Gollai ȧppan, pronounced gogh-lie aw-pan, comes in many forms for Chamorros. Gollai means vegetables and ȧppan means to evaporate or dry up. Thus, gollai ȧppan is a vegetable dish cooked with coconut milk that is simmered until the water has evaporated. There is a sweet version of gollai ȧppan made with sugar and cinnamon, and there is a savory version made with salt – some folks also use bacon or a piece of pig fat to flavor the savory dish. Gollai ȧppan dishes include breadfruit or gollai ȧppan lemmai (le-my), sweet cooking bananas or gollai ȧppan aga’ (a-ga), unripe cooking bananas or gollai ȧppan chotda (tsot-da), taro or gollai ȧppan suni (sue-knee), tropical sweet potatoes or gollai ȧppan kamuti (ka-moo-tea), and tapioca or gollai ȧppan mendioka (men-dyo-ka), and tropical yams or gollai ȧppan dȧgu/nika (daw-goo or knee-ka). Here is the link to my fave, gollai ȧppan aga’.
The savory version of gollai ȧppan suni mixed with kamuti is delectable as the sweetness of the kamuti pairs well with the saltiness of the coconut milk. The taro flavor and texture are also a nice compliment.
This recipe may be adapted to simply using enough coconut milk to cover about 2/3 of the cut vegetables and using enough salt or sugar to taste. Use a pot size that will fit your vegetables perfectly in one or two layers. This will enable you to use an optimal amount of coconut milk. You don’t want to use too much coconut milk because the water may not evaporate enough by the time the vegetables cook.
If using purple sweet potatoes, the milk will turn a pretty shade of purple-pink.
Both versions freeze and thaw very well. Video coming soon, but for now enjoy this Chamorro Cooking Freezer Food Ep1:
SAVORY VERSION
INGREDIENTS
Set 1
10 ounces or two medium sweet potatoes
7 ounces or two small taros
2 ½ cups thick coconut milk
Scant teaspoon of salt
Set 2
1 to 2 pieces of bacon, optional but delish
Tools: medium pot, potato peeler, knife, cutting board
DIRECTIONS
Scrub the outside of the sweet potatoes then skin with a potato peeler. Rinse.
Scrub the outside of the taro then skin with a knife on a cutting board. Rinse.
Heat bacon in the pot on medium heat to release its fat. The bacon doesn’t need to cook to a crisp.
In the mean, cut the sweet potatoes and the taro to 1 ½ inch thick pieces.
Once the fat has cooked out of the bacon, add a thin layer of coconut milk to coat the bottom of the pot. Add the taro, sweet potatoes, salt, then remaining coconut milk. Stir to mix. Bring to a gentle boil then reduce to a simmer. Taste the coconut milk and add a bit more salt if you like. If your stove doesn’t hold a simmer, crack open the lid of the pot and keep at a gentle boil.
Stir every now and then to keep the taro and potatoes from sticking to the bottom.
After about 35 minutes of simmering, use a fork to check for doneness. The taro will feel dense compared to the sweet potatoes, but you should be able to easily slide the tines of a fork through both. If not done, simmer another 5 to 10 minutes.
SWEET VERSION
If you prefer the sweet version, omit the bacon. A pinch of salt is optional. Cinnamon is a must.
INGREDIENTS
Set 1
10 ounces or two medium sweet potatoes
7 ounces or two small taros
2 ½ cups thick coconut milk
3 to 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
Cinnamon for sprinkling
Pinch of salt, optional
Tools: medium pot, potato peeler, knife, cutting board
DIRECTIONS
Scrub the outside of the sweet potatoes then skin with a potato peeler. Rinse.
Scrub the outside of the taro then skin with a knife on a cutting board. Rinse.
Cut the sweet potatoes and the taro to 1 ½ inch thick pieces.
Add a thin layer of coconut milk to coat the bottom of the pot. Add the taro, sweet potatoes, 3 tablespoons of sugar, cinnamon, pinch of salt, then remaining coconut milk. Stir to somewhat mix. Bring to a gentle boil then reduce to a simmer. Taste coconut milk. Add a bit more sugar if it’s not sweet enough for you. If your stove doesn’t hold a simmer, crack open the lid of the pot and keep at a gentle boil.
Stir every now and then to keep the taro and potatoes from sticking to the bottom.
After about 35 minutes of simmering, use a fork to check for doneness. The taro will feel dense compared to the sweet potatoes, but you should be able to easily slide the tines of a fork through both. If not done, simmer another 5 to 10 minutes.
Effective March 2021, PaulaQ will begin replacing Canola and vegetable/seed oils in recipes with pure lard from Reverence Farm, coconut oil, and avocado oil.
