Faikakai Malimali (Tongan Banana Dumplings in Lolo Coconut Syrup)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide 6-quart pot for boiling the dumplings
• •Heavy 2-quart saucepan for the lolo
• •Slotted spoon
• •Wooden kumete or deep serving bowl

Instructions

1. 1

   Mash the fruit

   Mash the bananas until soft and loose, with a few small bits left for body. Tonga calls this malimali, the banana version of faikakai, and the fruit should be ripe enough that it smells sweet before any sugar touches it.

2. 2

   Make the dough

   Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Stir in the mashed banana, then add the water a little at a time until you have a soft, sticky dumpling dough. It should hold together on a spoon but still look tender, not tight like bread dough.

   If the bananas are huge and wet, you may need a little more flour. If the dough looks dry and rough, add water by the tablespoon. Eat what you have, but listen to what the bowl is telling you.
3. 3

   Boil the dumplings

   Bring a wide pot of water to a steady boil, then lower it to a lively simmer. Drop spoonfuls of dough into the water, leaving room so they can swell. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until the dumplings float, puff, and feel springy when lifted.

4. 4

   Drain and rest

   Lift the dumplings out with a slotted spoon and let them drain in a colander or on a banana leaf. They should be pale, soft, and a little bouncy, with the banana keeping them moist inside. Cover them lightly while you make the lolo.

5. 5

   Cook the lolo

   In a heavy saucepan, stir the coconut cream, dark brown sugar, and salt over medium heat. Let it bubble gently, stirring often, until the sugar melts into the cream and the sauce turns tan-brown, glossy, and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10 to 15 minutes.

6. 6

   Bathe and serve

   Put the warm dumplings into a kumete, a wooden bowl, or a deep serving dish, then pour the lolo over them until it pools around every piece. Let them sit 5 minutes so the syrup soaks in a little, then carry the whole bowl to the table. Sweet food like this is not precious. It is for the kāinga, the family, and there should be enough for one more.

Chef Tips

• •The bananas need to be properly ripe, with spotted skins and a sweet smell. Green banana makes the dough dull and tight.
• •Fresh coconut cream is best if you can squeeze it from mature coconut. A thick canned coconut cream works for a real kitchen on a real weeknight, just avoid thin coconut milk or the lolo will taste watery.
• •Cook the lolo gently. If the heat runs too high, the coconut can split and the sugar can scorch before the sauce turns glossy.
• •For the older, deeper hand-work of faikakai with breadfruit or root starch, go sit with a Tongan grandmother or elder who carries it. They should tell their own story.

Advance Preparation

• •Mash the bananas and mix the dry ingredients up to 2 hours ahead, but combine the dough close to boiling so the baking powder still lifts.
• •The lolo can be made earlier the same day and warmed gently before serving. Add a splash of coconut cream if it thickens too much.
• •Faikakai is best served warm the day it is made. Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for 2 days and reheat gently with a little coconut cream.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 215g)