Samoan Palusami

I “kinda” made it. I substituted Spinach for the Tarot. I made the mistake of getting Libbys canned corned beef instead of Palm or another New Zealand brand. It smelled and tasted badly. So I diced up some ham. Also added garlic and onion. Used 1 can of non-light coconut milk. The ham worked really well. I loved it, reminded me of my days in American Samoa.

Good, but I Texaned it up a bit. I used seasoned crispy pulled pork in place of the corned beef. Added onions, garlic, salt and pepper in the coconut milk. I appropriately squeezed the onions and garlic in the coconut milk with my hands before adding to the spinach and crispy pulled pork. All my Polynesian friends said it was better than the island recipe cooked in the umu.

Years ago I had a missionary companion who was from Samoa and she made this dish regularly. In this recipe the ingredients are way way off, this came out nothing like the dish I remember and it was inedible.

Well, I made the recipe and put in some onion and fresh garlic. Baked per recommendation and accompanied with jasmine rice. I would not rave about it as it seemed somewhat bland. It made a lot of liquid in the bottom of the baking dish. I probably would not make again.

Used deli sliced corned beef instead of the canned. This is a family favorite.

Good base instructions for Palusami. I also use collared greens or kale (instead of spinach) just make sure to cook it a long time to soften the leaves. I also always add an onion (how my mom makes it)… To the reviewer that commented on Corned beef, this palusami uses corned beef (in a can) that is a staple in Samoan households… It’s already cooked and NOT the type of corned beef you find in the meat aisle in grocery stores.

Thanks for sharing!!!

I’ve never had it but wanted to make something for my Samoan boyfriend. I really liked it as I’ve never had it before so I haven’t anything to compare it to. I added the onions like others suggested and he inhaled nearly the entire 9×13 so… I guess that’s a thumbs up from him! Thanks for the recipe 🙂

Thank you to the recipe writer and reviewers for this palusami recipe. I made this for my husband, who spoke fondly of his friends teaching him how to cook coconut milk in taro leaves in an omu during his stay in American Samoa. I was so happy to find a version of palusami I could make with spinach and a regular oven. I added two green onions to the spinach layers, sliced with cooking scissors, because we both like onions a lot. The version he was taught did not have corned beef in it, nor as much coconut milk, but he said this version is the best way he’s ever eaten canned corned beef and brought back wonderful memories of Samoa. Thank you.

Thanks! For the new way of making it. I’ve boiled it in a pot with all the ingredients together too. For those wondering, you don’t use corned beef hash. It’s plain canned corned beef, use palm brand from new Zealand. You can get it at a lot of Asian markets or Wal-Mart.com

Please note that I’m rating this as someone who has never had palusami, so my rating is only for how much I like the dish, not for the authenticity of the recipe or how it compares to other versions. I had a variety of greens in my fridge, so I used a blend of collard greens and spinach; the collards are closer in consistency to taro from what I’ve read. This is a simple and cheap way to eat relatively healthy; I served it over barley. The corned beef does provide plenty of flavor – it kind of reminds me of how collards are prepared in the South. I thought it was a little too liquidy and could probably have been done with 1 13oz can of coconut milk, but I did use the light version.

mahalos for the recipe!

I dont really like canned corned beef so I used corned beef that I made myself…not too hard, you can slow cook it and it even comes with the seasoning packet in most stores. but I followed the rest of recipe and it was great. Palu sami is so good! fattening yes but its a comforting reminder of home so I like to make it once in a while. Mahalos! ( or should I say Fa’afetai!)

I made this yesterday, and after reading the reviews of other people, i did added finely chopped onions to the corned beef, which i seasoned with garlic powder and a little adobo while i cooked it before making the layers. I only used one bag spinach, one can of corned beef and one can of organic coconut milk. Cooked it about 55 minutes and i let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. We had it we white rice on the side. It was a hit ??. Everyone loved it. Thanks for the recipe.

Palusami is on of my favorite Samoan treats. I usually use collard greens or chard so I can wrap them like you would with the taro leaves. Make a pocket and fill it with the corned beef, coconut milk and some diced onions. I then close up the leaves to make a little ball of goodness and wrap in foil, it kinda looks like a little ball. I toss them all in the slow cooker for the day. It is the best combination of sweet, salty and bitter from the greens.

I also like to make this with lamb which I learned with a family in Auckland, NZ. But my favorite with with the corn beef and taro from a local market.

This turned out to be a great substitute for the real thing although I think next time i’ll leave out the corned beef. And I think I’ll use half coconut cream instead of all coconut milk since the consistency was a little watery. Other than that it was great!

This is an AWESOME version!!!

I left Samoa in 1997 and miss my island. In Arizona now and have discovered a market where I can get Taro, Taro leaves, and coconut milk AND NZ Corned Beef!! This recipe is what I needed only I substituted Taro leaves mixed with the spinach leaves and individually wrapped a dozen in aluminum foil. Mmmmm!!!

We live on the East Coast and my husband is Samoan. I’m always looking for recipes to please his palate, but Samoan recipes are hard to find. This was yummy! I don’t normally care for the canned corned beef myself, but I thought it was good. I love coconut milk. He LOVED it. Closest to the real thing! I added onions to mine, too. Thanks! Have a recipe for the half moom pies or fruit cocktail cake? 🙂

looks good. can’t wait to try.