'Otai - Tongan Watermelon Drink
‘Otai - Tongan Watermelon Drink. A refreshing watermelon coconut drink from Tonga . Easy to make and delicious to drink. Makes 2 liters 8-10 servings
Ingredients
- 5-6 cups cold seedless watermelon cubed
- 1 cup cold crushed pineapple
- 1 can cold full fat coconut milk (approx 13.5 ounces)
- 1 cup cold coconut water
- 2 Tablespoons lime juice
- 2-3 teaspoons simple syrup - optional - see notes* or to taste if a sweeter drink is desired
Instructions
Traditional method:
- Place watermelon in a large bowl and mash or grate until mostly liquid but still some small chunks remain. Add in the rest of the ingredients except simple syrup and mash a little more, stir well. Taste and add simple syrup if a more sweet drink is desired then chill 30 min then serve over ice
- My way. The lazy way. Add all the ingredients except simple syrup to a blender ad pulse until blended but still chunky - you don’t want a thin puree. This drink has texture to it. Taste and add in some simple syrup and pulse for a few more seconds taste again and add more sweetener if desired. Chill for about 30 min then serve over ice.
Notes
Chill everything well the night before you make the drink. I suggest chilling the whole watermelon then cutting and scooping out the flesh right before making the drink. You can use lighter coconut milk if desired instead of the full fat, it will have a lighter taste to it. Shake the can of coconut well before chilling so the cream layer doesn’t stick to the top and shake again well before opening.
*Simple syrup is a 1:1 sugar to water ratio. Place 1 cup sugar with 1 cup water in a saucepan and heat until sugar is dissolved. Chill completely in a glass container with a lid before using. I always keep a jar of this in my fridge to have on hand for recipes, cocktails etc.
Any fruits that mash/chop well do great with this drink. You can use mango, papaya, melons, berries. Really the possibilities are endless. Watermelon and coconut are traditional.