National Dish Tonga: Lu Pulu (Recipe)
In this article
Lu Pulu is corned beef and onion wrapped in taro leaves with coconut cream and baked. Tinned corned beef is the traditional meat, not a modern shortcut: it arrived with trade in the nineteenth century and became a Pacific staple.
About Lu Pulu
Lu means taro leaves, pulu means beef. The leaves are stacked into a cup, filled with meat, onion and coconut cream, folded closed and baked in the ‘umu, the earth oven, until the leaves collapse.
The leaves must be cooked thoroughly. Raw taro leaf contains calcium oxalate and stings the throat.
Ingredients (serves 1–2)
- 500 g beef, cut into cubes
- 1 tin coconut milk (400 ml)
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- Fresh parsley, to garnish
- Taro leaves or spinach, for wrapping
Shopping for the ingredients
Frozen taro leaves from Pacific and Asian shops are already blanched. Corned beef from a tin is the authentic version and Tongans use it without embarrassment. Full-fat coconut cream, pressed fresh if you can.
Preparing the dish
Stack five or six taro leaves to make a cup. Fill it, fold the leaves over and wrap the parcel in foil so nothing escapes. Bake low and long: the leaves need at least an hour.
Step-by-step instructions
- Heat a little oil in a pan and sauté the onions and garlic until soft.
- Add the beef and brown it well on all sides.
- Stir in the ginger, salt, pepper and soy sauce until evenly combined.
- Stack taro leaves into cups, spoon the meat mixture in and pour coconut milk over each.
- Fold the leaves over to enclose and wrap each parcel in foil.
- Bake at 180°C for 1 to 1.5 hours, until the leaves are completely tender.
- Serve hot in the parcel, garnished with parsley.
Gluten-free / lactose-free version
The dish contains no dairy. Soy sauce contains wheat; use tamari. Taro leaves and coconut are naturally gluten-free.
Tips for vegans and vegetarians
Palusami, the same parcel with coconut cream and onion but no meat, is the traditional vegan version and is a real dish in its own right. Nothing needs inventing.
More tips and tricks
Cook the leaves at least an hour, which is a safety point as much as texture. Wrap the parcels tightly. And use coconut cream rather than milk, since the fat is what makes the leaves silky rather than watery.
Adapting the recipe to your taste
Lu sipi uses mutton, lu moa chicken. Tinned corned beef is the most common version in Tongan homes. Onion is essential.
Ingredient substitutions
Spinach or chard replace taro leaves, with a much shorter cooking time. Foil for the outer wrap. Corned beef, fresh beef or mutton all work.
Drink pairing ideas
Fresh coconut water, niu. Otai, the fruit and coconut drink. Kava at ceremonial occasions, which is a separate matter entirely.
Serving and presentation ideas
Serve the parcels closed and let people open their own, with talo or boiled cassava alongside. It is Sunday food in Tonga, cooked in the ‘umu after church.
A bit of history
Sunday in Tonga is constitutionally a day of rest, and the ‘umu is prepared on Saturday and opened after the morning service. Lu pulu is central to that meal. It anchors Tongan cuisine.
More recipe ideas
Summary: Lu Pulu
Lu pulu is beef and onion baked in taro leaves with coconut cream. Cook the leaves at least an hour, wrap the parcels tightly, and use coconut cream rather than milk.
