Purini

Purini is a Fijian steamed dessert made with wheat flour and coconut cream or milk. The dessert is prepared with a mixture of flour, baking powder and baking soda, that is combined with hot coconut cream or milk. The pudding-like mixture is then added to a greased pot or tin and steamed until thoroughly cooked. It is typically flavored with vanilla essence, but it can also be enhanced with cinnamon, nutmeg, or cloves. Mashed bananas or raisins can also be added to the mixture. With a mild sweetness and a moist texture, this steamed pudding is usually accompanied by custard or butter and a cup of tea on the side. Purini is traditionally steamed within a calico cloth sprinkled with flour, which gives the dessert a soft, rubberlike membrane on the exterior. This traditional Fijian dessert is similar to the Samoan puligi and the Tongan puteni.