That famous pink potato salad from the Cook Islands – recipe includes homemade dressing!

by | Our Food, Recipes | 28 comments

For first-timers, a pink potato salad combined with mixed frozen vegetable can look weird and borderline ewww. But actually, this is one of the most well known salads in the Polynesian community… it’s so yummy, you can never get enough of it.

What was tricky about this dish is its name, and also, ‘how do we spell it?’.

pink potato salad

I asked my Cook Island family and friends to help me figure out the correct name of this pink potato salad dish, but not surprisingly, we have many variations of it. So here on Manaui, we created a poll: “How would you spell the name of this dish” (go ahead and have your say. It takes one click).

So far, the winning name/spelling from our poll is MAINESE. So that’s how we’re spelling it for this recipe – the famous pink potato salad from the Cook Islands called Mainese.

pink potato salad

I am yet to meet a Cook Islander who is not critical when trying someone else’s Mainese recipe. It’s quite competitive and there is always someone who thinks they make it best or knows someone who does. But, you know what I think…? So long as the potatoes are cooked to the perfect texture, and as long as you’ve added enough salt, the quantities of ingredients for the rest of this recipe is up to your personal preference.

pink potato salad

pink potato salad

For me, I’m extra… I like my dressing rich with extra of everything else. I want to taste every single ingredient and not just a hint of them. Oh, and we always, ALWAYS make our pink potato salad dressing from scratch – none of this using Best Foods (unless you like it, up to you).

This recipe comes from what my old school aunties taught me combined with flavours and technique that I just like.

So let’s get into it.

Mainese: that pink potato salad from the Cook Islands

Avatar photoKoni
Some people call it mainaise, some say it's mayonnaise, some call it minus, we're calling it mainese - that famous pink potato salad from the Cook Islands. This way of making it is how Koni likes it, adaptated for Manaui.com. 
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Salad
Cuisine The Cook Islands
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

The Salad

  • 7 medium to large potatoes (I prefer to use Agria potatoes)
  • 5 hard boiled eggs
  • 1 cup mixed vegetables
  • 400 g of drained canned beetroot slices
  • 100 g Chow Chow
  • Salt to taste

The Dressing

  • 1 whole egg
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 1 litre salad & cooking oil (it's best to use a very light oil)
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • white vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice (to taste)
  • salt (to taste)

Instructions
 

The Salad

  • Using a large pot or stock pot, bring water to a boil. Add a generous amount of salt (like when cooking potato mash) and add the 7 potatoes WHOLE and WITH THE SKINS ON. Cook for approximately 35 minutes or until it is cooked but firm enough that it won’t mash up.
  • While the potatoes are cooking, in a smaller pot, bring your eggs to the boil together with your mixed veges. (Or you can use 2 small, separate pots - its up to you). No need to add any salt at this step. 
  • Once cooked, drain the mixed vegetables, peel the eggs then set them aside to cool.
  • When the potatoes are ready, let them cool enough to handle with a tea towel, then peel potato skins. I’ve been taught to use a butter knife to carefully pull away the skin while the potato is still quite warm. 
  • Dice the potatoes into 1 ½ cm cubes and set aside to cool. Remember, the potatoes continue to cook well after they are drained so it is important not to over cook them.

The Dressing

  • Add the whole egg with the egg yolks into a large bowl and whisk using an electric egg beater until it thickens and is light in texture.
  • Mix in the dijon mustard, then while stills whisking, slowly drizzle in the oil. This takes time and practice so don’t rush it. You wouldn’t want the eggs and oil to separate.
  • Whisk in the vinegar or lemon and the salt, until it meets your taste

Assemble the Salad

  • Now that all the ingredients have cooled, add the diced potatoes to a large mixing bowl.
  • Dice the sliced beetroot into pieces that are similar in the size to the mixed vegetables; add the beetroot to the bowl of potatoes.
  • Add the now cooked (and cooled) mixed vegetables plus the chow chow.
  • Grate 2 eggs on to the rest of the ingredients then carefully combine everything together. 
  • Add approximately ½ to 1 cup of the freshly made mayonnaise dressing to the potato mixture until the entire salad is evenly coated. Save some mayonnaise to dress the top of the salad. 
  • The flavour from here is up to you. Taste the salad and add more salt, mayonnaise or any other ingredient until it's perfect, to you. 
  • Pour the salad mixture onto a tray and carefully smooth down the potatoes over with a spoon, until the mound of salad looks like an upside-down bowl.
  • Cover this entire mound of salad with an even layer of the reserved, freshly made mayonnaise, then garnish it by grating the remaining boiled eggs evenly over the dressing.

Video

E ia oti ai – all done!

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Tamara

I am trying to search for the history or origin to how this recipe became a staple in the pacific. In tahiti we make the mayonaise the french way and call this recipe Salade Ruz which is translated to Russian salad. A russian work collegue said to me they do creamy beetroot and potato salads too! If you have any stories please let me know.

Lils

That’s really interesting. I hope someone here can help with that.

Mandy

I make it all the time

Rose

I’ve always heard it as Mainese too. I didn’t realise it would have so many spellings, took me awhile to find a recipe.

Jubilee Ann Hemara

What do i do with the whloe egg descibed in the dressing?It has not been added anywhere

Lils

Oops.. apologies for that. The whole egg goes into the mayonnaise mixture with the egg yolks.

Wayne RANGIHUNA

Cool thanks for this I just made something but my potatoes were over cooked and old and I never drained the can of beetroot and I used a jar of mayonnaise but thanks for the real recipe

Lils

Lol.. hope you have better luck with your salad using this recipe. 🙂

George Brown

Thank you for this recipe. I can’t wait to make it today. I love how you have explained the steps so thoroughly.

Alma Fenton

What happens with Dijon mustard?

Lils

Oh, the mustard is added to the mayonnaise mixture (in the blender/mixer).

kandace jenkins

What is chow chow?? I’m Aussie trying to recreate that beautiful pink potato salad from the cook islands.

Jom Lauire

Chow chow is a chutney similar to piccalilli

Lils

Hey Kandace. Chow chow is like a yellow relish that comes in a jar lol. You should be able to find it at Woolie’s because we have it at our Countdown shops here in NZ. It’s yum lol.

Amy

Hi there do you have a recipe to make the dressing for 50 servings?? As I’m wanting to make a massive bowl for a wedding please

Megan

My partner is a raro….never heard off making minus with chowchow gna give it a go next time though

Willy

What is salad and cooking oil is there a substitute oil haven’t seen the salad cooking oil at Coles or woollies??

Lils

Salad oil is just any oil you would use in salad dressing. A light olive oil is good, or canola, or even a general vegetable oil.

Seraphim T

Delicious! Also a very adaptable recipe. Meitaki!

Gloria Wijohn

Yippee I did it so so love love this salad. Yep I wondered about the whole egg. But all gud first time I made this and yes a beauty. Thank you.

Kelly

5 stars
This is the recipe I always come back to when making this salad. It’s always such a hit at Christmas and any other whanau gatherings. Thank you for sharing this beautiful recipe.

Tai

We had this at a Island theme lunch and our manager made it for the first time and it was yummy. Being a Raro myself, my mum always made it with chow chow, which adds that extra yumminess.

I made a chop suey and another colleague made raw fish.

Theses 3 combo’s the saltiness of the chop seuy, subtle sweetness of the mainese and the raw fish with the coconut cream was a match made in heaven.

Kiri

My daughter just made this by following your recipie and OMG! AMAZING! I think we just found a new whānau fave… ngā mihi x

Louisa

Hi who can i request for use of the photo of the salad?

Lils

Hi Louisa. I took all the photos on this post … you’re welcome to use them as well. Please just include credit. Thank you :).

Tracey

Kia orana, could I please chat with you about adapting your recipe for use for an NZ charity?

Lils

Hi Tracey.. This recipe is Koni’s family recipe. You’re obviously welcome to use it (because she’s posted here lol) but what did you have in mind for the NZ charity?

Ms Rongo

5 stars
Hello, I was wondering, how do you make the yellow dressing for the top using Best Foods Mayo instead of making it from scratch? And will it taste the same? I’m assuming not, but would like to try it & see.
Thank you

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