Hawaiian Plate Lunch Macaroni Salad
Ranked #889 in Food & Cooking, #17,759 overall
Hawaiian Style Macaroni Salad
The macaroni salad that is most loved all over the Hawaiian Islands is a plain and simple macaroni salad that taste so "ono" (delicious) you get addicted to it, and once you have eaten it no other macaroni salad ever tastes as good. In Hawaii, we do NOT use any pickles or pickle relish; nor do we use vinegar in our plate lunch style macaroni salad. Vinegar is NOT added to our potato salads either.
The Original Secret Plate Lunch Recipe
If you find a cookbook claiming to be from Hawaii that has a Hawaiian macaroni salad recipe with pickles or vinegar in it, you will know right a way that the cookbook was either not written by a long time islander local, was written by a mainland or Japanese transplant, or the recipe came from someone that is still trying to keep secret the original plate lunch macaroni salad recipe.
This original recipe that I am going to share with you was kept secret for many many generations and as far as I know, may still not be in print. In the old days, if the recipe was given to anyone other than a family member, either one ingredient was left out, or one ingredient that didn't actually belong in the recipe was added in. That way the recipe could not be duplicated, but the feelings of the recipient who asked for it wouldn't be hurt by a refusal either. That is why people will leave Hawaii with what they think is the right recipe, only to get home, make it and find out that it doesn't taste the same. That is also why you will find so many sweet, sour "Hawaiian Macaroni Salad" recipes that just aren't and why there are so many "pickle" recipes.
I have found that many restaurants on Oahu are no longer serving the real plate lunch style macaroni salad any more because they are now catering more to mainland customers (or because they never knew the old style secret recipe).
What is a Hawaiian Plate Lunch?
Photo by oybay
A plate lunch in Hawaii is a plate full of food that usually cost under $10.00, usually around 5 bucks unless you get a mixed plate which is then closer to $10. There are two things that are always on every plate lunch; two scoops of rice and a scoop of macaroni salad. If there are two things local island people love to eat it is rice and macaroni salad, together on the same plate, along with the entrée. Often I will ask for 2 scoops of salad and one scoop of rice. I just love my macaroni salad!
The other main ingredient included on a plate lunch is the main entrée. It is usually some sort of meat dish such as teriyaki beef, kalua pig, shoyu chicken, Chinese chow fun noodles, beef curry stew, fish, shrimp, pork adobo, chili, or Korean kal-bi short ribs, just to name a few. There is often some sort of vegetable side dish such as bean sprouts, kim chee, laulau, lomi salmon, shredded pickled daikon, or shredded pickled Napa cabbage.
Examples of Hawaiian Plate Lunches
Hawaiian Plate Lunch Macaroni Salad
- Serves: 8 to 10
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
The mayonnaise that is used in Hawaiian macaroni salad has to be Best Foods brand (Hellman's on the East Coast - same company - same thing), however it can not be any other brand or it won't taste the same. It has to be full fat, not canola, not low-fat and not olive oil kind, if you want the authentic taste. The salad uses a lot of mayonnaise. In the recipe I call for 2 to 3 heaping tablespoons, but in reality I use a 2 to 3 heaping spoonfuls of a wooden mixing spoon. The macaroni tends to absorb mayonnaise when chilling in the refrigerator, so you will probably need to add more.
The first recipe I'm giving you is the secret Hawaiian plate lunch macaroni salad recipe that has been past down from family to family for generations.
Next I will give you the recipe that I have been using for 45 years that has only a few additions, and no they are NOT pickles, pickle relish or vinegar. Those ingredients are a NO-NO!
Even though I am now living in the mainland, this is the macaroni salad that I always make. True to form, I am now the one that is always elected to make macaroni salad and/or Hawaiian style potato salad for parties, and everyone that eats it wants the recipe. No matter where I go, people love this salad. So here it is, the real Hawaiian plate lunch style macaroni salad recipe.
Note:
T.= Tablespoon
t. = teaspoon
Ingredients
- 1 lb. elbow macaroni
- 1 T. olive oil
- 1 T. salt for pasta cooking water + 1 t. for salad
- 1 can albacore tuna fish (or fresh shrimp or 1 can crab)
- 1 t. white pepper
- 3 - 4 dash Aji-No-Moto
- Sea salt to taste
- 1 minced stalk celery with leaves
- 1 minced onion
- 1 finely shredded carrot
- 3 T. finely shredded Napa cabbage
- 2 T. minced fresh parsley
- 3 to 4 heaping T. Best Foods (West Coast) or Hellman's (East Coast) Mayonnaise
Instructions
1. In a Dutch oven or large pot, fill with water, leaving several inches boiling room and add 1 T. Hawaiian salt and the 1 T. olive oil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
2. Meanwhile, mince and shred vegetables.
3. When the pasta is done, drain in a colander, rinse thoroughly with cold water, and drain again.
4. Pour pasta into a large mixing bowl.
5. Add tuna (or chopped shrimp or crab), salt, white pepper and Aji No Moto; stir to combine.
6. Add all minced vegetables and parsley; stir to combine.
7. Add mayonnaise and fold until well blended. Keep adding mayonnaise until well coated.
8. Refrigerate until cold; at least 2 hours. Check for level of mayo. Add more if too much has been absorbed by the pasta. Hawaiian plate lunch macaroni salad calls for a lot of mayonnaise.
Acacia Calabash Salad Bowls
Serve Your Salads in Something Lovely
Kona Girl's Macaroni Salad Additions
The recipe above is the very basic, original Hawaiian plate lunch macaroni salad. The following are the additions I have made. This is the version that I have been making for 45 years that people love.
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. large cooked shrimp
- 6 oz. frozen petite green peas
- 1 t. black pepper
- 1/4 t. cayenne pepper
- smoked paprika
Instructions
1. Use the original recipe, then add these next ingredients:
2. If shrimp, crab or lobster is available I use one of them, chopped, instead of canned tuna. If they are not available, I use 1 whole can of white albacore tuna, drained. I usually peel, devein, and cook large shrimp, just until pink and opaque. It is immediately removed from the boiling water and put into an ice water bath to stop the cooking process. Then I drain it in a colander and chill it in the refrigerator. When I make the salad, each piece of shrimp is cut into 3 pieces and added to the salad.
3. The frozen peas are added for a little color and nutrition. I put the frozen peas in to a colander and run cold water over the frozen peas until they separate. It only tales a few minutes.
4. These ingredients are mixed into the salad, except the smoked paprika.
5. Cover the salad with plastic wrap and chill.
To serve:
1. Cover the bottom of serving bowl or serving pan with washed pieces of butter leaf lettuce or green leaf lettuce.
2. Remove the macaroni salad from the refrigerator.
3. Check the salad for mayonnaise content, add more if needed, and stir gently to combine.
4. Spoon macaroni salad onto the lettuce leaves.
5. Sprinkle lightly with the smoked paprika.
Hawaiian Salad Recipes
More of My Hawai'i Recipes
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AnimalHouse
May 26, 2012 @ 2:38 am | delete
- I love macaroni salad and I would like to try everything here. Thanks for sharing.
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blackspanielgallery
May 20, 2012 @ 1:25 pm | delete
- Salads are always great.
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FashionMommy
Mar 21, 2012 @ 8:15 pm | delete
- I will try your recipe.
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LornsA178
Dec 28, 2011 @ 5:55 pm | delete
- Looks delicious! I love macaroni salads. Thanks for sharing!
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Jun 24, 2011 @ 1:13 pm | delete
- Looks yummy, send me a few plates please :)
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About KonaGirl
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Hawaiian Plate Lunch Macaroni Salad
- The Original Secret Plate Lunch Recipe
- What is a Hawaiian Plate Lunch?
- Examples of Hawaiian Plate Lunches
- Plate Lunch Restaurant on Oahu
- Hawaiian Plate Lunch Macaroni Salad
- Acacia Calabash Salad Bowls
- Kona Girl's Macaroni Salad Additions
- Hawaiian Salad Recipes
- More of My Hawai'i Recipes
- Squidoo Angels
- Cookbooks from Hawaii
- This Lens Has Been Blessed By a Squid Angel
- Featured Lensmasters
- Do You Think You will Try Making a Hawaiian Macaroni Salad?
- About KonaGirl
- If You Would Like Updates to My Lens Follow Me on Twitter
by KonaGirl
Aloha! My name is June and I'm from the Big Island of Hawaii, but am currently living in New York. I am also a Giant Squid and a Squid Angel in the "B... more »
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