I have named this Pacific Island Salad due to it being inspired from my year working as a Dietitian in Tonga. Pacific Islanders use coconut (cream, flesh, water) throughout their cooking, and often have a more limited food supply than ours. Locally grown fruit and vegetables may be limited by soil conditions (often sandy) and local knowledge. While in Tonga I tasted something similar to our traditional ‘coleslaw’ but with some very distinctive differences! Here is my version, see what you think:
1/3 – 1/2 Cabbage, finely chopped (I use common cabbage as is available in Tonga, but wombok would work well too)
2 carrots, grated
1/3 small pineapple, very finely chopped
1 red capsicum, finely chopped
Dressing: combine about 1/3 tin of coconut cream (of course in Tonga they use fresh from the coconut) + juice of 1 lime. Pour over salad and toss (you may not need to use all the dressing).
Optional: slivered almonds or chopped walnuts to sprinkle on top (not available in Tonga, but does make tasty and nutritious addition)
