Papua New Guinea

Recipes from Papua New Guinea

Chicken Pot Pie (Adapted to Port Moresby)


one chicken cut into serving pieces
a little oil
bunch of green onions
pumpkin tips
cobs of corn
2 coconuts for cream
salt to taste
curry powder to taste


1. Place chicken in the pot with a little oil if necessary.
2. Chop kaukau and place on top of chicken.
3. Coarsely chop green onion and add.
4. Coarsely chop pumpkin tips and add.
5. Peel and break corn to place on top of greens.
6. Squeeze coconut milk over the meat and vegetables to cover.
7. Cover and bring to a boil.
8. Cook gently for 30-40 minutes.
9. Add salt and curry powder.
10. Serve as a meal. You could separate the vegetables and meat for serving and place the liquid in a container to serve as a sauce or soup.

Bully Beef

Corned Beef - (Medina High School Style).


corned beef (one tin)
coconut cream


1. Cook the rice.
2. Make layers of the rice, corned beef and tomatoes.
3. Pour enough coconut cream over the layers to dampen it all with it.
4. Bake until it is hot.

Chicken and Vegetables


butter for browning
1 chicken cut into serving pieces
1 coconut for cream
enough vegetables to serve 6 people:
onions, etc.
tapioca, yam, banana, pumpkin, kauhau

1. Brown the chicken in a little butter in a heavy frying pan (electric if you have one).
2. Add peeled, washed and chopped vegetables to frying pan.
3. Cover with coconut cream.
4. Add a little salt, chopped onions and any seasoning to taste.
5. Cover and cook slowly until vegetables are tender, about half an hour.
Mumu in a Drum (Adapted from the Highlands)
an empty and clean 5 gallon drum
smooth stones to cover the bottom of the drum
large banana or other leaves


1 or 2 chickens
piece of pork
starchy vegetables
2 or more coconuts for cream

1. Wash and peel the vegetables and coarsely chop or break into serving size pieces.
2. Wash and clean greens. Coarsely chop if they are very large.
3. Chop the chicken and pork into large pieces.
4. Grate coconut.
5. Clean drum. If it has never been used for cooking before burn any possible residue.
6. Cover the bottom of the drum with rocks.
7. Place the banana leaves on top of the rocks.
8. Add root vegetables placing the longest cooking at the bottom.
9. Add pork pieces and then chicken pieces.
10. Place greens on top of the meat or vegetables.
11. Squeeze coconut cream over the food. Traditionally Highlanders don't use coconut cream but some of them living on the coast have developed a taste for coconut flavour. The more coconut cream you use the richer your food will be.
12. Cover all the food in the drum with banana leaves tucking the ends between the food and the side of the drum.
13. Place the drum on a grated over an open fire and cook for two or three hours.
14. Take the food out of the drum and serve on clean banana leaves. Separate the meat from the vegetables.
15. Eat with your hands.


1. Use a boiler such as those equipped behind many of the older admin houses. Place leaves, stones and food inside the boiler as you would inside a drum. Build the fire underneath.
2. Use a very large cooking pot over a gas or electric stove. This is a cleaner method but not as smoky tasting.