Learn how to make some delicious island style coconut dumplings using only a handful of ingredients. They are great to add to your stew, soup or to serve as a side dish to some of your favourite Caribbean cuisines.
I have so many variations of dumplings on my website - Cornmeal Dumplings, Cassava Dumplings, Boiled Dumplings so here is another to add to the list. These dumplings are made with coconut and are definitely my favourite by far.
I personally didn't grow up on dumplings that had coconut in them, it's more of an Eastern Caribbean thing but since discovering them curtesy of family friends from St Kitts and Nevis I am officially hooked.
Coconut dumplings are usually made with fresh coconut that is grated and combined with flour, water with a dash of salt and sugar (optional).
I have seen another version where only coconut milk is used but I prefer to use some form of shredded/grated coconut because it tastes better in my opinion.
Living in the diaspora means that getting hold of fresh coconut can prove to be a challenge at times.
To make things more user friendly, I used shredded coconut because it is so convenient and more accessible.
You can do the same or use fresh coconut and grate it to keep things more authentic. I also like to re-hydrate the shredded coconut first and foremost.
I do so by pulsing it in my blender with some water to break down the coconut so it resembles freshly grated coconut.
I also like to add some coconut milk when I'm forming the dough, this is an optional step but you can use water instead, if you want to.
The steps
- Fill a ¾ of a large saucepan with water, bring to the boil and add ½ teaspoon of pink salt.
- Meanwhile, add the shredded coconut to the blender.
- Start to add some of the warm water, a little at a time until the coconut breaks down into what looks like soft grated coconut/almost like a paste.
- Place the flour, sugar and pink salt in a bowl and whisk to evenly combine.
- Add the coconut to the centre of the bowl.
- Add a small amount of coconut milk/water and proceed to knead to make a dough ball (how much liquid you use will vary, you may need more or less than what is stated).
- Once the dough has been made, it should be firm, not sticky, if it is sticky, add more flour until the desired results are achieved.
- Pinch off about a golf ball sized amount of dough, roll into a ball and then flatten it (about ½ inch) so it looks like a flat disc. Repeat this step with the rest of the dough.
- Carefully lower each dumpling into the pot of boiling water.
- Boil the dumpling for roughly 15 minutes (they will start to float when they are ready).
- Use a slotted spoon to remove them.
The best gluten free flour to use
Here are a few flour blends that I recommend
- Krusteaz Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Blend
- King Arthur Measure For Measure Flour
- Bob Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour
Bob Red Mills is the most convenient for me to get hold of. I don't recommend buckwheat or brown rice because of the texture and after taste.
In my humble opinion, it gives off a weird taste when mixed with the coconut.
Note and tips
- Keep the saucepan with water boiling while you make the dumplings, don't remove it from the stove or switch it off.
- The water MUST be piping hot when adding the dumpling or you may compromise the texture.
- Adding the sugar helps to balance out the flavour from the coconut and pink salt. I used powder coconut sugar so it blends in more seemingly but raw cane sugar works too.
- The total amount dumplings you make will vary depending on their size. I made 7 in total.
- To ensure you have an even amount of dumplings then split the dough into equal portions.
- Feel free to use fresh coconut instead, if you find this more accessible.
- If you plan to add these dumplings to a stew or soup, please boil for at least 15 minutes so the dumplings have time to cook through.
More recipes to try these dumplings with
- Jamaican Stew Peas (vegan)
- Red Peas Soup (vegan)
- Ital Stew (vegan)
- Stewed Kidney Beans(vegan)
- Oxtail Stew
- Stew Beef
- Caribbean Stewed Fish
- Ackee and Saltfish
- Mutton Soup
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Caribbean Boiled Coconut Dumplings
Ingredients
To re-hydrate the coconut
- 1¼ cup shredded coconut (95g)
- warm water (350ml)(roughly 1½ cups)
To make the dumpling
- 3 cups gluten free flour (458g) I used Bob Red Mills 1 to 1 flour
- 2 tablespoon sugar I used powdered coconut sugar
- ½ teaspoon pink salt (24g)
- 1½ cups coconut milk (350ml) can use water instead
Instructions
To re-hydrate the coconut
- Fill a ¾ of a large saucepan with water, bring to the boil and add ½ teaspoon of pink salt.
- Meanwhile, add the shredded coconut to the blender.
- Start to add some of the warm water, a little at a time until the coconut breaks down into what looks like soft grated coconut/almost like a paste.
To make the dumplings
- Place the flour, sugar and pink salt in a bowl and whisk to evenly combine.
- Add the coconut to the centre of the bowl.
- Add a small amount of coconut milk/water and proceed to knead to make a dough ball (how much liquid you use will vary, you may need more or less than what is stated).
- Once the dough has been made, it should be firm, not sticky, if it is sticky, add more flour until the desired results are achieved.
- Pinch off about a golf ball sized amount of dough, roll into a ball and then flatten it (about ½ inch) so it looks like a flat disc. Repeat this step with the rest of the dough.
- Carefully lower each dumpling onto the pot of boiling water.
- Boil the dumpling for roughly 15 minutes (they will start to float when they are ready).
- Use a slotted spoon to remove them.
Notes
- Keep the saucepan with water boiling while you make the dumplings, don't remove it from the stove or switch it off.
- The water MUST be piping hot when adding the dumpling or you may compromise the texture.
- Adding the sugar helps to balance out the flavour from the coconut and pink salt. I used powder coconut sugar so it blends in more seemingly but raw cane sugar works too.
- The total amount dumplings you make will vary depending on their size. I made 7 in total.
- To ensure you have an even amount of dumplings then split the dough into equal portions.
- Feel free to use fresh coconut instead, if you find this more accessible.
- If you plan to add these dumplings to a stew or soup, please boil for at least 15 minutes so the dumplings have time to cook through.
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