Baked Kaukau with Coconut Cream, Ginger and Garlic
In short: Sweet potatoes baked, mashed with coconut cream, ginger and garlic, then piled back into their skins and baked until golden. It takes about 1 h 30 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 1 h 10 min
- Total
- 1 h 30 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 345 kcal
Kaukau is the Tok Pisin word for sweet potato, the main staple of the Papua New Guinea highlands, where it is boiled, roasted in embers or steamed in a mumu. This oven version is a home-style way to serve it. The soft flesh is mashed with coconut cream, ginger and garlic, returned to the skins and baked a second time until the tops turn golden and lightly toasted.
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork, set them on a tray and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until completely soft.
- While they bake, soften the onion in the oil over medium heat for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute more.
- Rest the sweet potatoes for 10 minutes. Cut each in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh, leaving a 5 mm (1/4 in) border so the skins hold their shape.
- Mash the flesh with the onion mixture, coconut cream, 3 tablespoons of coconut and the salt until fluffy but not completely smooth.
- Pile the mash back into the skins and sprinkle with the remaining coconut. Bake for 15 minutes, until the edges are golden.
- Scatter the spring onions over the top and serve hot.
Tips
- Orange-fleshed sweet potatoes bake up moist and sweet. Pale-fleshed ones are drier, so add a spoonful more coconut cream.
- Fill the skins up to 1 day ahead and keep them covered in the fridge. Bake for 20 minutes from cold.
Questions and answers
What does kaukau mean?
Kaukau is the Tok Pisin word for sweet potato. It is a major staple in Papua New Guinea, especially in the highlands.
How else is kaukau usually cooked?
Most often it is boiled, roasted in hot embers or steamed in a mumu with greens and meat. The oven recipe here is a modern home variation.
Can I make this ahead?
Yes. Fill the skins, cover them and chill for up to 1 day, then bake for about 20 minutes until hot and golden.
How long does it take to make Baked Kaukau with Coconut Cream, Ginger and Garlic?
About 1 h 30 min in total: 20 min of preparation and 1 h 10 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Baked Kaukau with Coconut Cream, Ginger and Garlic?
About 345 kcal per serving, with 5 g of protein, 53 g of carbohydrates and 13 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 345 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 53 g |
| Fat | 13 g |
| Fiber | 9 g |
| Sugar | 15 g |
| Sodium | 360 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
