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April UTAH

I'm trying to find a recipe for Faikakai, a tongan desert, I don't even know if I am spelling it right. I love it though & want to make it myself. Also topai? something similar to faikakai, if anyone knows about these 2 please tell me, I miss Tongan fooD! :)

Recipe(tried): Tongan Faikakai / Topai

mele from hawaii

Yes, I think you spelled faikakai right, not sure really because that was never my dish-that's my Daddy's favorite and I'm not really the best at making that, but I can tell you what I know about it from how I've seen him make it and from helping him. One of my favorite dishes which I know well is topai, or the flour dumpling soup. It's really easy to make and since I grew up eating it almost every day, I know a few different ways to make it.

All it really is is first, you set about 3-4 cups of water on the boil and you put some flour and water in a bowl (I could not really tell you how much because I always do it by eye), guessing about 1 1/2 cups of flour and 1/2 cups of water. Not positive on that measurement but I do know that you want it to be almost the consistency of pancake batter, but not so runny-make sure that it's sticky and thick enough to pick up a spoonful of the batter, turn it upside down so that the deep of the spoon is facing the bowl, and when the batter falls into the bowl, it should land on top of the other batter and still keep its form a while without mixing in with the rest. Then, you have to make sure all the lumps are out-make sure it's well blended and all the flour is mixed with the water.

Next, you add sugar--once again, I always do this by eye but you could do it by taste and depending on how sweet you want it, you put in that much sugar.

By then, the water should be boiling or near boiling and you take a large tablespoon, fill it with as much batter as it will hold, and drop rounded spoonfuls of it into the boiling water until you use all the paste. Stir occaisionally, making sure that the dumplings don't stick to the bottom of the pot, and keep them on boil until they start to naturally float and/or are not sticking to one another any more.

Then, you drain about half of the water out, add about 1/2 or 1/3 cup of milk, 2 or 3 tablespoons of sugar, and can keep it over the heat for a few minutes so that the sauce has a chance to sink into the dumplings. Sometimes, my Mom sprinkles in coconut milk, and it gives it a distinctive flavor.

Then, serve in large soup bowls. I don't eat it cold, but some people do.

The faikakai is almost the same thing, except you can only use all purpose, NOT self-rising flour and a can of coconut milk to make the batter. My dad often adds canned spinach to his (which is how the green faikakai is made) but if you do this, you have to remember to keep the consistency of the paste a little thicker than that of the topai batter.

Then, instead of boiling, you'd take about adult-hand sized peices of foil, drop large spoonfuls of the batter in the middle of each, and gather up all the sides of the foil, twisting the top so that you end up with an almost tear-shaped foil pouch of batter. Remember, the batter should be thick enough to be dropped in the middle of the foil and not run off the edges and the foil has to be completely twisted closed or it will get messy when cooking. My Daddy and I usually cup each peice of foil in the palm of our hands, then drop the batter into the middle to make it easier. I've seen an aunt boil this afterward, but we always put it in the oven on the top rack after setting the foil pouches on a baking pan or cookie sheet under a high heat like 425 degrees. Check if the batter's cooked after about 20 minutes-it usually takes longer than that, about 30-45 minutes, but it all depends on which heat you cook it in and how big you make them. Using a toothpick, stick it in one of the pouches and take them out of the oven when the toothpick comes out clean.

You can begin making the sauce while it's in the oven, usually when it's almost done, and for that, you need some brown sugar, depending on how much sauce you want. My Daddy usually uses about 1 or 1 1/2 cups, but you have to add a little into a pot at a time, stirring slowly over a very low heat because it's very easy to burn it. Once you've melted as much sugar as you want, add a small amount of coconut milk-probably 1/4 cup of coconut milk to 1 cup of sugar, and then gradually add more slowly, still over the low heat and stirring constantly until you have reached the consistency you want, it should look like a thin syrup.

Then, when the balls are done, take them out, let them cool a bit, and slice them into 1/2-inch thich squares. Put them in a serving dish and pour the syrup over it, then serve it either cold or hot. Of course, there are variations to this recipe from village to village, but I have described it the way I've seen my Daddy make it and I think his is the best:).

I am sorry I couldn't give you exact measurements and if my explanations weren't really helpful, but if you get the main idea, I hope you try it because cooking-especially when it comes to ethnic cooking-is really nothing but trial and error. I think you will enjoy it, though, and I hope I was helpful.

Recipe(tried): Tongan Faikakai

Tangata Kasitati Texas

TONGAN FOOD - FAIKAKAI

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
1 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons butter, melted

FOR THE DUMPLINGS:
Start some water boiling, about 4-6 cups.

Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Microwave the milk and fat in a microwave-safe bowl on high until just warm (do not over-heat), about 1 minute. Stir the warmed milk mixture into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon until incorporated and smooth.

Drop golf-ball-sized dumplings over the top of the stew, about 1/4 inch apart (you should have about 18 dumplings). Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the dumplings have doubled in size, 15 to 18 minutes. Serve.

Note: some people put dumplings in foil and bake on 425 degrees for about 30 minutes. Boiling is easier & they are still flaky.

FOR THE SYRUP:
Put 4 cups of sugar in a cast iron skillet and cook on medium high heat until it begins to caramelize. When it is brown, begin adding the coconut oil until you get the consistency you want.

Recipe(tried): Faikakai Topai and Malimali (dumplings in sweet coconut syrup, Tongan)

Katherine

Hi, I have included two recipes- one for regular faikakai and one for banana faikakai. Hope it is helpful to you.

FAIKAKAI TOPAI
(DUMPLINGS IN SWEET COCONUT SYRUP)

FOR THE LOLO (COCONUT SYRUP)
1 cup raw sugar
200 ml coconut cream

FOR THE TOPAI (DUMPLINGS):
3 to 4 pints water
3 cups plain flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 cup cold water, extra (as needed)

TO MAKE THE LOLO (SYRUP)
Put the sugar in a heavy saucepan and melt over gentle heat. Before the sugar boils, add the coconut cream and stir continuously until thick. Set aside.

TO MAKE THE TOPAI (DUMPLINGS):
Boil 3-4 pints water in a large pot.

Sift the flour and baking powder together. Make a fairly dry dough with the flour mixture and extra cold water.

Drop tablespoonfuls of the dough into the boiling water and gently boil for a further 10 minutes or until cooked.

Dice the dumplings and pour the Lolo Syrup over it. Serve.

NOTE: The Topai (dumplings) is used for convenience but other more traditional and more delicious substitutes are used. For example, breadfruit or mei (faikakai mei) a combination of taro leaves and flour (faikakai ngou'a), a combination of flour and ripe bananas (faikakai malimali), or manioke which is tapioca or casava (faikakai manioke tama). Hence, depending on what you use, the name changes as.

Adapted from source: PolynesianWorld.com - Photo

FAIKAKAI MALIMALI

FOR THE LOLO (COCONUT SYRUP)
1 cup raw sugar
200 ml coconut cream

FOR THE TOPAI (DUMPLINGS):
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup desiccated coconut
2/3 cups ripe banana, mashed
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla paste
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp butter, to coat
2/3 cup desiccated coconut, extra, to coat

TO MAKE THE LOLO (COCONUT SYRUP)
Put the sugar into a small saucepan over low heat and allow it to slowly dissolve. Before it boils add the coconut cream and stir until it is thick. Set aside.

TO MAKE THE TOPAI (DUMPLINGS)
Bring a large pot of water to the boil.

In the meantime combine the flour, baking powder, 1/4 cup desiccated coconut, banana, caster sugar and vanilla paste in a mixing bowl. Bring all ingredients together and gradually add the 1/2 cup water to form a fairly dry dough.

Roll into tablespoon-sized balls and drop them into the pot of simmering water, making sure they don't stick to the bottom by creating a whirlpool with the water. Gently boil the dumplings for 10 minutes or until cooked through. Drain and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the extra 2/3 cup coconut and stir until lightly golden. Drop in the dumplings to coat well. Remove carefully and serve with the Coconut Syrup.

Makes 18 dumplings
Adapted from source: heneedsfood.com - Photo