Alright, let’s dive into how I tackled Samoan desserts in my kitchen yesterday. Wanted to try something new, ya know? Heard about these coconut-heavy treats and figured, why not? Started simple with Fa’apapa, that coconut bread everybody talks about. Sounded easy enough. Famous last words, right?
Getting My Stuff Together (The Hunt!)
First step? Ingredients. Obvious, but man, finding taro leaves near me is like finding a unicorn. Drove to three different international markets. Third place finally had them, looking kinda rough but usable. Grabbed cans of coconut milk and cream too, plus cassava flour. Flour aisle was another adventure – almost bought tapioca starch by accident. Double-checked everything in my cart like five times before heading home.
Mixing It Up: Fa’apapa Attempt #1
Back in the kitchen, cleared my counter like a battlefield commander. Followed the basic recipe I found:
- Mixed cassava flour in a big bowl. Dumped a whole bag in there.
- Poured coconut milk slowly, stirring like crazy with a wooden spoon. Aimed for this doughy texture they described online. Ended up adding way more flour – felt sticky and weird.
- Threw in sugar. Just winged it – probably a cup? Maybe more? Tasted the mixture, seemed okay.
Shaped it into little flat discs, kinda wonky looking. Felt like playdough. Greased up a baking sheet with coconut oil. Stuck ’em in the oven at 350F, checked every 10 minutes like a nervous wreck. After maybe 25 minutes, the edges looked golden brown… took ’em out hoping for the best.
Spoiler: They were okay. Edges were kinda tough, middle a bit dense. Edible, but not that magic pillowy softness the videos showed. Sigh.
Palusami Prepping Disaster Zone
Felt bold, moved onto Palusami. Chopped onions fine, almost cried buckets. Blended coconut cream and milk together. Stupid blender splashed half of it onto the counter. Cleaned up, kept going.
Washed those taro leaves. HUGE leaves! Tried wrapping my filling (onion, cream mix) like a little parcel. Impossible to fold neatly. Looked like lumpy green hand grenades. Ended up using kitchen twine to tie them shut – looked ridiculous. Steamed them for ages, worried they’d burst open.
The Finale (And A Minor Kitchen Fire Scare)
Took the Palusami bundles out gingerly. Cut one open… green goo leaked out! Heart sank. But dipped a spoon in? Hot damn! Creamy, oniony, coconut bliss. The leaf added this earthy taste. Win! Sorta.
Grabbed a semi-decent Fa’apapa disc. Toasted it quickly in a dry pan. Forgot it for a second – smelled burning! Yanked it off the heat just in time, a tiny bit charred on one side.
Plated it: goopy green Palusami bundle next to the slightly-toasted, slightly-dense Fa’apapa. Not pretty. Took a bite of both together. Savory, creamy Palusami with the slightly sweet, chewy Fa’apapa? Perfection! Messy journey, delicious outcome.
Lessons Learned? Taro leaves are stubborn, Fa’apapa dough is tricky, blenders are messy traitors, and kitchen timers exist for a reason. But man, that flavor combo? Worth every second of the chaos. Definitely gotta try Fa’apapa again though, get those discs right.
