It was originally made by grating fresh coconut and using local fruits such as mountain apple (fekika) or oceanic plum (vi).
With the arrival of Europeans to the islands, the recipe evolved to include introduced ingredients, with watermelon becoming the main feature. Today, it is by far the most commonly used ingredient for making this dessert.
The watermelon version is called ʻOtai Meleni and it is traditionally served alongside hearty meals and barbecues, as it is refreshing and helps cleanse the palate.
It's easy to make and requires no cooking at all, making it the perfect recipe for summer.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 Watermelon.
- 1 can coconut milk.
- 2 tablespoon sugar.
- 100 grams grated coconut.
- 1 can water.
- Breakfast Crackers.
Preparation:
1- Cut the watermelon and grate it. Traditionally, this is done using a fork.
This drink should contain small pieces of watermelon—it should not be blended.
2- Add the grated coconut and stir well.
3- Add one can of coconut milk and the same amount of water. Add the sugar, stir until well combined, and it's ready.
Refrigerate until well chilled before serving.
4- To serve, pour the ʻOtai into a glass and crumble one or two crackers (saltine crackers) over the top. In Tonga, it's very common to serve it this way, and the salty crackers pair surprisingly well with the sweet, refreshing drink—so I encourage you to give it a try!
You can adjust the amount of sugar to suit your taste.
You can also watch the recipe at my Youtube Channel:
Here you have my favourite cooking tools: https://viaja-en-mi-cocina-english.blogspot.com/2023/05/shop.html
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| Tonga |
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