping the parcels loosely, so water seeps in and they turn mushy. Chef's tip: grate the sweet potato finely on the small holes and the ducana will hold together without any flour.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb sweet potatoeswhite-fleshed if possible, peeled and finely grated
- 7 oz fresh coconutfinely grated (or desiccated soaked in hot water)
- 4 oz soft brown sugar
- 2 ⅛ oz raisins
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmegfreshly grated
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup evaporated milkadd only if needed
- 8 banana leaves25 cm squares, softened over a flame (or foil)
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Fresh ingredients (3)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ½ lb sweet potatoes, 7 oz fresh coconut, 4 oz soft brown sugar, 2 ⅛ oz raisins, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp vanilla extract and ¼ tsp salt in a large bowl. The mixture should hold together when squeezed; if it's dry, add ¼ cup evaporated milk a little at a time.
Step 2: Pass each of 8 banana leaves over a gas flame or hot plate for a few seconds until glossy and pliable.
5 minStep 3: Put about 3 heaped tablespoons of mixture in the centre of each leaf, shape it into a 2 cm thick oblong and fold the leaf tightly around it. Tie with kitchen string or wrap in foil to seal.
15 minStep 4: Bring a large pot of water to the boil, add the parcels, cover and simmer for 40–45 minutes, until a parcel opened is firm and the sweet potato tastes cooked, with no raw starchiness.
45 minStep 5: Lift out and rest for 10 minutes before unwrapping. Serve warm with saltfish and chop up, or on its own.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 44 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does antiguan ducana take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 45 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 vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- 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 sweet potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of fresh coconut?
- Desiccated coconut soaked in hot water for 15 minutes, about three quarters of the weight.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Kartoshka cakeCocoa and cake crumb truffles
Soviet cafés and school canteens sold these knobbly brown 'potatoes' for a few kopecks, and they began as a thrifty way to use up sponge and biscuit trimmings at the bakery. Crumbs are bound with butter and sweetened condensed milk, flavoured with cocoa and vanilla, shaped into little potatoes, rolled in cocoa and finished with two dabs of pale butter cream for the sprouts. They are fudgy and dense like a brownie truffle, need no oven, and children love making them. Traditional bakers added a spoonful of rum, an optional extra for adult batches only; this version is alcohol-free with vanilla. The usual slip is coarse crumbs, which make the potatoes crack, so blitz them as fine as sand. Chef's tip: chill the shaped potatoes for at least 20 minutes so they hold their shape and slice cleanly.
Russian
Undu walaluFried urad dal rings in treacle
Walalu means bangles, and these dark, sticky rings of fried urad dal soaked in kithul treacle are a sweet that Sinhala families bring out for Avurudu and for special almsgivings, often made in large batches by an aunt known for her steady hand. A thick, fluffy paste of ground black gram is piped into loops and fried until crisp, then plunged straight into warm treacle, so the rings stay crunchy on the outside while drinking up the syrup. They taste a little like a darker, smokier jalebi, with a toffee finish from the palm treacle. Watery batter is what ruins them; it spreads into flat blobs, so grind the soaked dal with as little water as possible and beat it until light. This recipe uses no asafoetida, so it is naturally gluten free. Chef's tip: pipe the rings onto small squares of baking paper and lower them into the oil paper and all; the paper peels away in seconds.
Sri Lankan
Baked banana
A small banana baked in a foil parcel with butter, lemon, a pinch of sugar and cinnamon until soft and fragrant. A warm, easy pudding for babies of 8–18 months, mashed or left in soft pieces for older babies. Serve warm, not hot.