I don't think I had even heard of Cassava or Yucca growing up as a child in London. Living in America definitely broadened my horizon for cooking and eating all kinds of different foods; I'm so thankful for that!
My first memory of eating fried cassava was in a Mexican restaurant in Florida. I remember loving it! It was so crispy outside and soft inside. The texture was different to a normal potato, slightly sweet and less starchy. I was hooked!
Thankfully, this dish is very simple to prepare if you know how...just like anything else! But there are some things you should know about making cassava chips. If you haven't had this before, or don't know how to make it, let me show you...you'll be glad you tried it!
Plus, you can prepare most of the steps ahead of time, so it's a great dish to prepare and share with your guests!
Check out my Coriander Chutney and Coriander-Lime Mayonnaise recipes. They go really well with these chips! Enjoy!
Fried Cassava Chips Recipe Cooking Time: 40 mins (approx)
Serves 4-6 People
INGREDIENTS:
· 1kg Bag Frozen Casava Chunks or Fresh Cassava
· 3 Cups Oil (Sunflower, Corn or Vegetable)
· Salt to Taste
· Chilli Powder (Cayenne) to Taste
· Fresh Lemon Juice to Taste
METHOD:
If you are using fresh cassava, peel it and cut into about 20cm chunks.
In a pressure cooker or your Instant Pot, add about 2-3cm deep water with 1 tspn salt. Stir in the salt. You can boil it in a pot if you don't have either of these. Just make sure it's nice & soft.
Add the cassava chunks to this water. It's not a problem if the cassava chunks are still frozen.
Pressure cook the frozen cassava for 10 minutes (7 minutes for fresh cassava). If you don't have a pressure cooker or Instant Pot, boil the cassava until you can stick a knife through it easily (about 30 minutes).
Let the pressure release naturally from the cooker.
Then remove the cassava on to a plate and let it cool until it's cool enough to handle.
Cut the cassava into thick chips about 2 cm thick.
Remove the tough core and any parts of the cassava that feel tough and fibrous. These will not taste good after frying, so remove them now.
If you see any dark spots or bruising, cut this off.
TIP: You can prepare up to this point and refrigerate, so this is a great appetiser for a party or gathering (make plenty as they go fast!)
Heat up your oil in a pan.
Have a plate with paper towel, a slotted spoon and salt ready to sprinkle.
The oil is ready when you throw in a small piece of cassava and it starts bubbling right away. Don't wait until the oil starts smoking, as this will be too hot!
Add about 7-10 pieces of cassava chips at a time depending on the size of your fryer.
The cassava chips will stick together so separate them carefully using you slotted spoon.
Toss the cassava chips every now & then. Fry until they are golden enough to your liking.
Remove the chips to your plate with the slotted spoon, draining as much oil with the spoon as you can.
TIP: Sprinkle with salt right away...this is what McDonalds does with its fries! It helps make sure the salt sticks to the chips and they stay crunchy this way too! I don't know the science behind that one...I just know it through experience!
If you like lemon juice & chili powder (cayenne), add that also.
Enjoy the chips hot...and listen to the sound of crunching...it's heavenly!
