Faikakai

Ingredients

Dumplings

• 400 gplain flour
• 2 teaspoonsbaking powder
• 2 tablespoonssugar
• 1/2 teaspoonsalt
• about 250 ml water or coconut milk

Coconut caramel

• 600 mlthick coconut cream
• 250 gsugar
• or 250 g brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoonsalt
• 1 teaspoonvanilla, optional

Or use instead of dumplings

• 1breadfruit, boiled and cut in chunks
• or 6 ripe bananas, halved
• or 500 g boiled taro, in squares

Directions

1. Use the thick part from the top of the tin. Grate the flesh of a mature coconut. Add a little warm water to it. Squeeze it hard in a clean cloth. The first pressing is the thick cream. Put the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl.
2. Whisk them together thoroughly. Add the water or coconut milk gradually. Mix it into a soft sticky dough. Do not knead it much at all here.
3. Add a splash more liquid if it is dry. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop spoonfuls of dough into it. Do not crowd the pot at any point. Cut one open to check the middle. It should be cooked and not doughy.
4. Lift them out and drain them well. Put the sugar into a heavy pan. Add a splash of the coconut cream. Heat it gently until the sugar dissolves. Watching the caramel takes attention.
5. Keep stirring it as it darkens. Take it to a deep amber and no further. Pour in the rest of the coconut cream. Stand well back as you pour it. Hot caramel and cool liquid react hard. Pour it in slowly and steadily. Stir it as the bubbling subsides. It sticks to skin and keeps burning.
6. Keep children out of the kitchen entirely. Use a long-handled wooden spoon. Never taste it from the pan itself. Bring it back to a gentle simmer. Let it cook for about ten minutes. Add the salt and the vanilla to it. It stops the sauce being merely sweet. Take it off looser than you want it. Set the dumplings in a shallow dish.
7. Pour the hot sauce over all of them. Turn them over to coat them completely. Let them soak for a few minutes. Add more sauce if it looks dry. Serving it is done properly warm. Spoon it into bowls with plenty of sauce. It keeps two days refrigerated. Warm it gently before serving again.

Technique

• Faikakai names a family of dishes rather than one, with the second word naming what goes in the syrup: topai for dumplings, mei for breadfruit and siaine for banana.
• Samoan fa’ausi uses essentially the same coconut caramel over taro or bread, and the two dishes are close relatives.
• Coconut cream is the thick first pressing rather than thin milk, and thin milk will not caramelise properly.

Substitutions

• Breadfruit, banana or boiled taro all stand in for the dumplings.
• Brown sugar in place of white gives a deeper flavour with less caramelising needed.

Variations

• Faikakai topai, mei and siaine are the three common versions.
• Some cooks add extra grated coconut to the sauce.
• Fa’ausi in Samoa is the closest relative.

History

Dumplings or breadfruit are drenched in coconut caramel made by boiling cream with sugar until it turns dark and sticky.

Frequently asked questions

What is Faikakai?

Faikakai is a dessert from Tonga: dough dumplings drenched in sweet coconut-caramel syrup. Dumplings or breadfruit are drenched in coconut caramel made by boiling cream with sugar until it turns dark and sticky.

How long does Faikakai take to make?

Faikakai takes 20 minutes of preparation and 30 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes serves 6. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Faikakai?

Yes, within limits. Breadfruit, banana or boiled taro all stand in for the dumplings. Brown sugar in place of white gives a deeper flavour with less caramelising needed.

What is the most important thing to get right in Faikakai?

Whisk them together thoroughly. Add the water or coconut milk gradually. Mix it into a soft sticky dough. Do not knead it much at all here.