ʻOtai (Tongan Watermelon Coconut Drink)

About This Recipe

ʻOtai is the iconic Tongan summer drink, served ice-cold at funerals, weddings, church feasts, and family gatherings across the kingdom and throughout the Tongan diaspora in New Zealand, Australia, and California. Coarsely grated watermelon is combined with finely shredded pineapple (and, more recently, mango or rockmelon) in heavily chilled coconut milk lightly sweetened with sugar — sometimes a splash of evaporated milk for body. The result is somewhere between a drink, a chunky cold soup, and a barely-frozen dessert: refreshing, lightly sweet, with the perfume of ripe summer fruit cut by the savoriness of coconut. Each family has a recipe but the proportions are remarkably consistent: more fruit than liquid, served so cold the bowls fog up.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1.2 kgripe seedless watermelon, rind removed (about 1/2 small melon)
• 400 gripe pineapple, peeled and cored
• 400 mlcoconut milk, well chilled
• 200 mlcold water
• 60 mlevaporated milk (optional, for richness)
• 3 tbspwhite sugar, or to taste
• 1 tspfresh lime juice (optional, balances sweetness)
• 12 cubesice, plus more for serving

Instructions

1. 1

   Shred the watermelon

   Grate the watermelon flesh on the largest holes of a box grater into a wide bowl, capturing all the juice. You want coarse strands, not a puree.

2. 2

   Shred the pineapple

   Grate the pineapple the same way. Pineapple is firmer — it will give clean shreds that hold their texture even in the cold coconut milk.

3. 3

   Combine

   Pour the chilled coconut milk and cold water over the shredded fruit. Add the evaporated milk if using, sugar, and lime juice. Stir gently to dissolve the sugar.

   Taste and adjust: if the melon is very sweet, hold back on sugar; if a bit bland, add another tablespoon.

4. 4

   Chill hard

   Refrigerate at least 1 hour — ʻotai must be drunk very cold. Many Tongan cooks tip the whole bowl into the freezer for 20 minutes just before serving so the rim of the liquid is just starting to crystallize.

5. 5

   Serve

   Stir well, add a few ice cubes, and ladle into tall glasses or small bowls. Serve with a spoon — this is a drink you eat as much as drink.

Variations

• •

  Mango ʻotai: replace half the watermelon with ripe mango flesh.

• •

  Rockmelon ʻotai: the cantaloupe version popular in Auckland; slightly more savory and floral.

• •

  Slushy ʻotai: freeze the finished drink for 30 minutes and scrape with a fork before serving for a granita texture.

Storage

Best within 6 hours of mixing. After 12 hours the watermelon weeps and the coconut milk separates. Stir vigorously before serving any leftovers.

Frequently Asked Questions