Bajan Conkies

Ingredients

• 250 g fine yellow cornmeal
• 150 g plain flour
• 250 g freshly grated coconut
• 250 g pumpkin, coarsely grated
• 250 g sweet potato, coarsely grated
• 250 g dark brown sugar
• 150 g butter, melted
• 250 ml coconut milk
• 100 g raisins
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp almond or vanilla essence
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 12 pieces of banana leaf, about 25 cm square

Before you cook

• Grate the coconut, pumpkin and sweet potato on the coarse side of a box grater.
• Mix the cornmeal, flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt in a very large bowl.
• Stir the grated coconut, pumpkin, sweet potato and raisins into the dry mixture.
• Pour in the melted butter, coconut milk and essence, and mix to a thick dropping batter.
• Cover the batter and let it stand for 20 minutes so the cornmeal swells.

Steps

1. Pass each banana leaf square briefly over a gas flame, or dip it in boiling water, until it turns glossy and pliable.
2. Set up a large steamer and bring the water beneath it to a rolling boil.
3. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of batter into the centre of a softened leaf.
4. Fold the leaf over the batter into a neat parcel and tuck the ends underneath.
5. Wrap the rest of the batter the same way.
6. Stack the parcels seam-side down in the steamer basket.
7. Steam for 50 minutes, topping up the water beneath whenever it runs low.
8. Unwrap one corner of a conkie to test it, looking for a firm batter that pulls away from the leaf.
9. Lift the parcels out and rest them for 15 minutes so they set.
10. Serve them warm, still in their leaves, for everyone to unwrap at the table.