Pacific Island Recipe

coconut pesto

palusami

  • Palusami Recipe

    Palusami Recipe

    Palusami is a delicious dish from the Pacific Islands and has been around for many many years. And as such , it can be made in a variety of ways or methods. Usually, traditionally Palusami is prepared and cooked in the lovo (hot stone earth oven), but can also be cooked in a conventional oven or just a regular pot on the stove. But the recipe for preparing it is all the same. So long as it is cooked one way or another.

    Lovo fire burning
    Lovo making in progress. When stone is red or white hot, the left over firewood is removed, stones leveled flat and wrapped food is placed on top of the stone and finally buried and steam cooked for about 1.5 to 2 hours.

    Ingredients:

    • Some tinned meat (like tinned mutton or beef) if you plan to make a meat palusami else no meat and it becomes a vegetarian palusami
    • Some diced onions
    • Fresh Taro leaves (this is the main part and they must be whole taro leaves without it’s stem)
    • Diced tomatoes (optional)
    • Coconut cream, either freshly made or buy tin canned from the store
    • Salt
    • Chilly
    • Garlic
    • Ginger

    Palusami Recipe Preparation

    Prepare the taro leaves by removing the stem of the taro so only the leaves are left. Stack them up so they are easy gather a few at once.

    After preparing the taro leaves, prepare the palusami fillings.

    Mix in a big bowl the contents of canned meat, diced tomatoes, onions, some chilly, freshly pounded garlic, ginger and pour in the coconut cream. Mix well.

    In a big bowl pour the coconut cream in it with diced ionions, empty the tinned meat, add some salt to taste, chilly, garlic and a tad bit of lemon juice. Mix well. This is basically what will be put inside taro leave wrap.

    Making palusami
    Making in the making. On the left are taro leaves and on the right is the palusami fillings.

    Next gather up some taro leaves to make a bowl shape by stacking leaves together with big ones at the bottom. It should be shaped in a way that when the palusami fillings are poured into it, it won’t leak. Pour some palusami fillings about 1 cup into the prepared taro leaves and close the leaves together. Wrap the leaves into aluminium foil so it don’t fall apart.

    Keep wrapping until run out of taro leaves and fillings.

    Then if the lovo is ready, place palusami in lovo. This is the traditional method of making palusami.

    If making a lovo is not convenient then just place the wrapped palusami in a conventional oven and bake for about an hour.

    Also if the palusami isn’t going to be cooked in the lovo, then just cut up the taro leaves into small pieces in a baking tray and add in the palusami fillings. Mix and bake in oven for about an hour.

    Pealed taro being placed in lovo
    Pealed taro being placed in the lovo and other cooked food including palusami wrapped in foil.

    Or place in pot and cook on a regular stove in a pot. It comes out the same either way believe it or not! Although some will swear by the lovo method to be the tastiest but this is a subjective matter. Each to their own taste buds! 🙂

    Let us know how yours comes up and post comments and pictures below. 🙂

  • A traditional Fijian earth oven cooking method using hot stones and banana leaves

    A traditional Fijian earth oven cooking method using hot stones and banana leaves

    A visual look at traditional Fijian lovo cooking—from preparing food in banana leaves to slow-cooking over hot stones in an earth oven.

    Lovo just uncovered - cooked and ready to be served.
    Lovo fire burning
    Pealed taro being placed in lovo
    Taro cooked in lovo pit
    Lovo fire burning waiting for rocks to be red hot
    Making palusami

    How Lovo Is Made

    Lovo is a traditional Fijian method of cooking food underground using heated stones, banana leaves, and natural steam. It is commonly prepared for special occasions, gatherings, and celebrations, and is valued for its slow-cooked flavor and communal preparation and earthy taste.

    1. Preparing the Earth Oven

    A shallow pit is dug in the ground and lined with stones. Wood is burned over the stones until they become extremely hot, creating the heat source for cooking.

    2. Preparing the Food

    Meats, root crops, and vegetables are seasoned and wrapped in banana leaves or foil. This helps lock in moisture and allows the food to cook slowly without direct flame.

    3. Layering the Lovo

    Lovo fire burning waiting for rocks to be red hot
    Lovo fire burning waiting for rocks to be red hot

    Once the stones are hot, the embers are cleared. The wrapped food is placed on top of the stones, often layered carefully to ensure even cooking.

    4. Sealing and Cooking

    The food is covered with more banana leaves, sacks, and finally buried in soil to trap the heat. The lovo is left sealed for several hours, allowing the food to steam and cook gently.

    5. Uncovering and Serving

    When ready, the lovo is opened and the food is carefully removed. The result is tender, smoky, and richly flavored dishes that reflect generations of traditional cooking.