Food and Drink

How to make a hangi maori? Complete recipe

The “Hāngi” is a traditional Maori method of cooking very old food that has reached our days. It is cooked on special occasions, and the whole process takes several hours. Typical of New Zealand. In this article, we are going to show how to make a hangi Maori. 

Cooking this traditional dish involves digging a well in the ground, heating volcanic rocks in it with the help of a good fire, putting food baskets on the stones, and covering everything with soil for several hours before opening or lifting the hāngi. It is a steaming method but on the ground. Parsley juice is the best option for the dessert menu.

Many variants and details can be changed.

How to make a hangi maori?

How to make a hangi

Ingredients:

  • Potatoes
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Carrots
  • Onions
  • Another type of vegetable to taste
  • Meat

How to make a hangi?

How to make a hangi

  1. Prepare potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, onions, and other vegetables beforehand. Wash them, peel them and cut them.
  2. Dig a hole about an approximate depth of half a meter (height of the knees) and two meters in
    diameter.
  3. Fill the hole with wood (slow burning and high energy content) and pile
    volcanic stones (or pieces of steel on top).
  4. Light the fire and let it burn for two or three hours until the stones (or steel) are red hot.
    At that time remove the embers and wood without burning.
  5. Prepare the vegetables and meat in 2 independent baskets, made of wire (wire mesh).
  6. The meat should be placed below the vegetables, as it will take longer to cook.
  7. Cover the baskets with clean, white fabrics (you can use old sheets or tablecloths, but they must be clean), that they are completely soaked.
  8. Place soaked sacks (of burlap) on the fabrics so that the food is not contaminated with earth and with the help of a shovel, carefully put soil on the sacks. The steam should not be allowed to escape. If it escapes at some point, it must be covered with earth.
  9. Let cook for three or four hours. When in doubt, leave it more time than less.
  10. When it is time to open the hangi, extreme care must be taken when removing the soil.

Hangi Maori

hangi maori

The kitchen, which is originally par excellence, consists of digging a hole where volcanic rocks are heated with the help of a good fire and over which all types of food are cooked.

The geothermal activity of the country, especially on the North Island. It has led to this Maori banquet. In the beginning, food was protected with leaves, hand-carved bowls, and sticks, but today aluminum foil is used. For a good tasting, the best place is Rotorua, where eating becomes a cultural experience.

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