Instant Pot Kulolo Recipe Using Only 3 Ingredients (2024)

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Instant Pot kulolo: Kulolo or taro pudding is a classic Hawaiian dessert. Warm, chewy, rich, dark brown pieces of kulolo made easily in the comfort of your home using an Instant Pot. My favorite!

Instant Pot Kulolo Recipe Using Only 3 Ingredients (1)

Kūlolo is a popular Hawaiian dessert here in the islands made of ground kalo or taro, raw sugar, and coconut milk. Traditional kulolo is made in an imu or underground oven and steamed or baked for hours.

Today, kulolo is often baked in the oven or steamed in a steamer. This process is very time consuming, however I have got a way to make kulolo in the Instant Pot and will cut your cook time down tremendously.

The Instant Pot is an electronic pressure cooker and has become a very popular kitchen countertop appliance. This is the Instant Pot I have.

Instant Pot Kulolo Recipe Using Only 3 Ingredients (2)

What is kulolo made of?

Instant Pot Kulolo Recipe Using Only 3 Ingredients (3)

Recipe from this post.

What is kalo (taro)?

Kalo is a root vegetable popular in Hawaiian cuisine. Both the root and the leaves can be eaten when cooked properly. Kalo contains calcium oxalate crystals that can cause a very unpleasant itch in the back of your throat if not broken down by the cooking process. The calcium oxalate crystals can also cause itch to bare skin. If you have sensitive skin I would recommend using gloves when grating the raw kalo.

What type of kalo do I use to make kulolo?

There are many different varieties of kalo. Some grown in the ʻāina wai or wetlands and others in the ʻāina malo’o or dry land. The mana or lauloa variety of kalo make for great kulolo and are both grown on dry land.

***The Chinese variety of kalo like Bun-Long is common in grocery stores and works well to make taro chips, but DOES NOT work well to make kulolo.***

The University of Hawai’i at Manoa has great resource on kalo varieties. You can check it out here.

Instant Pot Kulolo Recipe Using Only 3 Ingredients (4)

How long does it take to make kulolo in the Instant Pot?

Two and a half hours and best if cooled overnight to set. Yes, I know two and a half hours sounds like quite a long time, however the traditional method of making kulolo takes hours to make. Making two and half hours seem like no time at all.

How long does Instant Pot kulolo last?

Kulolo stored in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap will keep at room temperature for about 3-4 days.

Can you freeze kulolo?

Instant Pot Kulolo Recipe Using Only 3 Ingredients (5)

You can freeze kulolo wrapped in plastic wrap or the plastic wrap alternative of your choice and placed in an airtight container for a few months. When ready to eat defrost at room temperature and microwave to warm up if you’d like to eat it warm.

What goes well with kulolo?

You can eat kulolo on its own as a dessert or snack. I also enjoy eating it alongside a scoop of coconut ice cream. Or pair it with the ultimate Hawaiian meal of laulau, luau stew, kalua pig, chicken long rice, pohole salad, and lomi salmon.

How to make Instant Pot kulolo?

Set Instant Pot to saute mode.

Line an 8 inch by 2 inch deep cake pan with foil. I have a 6 quart Instant Pot and this will fit perfectly. Be sure to find a pan that will fit your Instant Pot. Set aside.

In a large bowl add kalo, sugar, and coconut milk. Stir until well combined.

Pour mixture in to prepared pan. Cover tightly with foil.

Add 1 cup of water to the Instant Pot. Place trivet in the Instant Pot followed by the cake pan. If you do not have a trivet you can roll a piece of foil to elevate the cake pan.

Place the lid on and set to sealing. Press cancel to end saute mode. Cook on manual high pressure for 150 minutes. Allow natural pressure release until safety pin has dropped and the lid is unlocked.

Allow to cool overnight. Slice in to pieces and serve. Enjoy!

Instant Pot Kulolo Recipe Using Only 3 Ingredients (6)

Instant Pot Kulolo Recipe

Relle Lum

Instant Pot kulolo: Kulolo or taro pudding is a classic Hawaiian dessert. Warm, chewy, rich, dark brown pieces of kulolo made easily in the comfort of your home using an Instant Pot. My favorite!

4.56 from 90 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Servings 4 -6 servings

Calories 186 kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 cups taro grated
  • 3/4 cups raw sugar
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk

Instructions

  • Set Instant Pot to saute mode.

  • Line an 8 inch by 2 inch deep cake pan with foil. I have a 6 quart Instant Pot and this will fit perfectly. Be sure to find a pan that will fit your Instant Pot. Set aside.

  • In a large bowl add kalo, sugar, and coconut milk. Stir until well combined.

  • Pour mixture in to prepared pan. Cover tightly with foil.

  • Add 1 cup of water to the Instant Pot. Place trivet in the Instant Pot followed by the cake pan. If you do not have a trivet you can roll a piece of foil to elevate the cake pan.

  • Place the lid on and set to sealing. Cook on manual high pressure for 150 minutes. Allow natural pressure release.

  • Allow to cool overnight. Slice in to pieces and serve. Enjoy!

Notes

* The Chinese variety of taro (like Bun-Long) works well to make chips, but DOES NOT work well to make kulolo. Look for the mana or lauloa variety of taro if possible.

* Kulolo is sticky and best cut with a plastic knife or a butter knife wrapped in saran wrap or sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

* Store in an airtight container.

*Recipe from this post.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 186kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 1gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 15mgFiber: 2gSugar: 22g

Keyword coconut milk, desserts, hawaii desserts, Hawaii food, hawaiian desserts, Hawaiian food, Instant Pot, instant pot kulolo, kalo, keeping it relle, kulolo, raw sugar, taro

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Instant Pot Kulolo Recipe Using Only 3 Ingredients (7)

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Instant Pot Kulolo Recipe Using Only 3 Ingredients (2024)

FAQs

Instant Pot Kulolo Recipe Using Only 3 Ingredients? ›

How do you store Kulolo? Keep kulolo wrapped tight, and at room temperature. Fresh kulolo is good for 3-4 days. If you have a leftovers, put the kulolo in the fridge to firm up, then slice and pan fry like we do with Chinese nian gau!

Do you need to refrigerate Kulolo? ›

How do you store Kulolo? Keep kulolo wrapped tight, and at room temperature. Fresh kulolo is good for 3-4 days. If you have a leftovers, put the kulolo in the fridge to firm up, then slice and pan fry like we do with Chinese nian gau!

What is Kulolo made of? ›

Kūlolo is a Hawaiian dessert made with grated taro corms, grated coconut meat or coconut milk and sweetened with sugar. Kūlolo has a solid consistency, a mix between mochi and fudge and is often served cut into squares. Traditionally the kūlolo was placed into the imu and steamed for hours.

What do you eat with Kulolo? ›

As a topping with your kalua pork or lomi lomi salmon, eat it with a spoon/your fingers, or you can use it as a dipping sauce if you want. A Hawaiian dessert made primarily with baked or steamed grated taro corms and coconut meat/milk. It's a snack I've grown up with, and still love to this day!

What is Kulolo Poke? ›

Kūlolo is a Hawaiian dish made with taro and coconut. Considered a pudding, kūlolo has a chewy and solid consistency like fudge or Southeast Asian dodol, with a flavor similar to caramel or Chinese nian gao.

What is the best kalo for kulolo? ›

Manalauloa has a particularly sticky, gummy quality, which is prized locally. It is sweet and flavorful, generally used for salads and savory dishes at the table, rather than poi. It is considered the best kalo for making kulolo (a traditional dish made with coconut and kalo).

How do you keep kulolo? ›

I love Kulolo! Yes usually just stored at room temperature in plastic, as long as the room is not too hot. Keeping it honestly is never a problem as we usually consume it when we get it. Try pulling off some marble-sized pieces and eat it with ice cream!

Can I freeze kulolo? ›

He said the kūlolo can also be kept in a freezer indefinitely, and if one wants to eat it, can just place the plastic bag directly into boiling water for 15 minutes, let it cool, and it'll be as good as fresh.

Can you warm up kulolo? ›

We got you! Place swallow in microwave for 3 - 4 minutes depending on your microwave. Serve hot with soup or stew and enjoy!

What is the Hawaiian dish of taro? ›

Poi is a traditional staple food in the Polynesian diet, made from taro. Traditional poi is produced by mashing cooked taro on a wooden pounding board (papa kuʻi ʻai), with a carved pestle (pōhaku kuʻi ʻai) made from basalt, calcite, coral, or wood.

Where is kulolo from? ›

You can find kulolo—a Hawaiian dessert staple made from mashed kalo (taro), coconut milk, sugar and little else—for sale on just about every Hawaiian Island. Most local grocery stores sell variants of it.

What is a poi ingredient? ›

poi, starchy Polynesian food paste made from the taro root. In Samoa and other Pacific islands, poi is a thick paste of pounded bananas or pineapples mixed with coconut cream; the word originally denoted the action of pounding the food to a pulp.

Why do Hawaiians eat poke? ›

Fishing and fish caught beyond the reef in the deep sea were reserved for chiefs according to the kapu system which regulated the way of life in Ancient Hawaii. Poke began as cut-offs from catch to serve as a snack.

Why did Hawaiians add salt to the fish in poke? ›

The origins of poke have deep, wide roots across the islands. Native Hawaiians have enjoyed the food for a very long time, with easy access to the water. Without refrigeration, salt was historically added to raw seafood as a way of preserving and keeping fish fresh.

Is poke Chinese or Japanese food? ›

Poke is a traditional Hawaiian dish and sushi originates in Japan. Hawaiian food takes a lot of influence from Japanese food, but poke is Hawaiian. Traditionally, poke is made from ahi tuna or octopus (tako) that has been roughly cut into bite sized pieces and marinated with whatever was on hand.

How long can you keep kulolo? ›

Kulolo stored in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap will keep at room temperature for about 3-4 days.

Do you keep baklava refrigerated? ›

Baklava has a really lengthy shelf life, lasting about 2+ weeks. It should be stored in an airtight container, either in room temperature or in the fridge. Storing in room temperature will preserve the crispness. If you like your baklava chewy and a bit harder, store it in the refrigerator.

How do you reheat kulolo? ›

we cut the Kūlolo into cubes. we put it in a bowl and then we warmed it up for about 30 seconds. Kūlolo is made out of a combination of taro, coconut cream, and sugar. and then it's steamed for about 5 to 6h.

Does flan need to be refrigerated? ›

Refrigeration: Always store Flan in the refrigerator, whether store-bought or homemade. Flan is perishable and should be kept below 40°F (4°C) to slow bacterial growth. Airtight Container: Store the Flan in an airtight container or cover it tightly with plastic wrap.

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