Urap Piyai

My first post contained slippery cabbage, and I haven't really explained why it's so great. Slippery cabbage is like the wonder nutrient food of the Solomons. High in minerals (especially magnesium, potassium and calcium), vitamins (specifically Vit A) and protein, this stuff grows like a weed, has that lovely "mmmm green stuff makem mi helti" taste and is easy to cook.

Another veggie here that is used a lot is fern. There are a few different fern leaves that are eaten, I think the one I've been buying is pucha. High in protein and potassium.

Then there's water spinach - kangkong. This isn't anything new, I've had this a lot across Asia. Good source of protein and quite high in calcium, iron, Vit A and Vit C.

Altogether, makem urap piyai.

Urap Piyai

1 bunch fern leaf
1 bunch slippery cabbage
1 bunch kangkong/water spinach 
5 shallots
1/2 coconut, grated
4 tbsp coconut oil (cheap cheap at the market)
chilli peppers
Garlic - I go overboard on garlic

Wash all the leafy material, boil and put aside. Slice the shallots thinly, and lightly fry them with the chilli, garlic, grated coconut and coconut oil. Mix in with the cooked leafy stuff and serve.

Hem tasti.

Masi Masi

This has been my most exciting Solomons discovery. First had it at the markets in Gizo, and always had in the back of my mind "really? Really, is it vegan? You promise?" - it's that good. Once I got the recipe out of them, I proceeded to pig myself out on the stuff every night. AUD$2 buys me more than I can actually eat.

Solomon Islands version:

Slippery cabbage (taro leaf if you're desperate - I recommend against that)
3 or 4 taro
Enough baked ngali nut to make 1 litre of paste
Water
Salt to taste
Banana leaf for wrapping in the oven

Slice taro about 1cm thick. Mix together nuts, water and salt to make a paste. Heat the banana leaf over the fire so it's soft enough to wrap. Lay banana leaf out on cutting board, so it's big enough to wrap the entire masimasi. Layer one cabbage or leaf, spread nut paste over the leaf, put a slice of taro over the paste. Repeat for about thee or four layers. Fold and wrap in the softened banana leaf, and bake in motu (stone oven) for approximately 3 hours.


Waetfela version:

Slippery cabbage - if you don't know what it looks like, ask. When they've stopped laughing they'll show you.
3 or 4 taro, or miscellaneous potato-shaped roots that you can't quite discern between in the market...
Ngali nut. Lots of ngali nut. Make up the packet you get from Bulk Store and see if that does the job.
Water
Salt
Casserole dish of some kind

Slice taro about 1cm thick - or as thin as you can get without slicing your fingers (for me... about 5cm). Mix together nuts, water and salt to make a paste - mortar and pestle great for this. In the casserole dish, layer one slippery cabbage bit, spread nut paste over the cabbage, put a slice of taro over the paste. Repeat for about thee or four layers. Cover in baking paper if you brought it with you from Australia. Cook in gas oven for about 1 hour.

About six weeks ago, I packed up my life in Australia and moved to the Solomon Islands for work.

The last six weeks have been brilliant. I've met some amazing people, travelled to the provinces for my job, seen some pretty amazing projects and in my spare time get to do everyday activities like snorkelling over beautiful reefs and lazing on a beach in a hammock.

But.

I've been a vegan for 10 years. Vegetarian for longer. I have travelled every continent (sans Antarctica) and have always managed to live fairly well, with a few exceptions (the occasional night of rice with soy sauce, repeated; or a dinner consisting of a mango - not many complaints on that). However, most of my living experience outside of comfy Australia has been either Europe - easy easy - or Asia - more easy easy. Suddenly I am without my dozen varieties of fresh fruit and vegetables - without my constant supply of tofu and/or tempeh - without my precious soymilk and nutritional yeast and TVP and tinned beans... Everything that arrives in the Solomon Islands arrives by boat, it is unreliable, inconsistent and unpredictable.

Which is a bit exciting.

I still love the Solomons even without being able to satisfy my food cravings. But one thing has struck me is the total lack of recipes available that use the most common ingredients in this country. Let alone recipes that have been veganised. Fish is your basic essential ingredient here, and failing fish, there's chicken. Even trying to clarify with the waiter whether she means she put "milk from cow" or "milk from coconut" in your food is harder than it should be.

So, I need a library of all my Solomon Islands-friendly vegan recipes. And if any other vegetarian or vegan, recently moved to the Solomons, navigating the craziness of Honiara Market, strolling alongside Gizo Market, or staring in puzzlement at what's available in Auki, benefits from this... then great.