Kap Mauri

Underground cooking is used by many cultures and is called by different names; Kup Murri, Hungi, Laplap, etc. It was the conventional way to cook meals using the material around you. The methods used in underground cooking can vary from area to area and materials used can change from mob to mob.

Underground cooking is best utilised for great family feasts, as a large amount of food can be cooked in one pit. Vegetables such as potato, pumpkin, cabbage and carrots can be utilised with meat like lamb, pig, rumps and corn meats. Kup Murri, Hungi , Laplap etc have been used for major events like weddings , funerals, birthdays , fundraisers and other community events like NAIDOC 2011.

How does it cook?

Underground cooking uses the same principles as a conventional oven. The hot rocks become the heat elements. The dirt or soil is like the oven to keep heat in and once the dirt is on, you cannot open it like a conventional oven to check if the food is cooked or look through the window of the oven door. The wet covering is like an oven bag used for roasts. To keep the food clean, alfoil is wrapped around the meat and vegetables.

Cooking Time?

Practice will fine tune your skills ’till you’re able to have different foods cooked. e.g. crackling on pork, lamb, rumps, dampers, fish, dessert and vegies.

Steps to make your Kap Mauri

• Dig the pit deep and large enough to be able to fit all that food into.
• Gather rocks to use as a hot element, as in a stove
• Collect hard wood (red wood) to heat rocks to cooking temperature for food.
• Stack rocks and fire wood in a heap to burn.
• When rocks are hot enough to cook with, remove large timber / coals from pit and spread rocks around the bottom of your pit. Your rocks will have turned white or changed color to indicate that they have reached the right temperature.
• Place wrapped meats and vegies on rocks and cover with wet covering – paper bark, hessian bags, old sheets, banana or coconut leaves can be used.
• Place dirt over wet covering to keep the heat in.
• After cooking period, remove the dirt and covering to find foods.

Information given by Shaun Henaway.

Kap Mauri