The holiday season is here, and UH News is asking members of the University of Hawaiʻi ʻohana to share their favorite recipes. The hope is these recipes and the short stories that accompany them will give everyone some ideas for eats throughout the holidays along with some good feelings of the season.
In a heartfelt nod to both heritage and sustainability, this plant-based Garlic ʻUlu Mash recipe celebrates Thanksgiving with a Hawaiʻi-inspired twist on classic mashed potatoes. Featuring ʻulu or breadfruit, this dish brings both ʻono (flavor) and meaning to the table for Kapiʻolani Community College’s Kohlby Soong, internship support specialist and facilitator of the Māla Māunuunu—a dryland environment that promotes the succession of Native Hawaiian and Polynesian flora and natural resources.
“This Thanksgiving dish is important to me because it allows my ʻohana to eat from our ʻāina and to eat the food of our ancestors,” Soong said. “ʻUlu is an important food to the Hiva Moana (Oceanic) people because this tree crop can sustain a village. It is essential that my family reclaims their ʻono and diet towards a more sustainable Hawaiʻi by eating the foods that are birthed from our soils.”
This recipe begins with a garlic confit, slowly roasted garlic cloves infused in oil, which are mashed together with the ʻUlu, miso paste, and plant-based milk to achieve a creamy texture.
“Making it plant-based, allows for inclusivity for all my family to enjoy and most of them don’t even notice there’s no butter in it because the umami flavor level is there. Try it out!” added Soong.
Garlic ʻUlu Mash (plant-based)
Ingredients
- 4 ʻulu/breadfruit
- 3 bulbs of garlic
- 4 cups of avocado or olive oil
- 2 cups of plain plant milk
- 2 tablespoons of miso paste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: seasonings (garlic powder, thyme etc.)
Method
Peel the garlic cloves
In a small roasting pan, place the whole garlic cloves, and submerge in oil until covered. Optional: add a sprig of thyme, and a pinch of salt.
Roast garlic on 250F for about 1.5–2 hours (make sure it does not burn).
Wash and peel your ʻulu.
Poke (cube) your ʻulu to about 2 inch cubes. When cutting, soak the cubes in room temp water to avoid browning.
Bring a large pot of water to boil.
Boil the ʻulu for about 30–40 mins (until it is able to mash)
When the ʻulu is ready to mash, assemble all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl and whip it together. Mash the ʻulu, and most of the garlic confit cloves (save some for garnish), add about half a cup of garlic oil, and then the miso paste. Slowly add in the plant milk to your desired consistency.
Season to your liking.
Garnish with leftover confit garlic cloves.
Note: Add the solid garlic cloves into the mixture, avoid dumping all the oil in. You can save the rest of the garlic oil for other future dishes.
