Brought to the islands as a "canoe plant" by the early Polynesian voyagers, the breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) was an important food source for early Hawaiians; however it lost favor in the last couple of hundred years as new immigrants arrived to the islands bringing their own potatoes and rice.
Originally from the Philippines, the 'ulu can now be found growing through most of the islands in the Pacific Ocean, Southeast Asia and parts of the Caribbean.
Easy to grow and propagate, a single tree can produce up to 200 fruit, making it the ideal home garden or backyard crop. The 'ulu is a starchy and nutritious food source, loaded with carbohydrates and fiber, very low in fat and can be eaten at any stage of maturity. It can be boiled, steamed, roasted, fried, scalloped, mashed and prepared any way you would potatoes. Although the taste is bland on its own, the 'ulu absorbs the flavors of any other ingredients added. The fruit freezes well and can be easily saved for the months in which it is out of season.
Although there are hundreds of documented varieties of 'ulu, in Hawai'i the most popular varieties are the Samoan Ma'afala and the simply called Hawaiian breadruit.
The resurgence of breadfruit as a staple that could easily help relieve world hunger, has seen several festivals celebrated around the islands to introduce the fruit to many who are not familiar of how to use this food source.
The Cooking Contest site - a beautiful bamboo structure on the school grounds nestled among trees and within sound and smell of the ocean!
Kua O Ka Lā Public Charter School at Pū‘āla‘a on Red Road in Lower Puna
on the Island of Hawai'i was the host for a day of celebrating everything 'ulu this past Saturday, March 3rd. A part of the event was the Cooking Contest where every recipe required that 'ulu be the main ingredient.
The Cooking Contest Categories were, Appetizers, Entrée and Desserts.
Each entry was judged for: Best Use of Breadfruit; Taste; Appearance/Presentation, Originality and Healthiest Ingredients.
The following recipe was the First Place Winner in the Entrée Category and was also the recipient of the Healthiest Choice Award.
‘Ulu Puli‘al (spicy South Indian breadfruit poriyal)
1 ‘ulu
1/2 coconut, grated
2 teaspoons mustard seed
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon urid dal (optional)
1/4 teaspoon asafetida
10 (or so) small chiles, chopped
2 sprays of curry leaves, sliced
2” piece fresh ‘olena, grated
2” piece fresh ginger, grated
Juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon
Sea water (or salt) to taste
Culantro, minced
Quarter the ‘ulu, remove core, steam 20 minutes and mash (I leave the skin on). Put the mustard, cumin, dal and asafetida in a pan big enough to hold everything - you can add a little fat if you want (I used 1 teaspoon lard), or dry roast. Heat until the seeds begin to pop. Add the curry leaves and then the chiles, ‘olena, ginger and coconut, and stir. Add seawater and cook for a few minutes to reduce the liquid. Add mashed ‘ulu and mix thoroughly. Add lemon juice, adjusting amount for best balance of salty and sour. Serve hot or cold, alone or with avocado chunks. Sprinkle culantro on top.
Entry by: Ann Kobsa, Pahoa
Notes:
'canoe plants' - plants that travelled with the early settlers of the islands
‘ulu – Hawaiian word for breadfruit
urid or urad dal – (Vigna mungo) a legume
‘olena - turmeric
culantro - (Eryngium foetidum L., Apiaceae) is a biennial herb indigenous to continental Tropical America and the West Indies, not to be confused with cilantro.
For more information and recipes from the Puna Breadfruit Festival, please check the links below.
More recipes to come!
