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

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

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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