Fijian Recipes

Fijian food has two main strands that share many tables. Indigenous iTaukei cooking is built on root crops such as dalo (taro), cassava and yams, rich coconut cream called lolo, and fish and shellfish from the reef. Food for feasts is cooked in the lovo, an earth oven, and taro leaves are cooked in coconut milk as rourou. The Indo-Fijian community brought curries, dhal, roti and chutneys, and these are everyday meals across the islands, often eaten at breakfast as well as dinner. Sweet dishes lean on cassava, coconut and burnt sugar, as in vakalolo and purini. Tea is the daily drink, with fried bread or biscuits on the side, and kava is shared in ceremonies and with friends. Seasoning is generally gentle in iTaukei dishes, with lime, chili, onion and ginger added for lift, while Indo-Fijian curries carry more heat and spice.

Staple ingredients

• dalo (taro) and cassava
• coconut milk and cream
• fresh reef and ocean fish
• taro leaves
• yams
• curry spices
• flour for roti and fried bread
• limes

• Appetizers 1
• Main Dishes 3
• Side Dishes 1
• Breads 1
• Desserts 2

Appetizers

• Kokoda (Fijian Raw Fish in Lime and Coconut Milk)FJ25 minEasy

Main Dishes

• Ika Vakalolo (Fijian Fish in Coconut Cream)FJ35 minEasy
• Indo-Fijian Chicken Curry (Fiji-Style Curry with Potatoes)FJ1 h 20 minEasy
• Lovo (Fijian Earth Oven Chicken and Root Crops)FJ2 hMedium

Side Dishes

• Rourou (Fijian Taro Leaves in Coconut Milk)FJ55 minEasy

Breads

• Lolo Buns (Fijian Coconut Cream Rolls)FJ1 hMedium

Desserts

• Purini (Fijian Coconut Burnt Sugar Pudding)FJ1 h 15 minMedium
• Vakalolo (Fijian Cassava and Coconut Pudding)FJ1 h 40 minEasy