Matariki Star-Fried Bread
Matariki, known as the Seven Sisters or Pleiades, is a dazzling constellation that rises in the winter skies of Aotearoa, New Zealand. For Māori, Matariki marks the start of the new year, a sacred time for reflecting on the past, honouring loved ones, and sowing intentions for the future. The appearance of these stars is a signal of renewal, hope, and the promise of longer, brighter days ahead. Traditionally celebrated with gatherings, kai (food), storytelling, and song, Matariki has recently inspired a new generation of home cooks to create festive treats that echo the magic of the season, like these delightfully shaped, oil-free Matariki Star-Fried Breads.
A Healthy, Soulful Tradition
Matariki Star-Fried Bread takes the essence of ancient Māori celebrations and brings it to your kitchen with a wholesome twist. By using slices of firm wholegrain bread and nutritious kumara (golden-orange sweet potato) mashed with coconut sugar, this recipe pairs the warmth of tradition with the benefits of modern, healthful eating. Each star-shaped slice pays homage to one of the seven visible Matariki sisters, making it a wonderful way to connect with family, tradition, and the rhythms of nature.
Health Benefits
- Wholegrain Bread: Packed with fibre, wholegrain bread supports digestive health and helps keep you feeling full and satisfied. It also provides essential B vitamins and minerals to power you through the festivities.
- Plant Milk: Dairy-free and often fortified with calcium and vitamin D, plant milk is a perfect soaking liquid that’s gentle on the stomach and suitable for most diets.
- Golden-Orange Kumara: A staple of Māori cuisine, kumara is rich in beta-carotene (vitamin A), which supports eye health and boosts your immune system, especially important in the winter months.
- Ground Linseed (Flaxseed): A plant-powered boost of omega-3 fatty acids, which are vital for heart and brain health. Linseeds are also packed with lignans and fibre, supporting your digestive and hormonal well-being.
- Coconut Sugar: With a lower glycemic index than regular sugar, coconut sugar sweetens the dish while helping to prevent rapid spikes in blood sugar.
- Cinnamon: Fragrant and warming, cinnamon has been cherished for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and can help balance blood sugar levels.
How It Connects to Matariki
Preparing and sharing Matariki Star-Fried Bread is a meaningful way to honour the themes of this festival—gratitude for the previous season’s harvest, remembrance of ancestors, and setting intentions for the new year. The star shape is a tangible reminder of the constellation, and eating together fosters a sense of family and belonging, key values celebrated during Matariki.
So, as you indulge in these nourishing, oil-free treats—one for each star in the Matariki cluster—remember that you’re partaking in a time-honoured tradition that looks to the stars for guidance, hope, and the promise of new beginnings
Make, share, and celebrate under the shining Matariki—with warmth in your heart and health in your home.
Matariki Star-Fried Bread
Ingredients
- 12 slices firm wholegrain bread
- ½ cup plant milk
- ¼ cup mashed golden-orange kumara (sweet potato)
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar heaped
- 1 tbsp ground linseed (flaxseed)
- 4 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Using a large, star-shaped cookie cutter, cut out a star from each slice of bread. (The left-over bread can be used to make bread pudding or breadcrumbs).
- Pour the milk into a blender and add the kumara, coconut sugar, linseed and cinnamon. Blend thoroughly.
- Pour the mixture into a bowl or container wide enough to move one of your stars around a bit. Lightly dredge half the stars in the mixture, placing each one in an unheated non-stick pan as you go.
- urn on the stove to a low to medium heat and put the pan on. Cook the first side for two or three minutes – timing differs as every stove is different. Watch the cooking process attentively to catch them before the bottom of the stars burn. A little burning is inevitable, but don’t let them burn too much.
- Flip each one over and cook the other side, (takes less time than the first side).
- Arrange them on a plate in a warm oven while you prepare the other half of the batch. Take your pan off the heat too, letting it cool down a bit before you place the second batch in. This saves them browning too unevenly.
- Cook just enough to set the liquid, then take the first half-batch out of the oven and add the stars you’ve just cooked.
- Serve warm, spreading maple syrup on top of each one, and decorating with a final sprinkle of cinnamon and a few small slithers of mandarin.
