With Matariki around the corner, minds can wander to the perfect hangi. Matariki is the perfect time to pull together and celebrate with kōrero and kai.

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For those who don't have the opportunity to experience a traditional hāngī, there are ways you can bring the beautiful taste to your home kitchen. Here are a couple of ways to try at home: 

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Oven cooked Hāngī (individual portions)

A straight forward way to give a crowd a taste of what hāngī is all about.

1. Blanch cabbage leaves in boiling water (saving the water afterwards)

2. Use two cabbage leaves to create an individual parcel of your favourite hāngī ingredients - we love a New Zealand pork chop, some potato, kumara and pumpkin.

3. Add your favourite herbs and place the cabbage leaf parcels into a tight fitting oven dish.

4. Pour a cup of the cabbage water over top, cover with tinfoil and bake for about an hour and a half at 200°C

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BBQ style hangi

Probably the nearest you'll get to an authentic taste, you'll need the biggest pot you can find for this.

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1. Pop a layer of large river rocks at the bottom of your pot then sprinkle with 1-2 Tbsp of your favourite BBQ wood chips (manuka is a traditional favourite).

2. Add a layer of blanched cabbage leaves, followed by your New Zealand pork chops, any other meat and then place your root vegetables on top.

3. Top it off with another layer of blanched cabbage leaves, then snugly tuck a damp tea-towel or muslin on top before sealing it with the pot lid

4. Heat it on a high heat for about 3 hours (without removing the lid!), you can do this on an element of a gas BBQ or you could use your charcoal BBQ too.

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Slow cooker hangi (individual portions)

This method is a bit of a favourite for people year-round as an easy way to get your hāngī fix

1. Roll up little balls of tinfoil and place in the bottom of your slow cooker.

2. Make a cabbage leaf parcel of your New Zealand pork chop and vegetables, then wrap this in tinfoil

3. Place these on top of the tinfoil balls then add water to the slow cooker so that it comes to just below the hāngī parcels.

4. Cook on high for 6-8 hours.

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Mānawatia a Matariki!

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