Solomon Islands yam cake — grated yam mixed with coconut milk and salt, formed into small cakes and baked or fried until golden. A simple Solomons everyday side.
Yam cake draws on the yam cultivation that long predates European contact in the Solomon Islands, where the tuber is a staple of feasts and gardens alike. Grated and baked or steamed, it is island food at its most rooted.
Pick up a yam cake — golden-brown crust, pale-cream interior, scallion flecks. Bite: outside crispy from caramelization, inside dense and slightly chewy, with yam's earthy-starchy flavor and coconut milk's gentle sweetness. The scallion adds fresh allium note. Paired with kokorako or fish soup, this is everyday Solomons home cooking.
Grating creates the right texture. Coconut milk provides moisture and flavor. Crispy crust develops from contact with hot oil/oven.
Variations
With added grated coconut. With chili. With curry powder. With added taro. Smaller party-sized cakes. With added cassava.
On the Palate
Where Pana Yam Cake sits in the Solomon Islands flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4How it's made
7 steps · 25 min active · 35 min waiting
- 18 min
Peel 600 g yam; grate finely.
- 24 min
Mix grated yam with 200 ml coconut milk, 1 tsp salt, 1 tbsp chopped scallions.
- 34 min
Form into 8 small patties (about 1.5 cm thick).
- 49 min
Option A: heat 3 tbsp oil in a pan; pan-fry 4 min per side until golden.
- 526 min
Option B: bake at 200°C for 25 min on a parchment-lined sheet, flipping halfway.
- 61 min
Drain on paper towels (if fried).
- 71 min
Serve hot alongside coconut fish soup or kokorako chicken.
