Talo Tokotokoi (Baked Taro with Coconut Cream)
A simple yet delicious Tuvaluan dish featuring baked taro mashed and generously coated with sweetened coconut cream. It's a comforting and popular dish often served at community gatherings.
🧂 Ingredients
- 2 medium Pink taro(preferably from Samoa or Fiji; peeled)
- 400 ml Coconut cream(full fat)
- 1 cup Sugar(or to taste)
- pinch Salt
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
💡 Tip: Ensure the oven is fully preheated for even cooking. - 2
Peel the taro, slicing off the top and bottom parts. Slice each taro in half lengthwise. Place the taro halves onto an oven tray and put directly onto the middle oven rack.
- 3
Bake for 1 hour, or until the aroma of the taro fills the kitchen. Carefully turn each piece over to bake on the other side for another 20-25 minutes, or until the skin shows crack lines.
- 4
While the taro bakes, pour the coconut cream into a saucepan. Warm over medium heat, stirring constantly for about 25 minutes. Add the sugar and continue stirring until no small bubbles are visible and the mixture thickens.
- 5
Remove the taro from the oven. Following the cracked lines, use a knife to break the taro into chunks. Place the chunks into a bowl.
- 6
Pour the thickened coconut cream mixture over the taro chunks. Gently mix to ensure the taro is fully coated. Add a pinch of salt and mix lightly.
💡 Tip: Stirring the coconut cream only clockwise is a traditional practice said to improve the taste. - 7
Serve warm. In Tuvalu, diners often say 'Manuia!' (blessings) before eating.
💡 Tip: This dish is often served with corned beef by Samoan colleagues.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Using the lip of a corned beef can to shave the taro skin is a traditional method to avoid wasting taro flesh.
- ✓Adjust sugar to your preference.
- ✓The traditional method of stirring coconut cream only clockwise is believed to enhance the flavor.
🔄 Variations
- Use regular taro if pink taro is unavailable.
- Add a pinch of salt to the coconut cream mixture to balance the sweetness.