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Kaukau in coconut cream
Sweet potato in coconut cream
Papua New Guinea sweet potato simmered in coconut cream
Kaukau, sweet potato, is the staple food of the Papua New Guinea Highlands, grown in mounded gardens around Mount Hagen and Goroka and eaten at almost every meal. Simmered in coconut cream with onion and a little salt, it becomes soft, sweet and creamy, a side for greens, fish or a mumu. A common mistake is stirring too much, which breaks the potato into mush; shake the pan instead. Chef's tip: use white or purple-skinned kaukau if you can; they're drier and hold their shape better than orange ones.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 lb sweet potatoes (kaukau)peeled and cut into 4 cm chunks
- 1 ¾ cups coconut cream
- ¾ cup water
- 1 onionsliced
- ¾ tsp salt
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Method
0/2 doneStep 1: Put 2 lb sweet potatoes (kaukau), 1 ¾ cups coconut cream, ¾ cup water, 1 onion and ¾ tsp salt in a wide pan.
3 minStep 2: Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 20–25 minutes, shaking the pan now and then, until the sweet potato is tender when pierced and the sauce has thickened. Serve hot.
25 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 44 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kaukau in coconut cream take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- 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 (kaukau)?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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