Haupia

I'm grateful for modern conveniences.

In old Hawaii, families would grate starchy arrowroot (pia) into a bowl of water, rinsing it as many times as needed until it lost all bitterness. The remaining pulp was strained, mixed with coconut milk, carefully wrapped in ti leaves then steamed in an imu. A few hours later, out came haupia.

Between you and me, that's too much work. I'm all about learning how to do things from scratch, but even I gotta draw the line somewhere.

These days, I just grab a bag of coconut milk from the freezer, mix in cornstarch and sugar then cook until it thickens. Total time: maybe 15 minutes.

I've tested this recipe with both arrowroot powder and cornstarch and cornstarch is the consistent winner. The arrowroot powder I've found in health food stores or online is the harsher West Indian variety, whose bitter edge clashes with the silky sweetness of haupia. Hawaiian arrowroot is apparently mellower... and completely unavailable for purchase.

• 12 oz. coconut (frozen preferred, but canned works well too)
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/3 cup + 1T cornstarch
• 3/4 c. cold water

Combine the coconut milk and sugar in an appropriately sized saucepan and bring to a boil. Combine water and starch separately then mix slowly into the hot pot. The key here is to prevent the cornstarch from clumping. Slow and smooth.

Stir constantly to a "light trace," where dragging a wooden spoon across the surface leaves a trail that doesn't immediately collapse on itself. Pour immediately into an 8x8 inch pan and allow to cool to room temperature before cutting into squares.

See how easy that was (especially without all the grating, rinsing, and digging an earthen oven in the backyard)?

This post is part of my long-running Hawaiian luau series.