Island Feast | What you'll need

We've compiled a list of cooking tools that will help you recreate Peter Kuruvita's favourite island dishes for yourself.

Source: Island Feast

Bamboo steamers

These are particularly useful for steaming meat and fish. Many Asian grocery stores stock them in a number of different sizes.

Banana leaves

Banana leaves make an ideal parcel for cooking meat and fish and can be found in most Asian grocery stores.

Barbecue

Open coals or flames are best but a barbecue is a great alternative for cooking meat and fish, as well as grilling vegetables.

Coconut scraper

This tool is useful for grating fresh coconut flesh. Some are free-standing, while others come with a screw-on mechanism for the tabletop.

Knives

Good quality, sharp knives are essential for cutting Island staples like seafood and meat. 

Mortar and pestle

Usually made of stone, this duo of tools is essential for grinding fresh spices for all types of Island cuisine. Freshly ground spices have a stronger and more robust flavour than pre-ground ones and make a big difference to the taste of the dish. 

Pots of varying sizes

Large pots are ideal for cooking rice and boiling meats and vegetables. Smaller ones can be used to make sambal and sauces.

Sieves

Sieves are handy for discarding whole spices, as well as meat and fish bones when making a stock. 

Spit

A spit is ideal for cooking large portions of meat over open coals and is a good alternative for the umu, an underground earth oven used in some Island nations.

Wok

A wok is fundamental for stir-frying and deep-frying, and even for steaming, searing and boiling. Its rounded shape helps to evenly distribute heat throughout the pan.