~658 cal · 45g protein · 73g carbs · 21g fat (estimated, per serving)
🍽️
Pot of boil-up with kūmara, watercress, and dumplings
🇳🇿 Waikato
The boil-up grew from Māori earth-oven traditions adapted to the stovetop, and it remains marae and whānau food — generous, unfussy, made to feed whoever walks in. Watercress pulled from a cold stream and doughboys swelling in the broth are the non-negotiables.
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Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
Ingredients
Serves 6 —
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2 lbs pork bones or pork belly
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2 large kūmara (sweet potatoes), chunked
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3 potatoes, chunked
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1 big bunch watercress (or spinach), washed well
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1 onion, quartered
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1.5 cups self-raising flour (for doughboys)
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2/3 cup cold water (for doughboys)
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generously salt and pepper
Instructions
1
Cover the pork (or kombu) and onion with 10 cups water. Simmer gently 60 minutes, skimming, until the broth tastes rich.
2
Add the kūmara and potatoes; simmer 15 minutes.
3
Mix the flour, salt, and cold water into a soft dough and drop spoonfuls straight onto the simmering surface. Cover — no peeking — for 10 minutes; they’ll swell into pillowy doughboys.
4
Push the watercress down into the broth for the last 3 minutes.
5
Season hard with salt and pepper and ladle into deep bowls, making sure everyone gets a doughboy.
Waikato marae and whānau kitchens.
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🌏 While it simmers — know your destination
📍
Waikato. River country where Māori gardens grew kūmara for centuries.
🗺️
New Zealand. Aotearoa — Māori earth ovens and kūmara fields.
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Oceania. Island kitchens where coconut and the sea rule.
The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.
👩🍳
Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker
Recipes cooked, tested, and researched by the creators of Spin the Globe. How we build our recipes →
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