Okay, let's start with the basics here: what are breadfruit and lilikoi?
Breadfruit, or 'ulu in Hawaiian, was one of the ‘canoe crops’ brought by early Polynesian voyagers to Hawaii centuries ago. There are uncountable proverbs and legends about 'ulu, in one of them the god Ku, fell in love with a mortal woman, married and started a family with her. During the time of a horrible famine, he transformed himself into a breadfruit tree to feed his family. The small root shoots that grew from the tree, were spread to family and friends and the source of all ‘ulu trees in the islands.
Lilikoi is passionfruit in Hawaiian that has a unique, heavenly delicious sweet and tangy flavor which adds an extra zing to whatever you choose to put it in.
Breadfruit is a very popular staple from Sri Lanka through Seychelles to Hawaii with hundreds of different recipes. This starchy 'fruit-veggie' is often used in savory dishes: you can slice and fry it like French fries, make a curry with it, use it instead of potato or rice as a side dish (for example make mashed breadfruit or gnocchi with it), make a casserole with it, a soup, or hummus. However, during the ripening process, the starch in breadfruit transforms into sugar, yielding a super creamy, smooth, custardy texture which makes it a perfect ingredient for desserts! Like what, you might ask. Breadfruit makes a killer coconut-breadfruit pudding, custard, popsicles, vegan pancakes or an out-of-this-world delicious lilikoi-breadfruit pie that we made the other day! It was incredibly creamy, dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, sugar-free and RAW!
Plus, breadfruit is not only delicious, but also good for you, as it contains a good amount of potassium, calcium, copper, magnesium, iron, and fiber. :)
Ingredients
Filling:
1 medium size, very ripe breadfruit
1/2 cup coconut flakes
1/4 cup coconut or almond flour
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup lilikoi juice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup coconut oil
Crust:
1 cup almonds or macadamia nuts (or mixed)
1 cup coconut flakes
2 tablespoons of dried dates or raisins
1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
coconut oil for greasing
Directions
To make the crust, place all the crust ingredients in a food processor and blend until you have a nice, crunchy consistency. Use coconut oil to grease a spring form pan or a round pie pan. Press the crust on the bottom and on the sides. Tip: grease your hands to make this process easier and less sticky. :)
To make the filling, cut the breadfruit in half and remove the core. Scoop the creamy flesh into the food processor with a spoon. Blend it with the other filling ingredients until it's smooth. Spread the filling over the crust with a spatula, and freeze for about 1 hour to set.
Enjoy this totally guilt-free, 100% raw beauty!
PS. breadfruit is seasonal and not always available so make sure to pick up a breadfruit next time you see one at the Napili Farmers Market!