Servings: 4-6
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes2–3 medium cassava
2 to 4 ¼ cups|500 to 1000 ml vegetable oil, for deep-frying
1 medium onion, finely chopped or grated (depending on the texture you would like)
sea salt, to taste
2–3 red rocket (Anaheim) chilies, finely chopped, plus extra for serving (optional)
1 medium egg, beaten
fresh coconut, sliced or grated into thin shavings, to serve
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
2 to 4 ¼ cups|500 to 1000 ml vegetable oil, for deep-frying
1 medium onion, finely chopped or grated (depending on the texture you would like)
sea salt, to taste
2–3 red rocket (Anaheim) chilies, finely chopped, plus extra for serving (optional)
1 medium egg, beaten
fresh coconut, sliced or grated into thin shavings, to serve
Directions
- Wash and peel the cassava, cut each down the middle lengthways so that you can remove the stalky thread running through it, then grate on the smallest holes of a grater. Place the grated cassava in a sieve and rinse thoroughly in cold water to remove the starch. Leave to drain. If necessary, place in a muslin, gather up around the cassava and squeeze any excess moisture out. Leave to air-dry a little while you heat the oil for deep-frying in a deep-fat fryer (the safest option) or heavy-based, deep saucepan filled to just under half the depth of the pan to 180–190°C|350–375°F or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds.
- Add the onion and sea salt along with the chilies, if using, to the grated cassava and mix well before combining with the beaten egg. Form the mixture into plum-sized balls, pressing firmly together to bind. Fry the balls, in batches, turning intermittently to cook them evenly. Once the balls bob to the top and are a nice golden color all over they are ready – this should take a few minutes per batch. Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper. Serve warm with the fresh coconut and chili slices, if using.