Serving size: 25,     Time: 6-8 hours

Have you tried hāngi? Do you know what hāngī is? Hāngī is a traditional Māori meal that is cooked in an underground pit, also known as an underground oven. It is a process where steam, hot stones and fire are used to cook Kai underground. Hāngī is historical and reaffirms Māori values and beliefs. One of the significant meanings behind hāngī is upholding mana and manaakitanga. Hāngī was first discovered/created long before European sailors landed on shores. Usually hāngī would occur after a tangi ( Māori funeral) as it is custom to have a hāngī after a tangi.

Tools:

• shovel

• Protective wear (gloves, goggles, mask ec.)

• Bucket

• Fire extinguisher

• Hose

• Gas light/ or fire starter

Materials: 

• Volcanic, basalt or scrap iron rocks/stones

• 4 Potato sacks

• Mamuka tree wood, same length of pit

• 2 Metal or chicken mesh baskets

• 1 New non slept on sheet 

• mutton cloth bags, (depending on how much food you are preparing)

• Tin foil or banana cabbage leaves 

• Newspaper

• brush

Ingredients:

• Kumara (sweet potato)

• Pork

• Lamb

• Chicken

• Potato

• Pumpkin 

• Cabbage 

• Seafood

• stuffing

Timing: If you are planning to make a hāngī to be served for lunch, do step 5 and 2 the night before, and step 3 early in the morning to give time to actually cook the Kai.

Safety: For everyone’s safety, 48 hours in advance before any fire is to be lit, let your neighbours and local fire brigade know what you are doing to warn them of any hazards.

Equipment:

1. safety glasses 

2. Gloves

3. Mask

• When selecting an area for your hāngī, find a space that is 3m away from any building or with any access to easy flammable items. 

• Another important safety hazard is that before it is time to light your fire, you always have a hose, fire extinguisher and bucket of water in arm length reach in case the fire is too powerful or overwhelming.

•  Make sure to ALWAYS have an adult watching the fire incase of an emergerncy.

Steps:

1. Preparing the pit: Firstly place your metal baskets on your  land. Then using a shovel, measure how big your pit should be by making an indent around the baskets. (Anything bigger than 1m x 2m will need approval from fire brigade)

 Next, dig your pit depending on how deep your baskets are but make sure to go slightly deeper so that your baskets sit just under the land level. Then set excess dirt aside to be used laters.

2. Placing wood: Next, Layer your Firewood across the whole pit in a criss cross pattern and stack upwards. It should create a pyramid shape with a flat top.

Then  using your kindling and brush, fill in any gaps and holes in between the firewood. 
 Now repeat but use scrunched up newspaper and firelighters. It will help with the burning  process.  Lastly, evenly spread your rocks across the top of wood.

             
3. Lighting the fire: Now you are ready to light it. To light the fire, Ignite your firelighters and newspaper then you should gradually see it  build up. It should take approximately 3 – 4 hours to properly heat up the stone to the point where it is hot enough to cook the kai. 

4. Soaking  potato sacks: While the fire is burning, submerge each one of your potato sacks into a bucket full of water leaving no dry areas. It will act as a steamer for the hāngī. 

5. Preparing baskets: In your baskets, layer and line tin foil or banana/ cabbage leaves so that it covers all the side and bottom. It will help with keeping the moisture and flavour in. 

Then cut all your Kai as desired. Next Place your meat straight into the basket, wrap seafood then put on top of the meat, vegetables and Stuffing into a separate mutton cloth then put them into the basket.

6. Prepare the hangi: After 3 – 4 hours, your underground oven should be ready.

 Using your gloves, goggles, mask and spade, remove all the remaining embers. There should be hot rocks and ash left in the pit. Space them evenly around the bottom of the pit.

Place the baskets on top of the hot rocks and cover with the clean sheet and then wet sacks on top. Make sure all the baskets are entirely covered.

 On top of the wet hessian sacks, pile the soil you put aside onto the hessian sacks until there is no steam left to escape from the pit. (This step is very important otherwise your Kai won’t cook.

7. Cooking process: Now leave the kai to cook for another 3-4 hours and check every now and then making sure no steam is escaping. If so, add more soil.

  After the kai is cooked, put on some fire proof gloves then remove the soil and wet sacks using your spade. 

 Carefully remove the baskets from the pit and set aside somewhere the heat won’t set on fire. Then pour the bucket of water or hose over the stones to get rid of the hot heat.

8. Clean up and serve: Ka pai! You finished the hard part of the hāngī. Lastly remove and unwrap all the food from the baskets, cut up however you like and your Kai is ready to be served. Enjoy!