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Photo: Brittany Conerly
Active Time:1 hrTotal Time:1 hrServings:6Jump to Nutrition Facts
Active Time:1 hrTotal Time:1 hrServings:6
Active Time:1 hr
Active Time:
1 hr
Total Time:1 hr
Total Time:
Servings:6
Servings:
6
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Cassava: A Defining Ingredient of the African Diaspora
How you can magically energize someone to carry out their daily chores
And tell them to never stop the grind
How you help them achieve their goals
How kind you are to them whenever they need you
In the end
It doesn’t matter how did you look
Or how and what was your form
All that ever mattered was
How you made them feel and
The utility you gave them.
Cassava historically has been an essential crop that continues to define the cultural identity of the African diaspora and its cuisine. Dishes like attiéké, fermented grated or granulated cassava pulp, and fufu, a type of starchy ball (called a “swallow” food) eaten with soups and stews, are popular in many West African countries. In Brazil, farinha, fermented cassava that’s ground into coarse flour and roasted, is relished with feijoada, the classic black bean stew. Cassava is called yuca in Puerto Rico, where it’s native. It was the main crop of the Indigenous people called the Taino. It shines in dishes like yuca en escabeche and yuca con mojo, with citrus and garlic as a flavorful foil to the starchy tuber.
In most of the West Indies, including Jamaica, where my parents grew up, we call cassava, and root vegetables like yams, sweet potato, dasheen root and eddos, ground provisions. These were staples that we ate almost every week. My mother would scrub the wax from the cassava’s skin, then peel it away, revealing the white-colored flesh underneath. She cut the peeled cassava into chunks and placed them in a saucepan filled with water, letting them cook until fork-tender. That pot of provisions would rest on the stovetop all day, and she’d use a slotted spoon to select the most prized chunks to serve with escovitch fish or stew peas.
In the 1990s, the United Nations and the Jamaican government established a program to revive bammy production and market it as a modern, convenient food product. Bammy is traditionally enjoyed with fried fish, jerk pork or with our Jamaican national dish—ackee and saltfish. I love to enjoy the staple topped with a simple pistou—a Provençal sauce, similar to pesto, made with fresh herbs—as a wonderful snack or appetizer.
Cassava is a delicious and nutritious ingredient that continues to be embraced around the world. Its long history and its versatility makes it a superfood in my kitchen. This recipe is an ode to my ancestors and to my parents' homeland, Jamaica. Nyam!
Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)Ingredients1cupfresh basil leaves1cuparugula1tablespoontamarind puree½teaspooncrushed red pepper¼teaspoonminced garlic⅓cupextra-virgin olive oil1 ½teaspoonslime juice¼teaspoonsalt2poundsfresh cassava, peeled1teaspoonkosher salt1cupcoconut milk1tablespoonmelted coconut oil plus 1/2 cup, divided
Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)
Ingredients
1cupfresh basil leaves
1cuparugula
1tablespoontamarind puree
½teaspooncrushed red pepper
¼teaspoonminced garlic
⅓cupextra-virgin olive oil
1 ½teaspoonslime juice
¼teaspoonsalt
2poundsfresh cassava, peeled
1teaspoonkosher salt
1cupcoconut milk
1tablespoonmelted coconut oil plus 1/2 cup, divided
DirectionsCombine basil, arugula, tamarind, crushed red pepper and garlic in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until chopped. With the motor running, drizzle in olive oil; process until smooth. Add lime juice and salt; pulse a couple of times to blend. Set aside.Grate cassava pieces with the smallest holes of a box grater.(Alternatively, cut the cassava in chunks and place in the cleaned work bowl of a food processor. Process the cassava until it’s a smooth puree, adding a little water if necessary.)Pile the grated cassava into a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out the excess liquid.Place a 4-inch ring mold in a large skillet. Brush the mold and the pan beneath it with some of the 1 tablespoon coconut oil. Fill the mold with enough of the cassava (about 1/2 cup) so the bammy is 1/2-inch thick. Using the back of a spoon, press the cassava into the mold and flatten the top. Cook over low heat until firm, 2 to 3 minutes. Lift off the mold (you may need to hold the bammy down with the spoon so it doesn’t lift up too). Flip the bammy and cook until firm on the other side, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer the bammy to a cooling rack. Repeat to make 6 bammy.Pour coconut milk into a shallow dish. Add 2 bammy to the coconut milk; let soak for 3 to 5 minutes per side.Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1/2 cup coconut oil in the skillet over medium heat. Blot off excess coconut milk from the soaked bammy. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Repeat soaking and cooking with the remaining bammy.Serve the bammy with the reserved pistou.Originally appeared: EatingWell.com, February 2023
Directions
Combine basil, arugula, tamarind, crushed red pepper and garlic in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until chopped. With the motor running, drizzle in olive oil; process until smooth. Add lime juice and salt; pulse a couple of times to blend. Set aside.Grate cassava pieces with the smallest holes of a box grater.(Alternatively, cut the cassava in chunks and place in the cleaned work bowl of a food processor. Process the cassava until it’s a smooth puree, adding a little water if necessary.)Pile the grated cassava into a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out the excess liquid.Place a 4-inch ring mold in a large skillet. Brush the mold and the pan beneath it with some of the 1 tablespoon coconut oil. Fill the mold with enough of the cassava (about 1/2 cup) so the bammy is 1/2-inch thick. Using the back of a spoon, press the cassava into the mold and flatten the top. Cook over low heat until firm, 2 to 3 minutes. Lift off the mold (you may need to hold the bammy down with the spoon so it doesn’t lift up too). Flip the bammy and cook until firm on the other side, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer the bammy to a cooling rack. Repeat to make 6 bammy.Pour coconut milk into a shallow dish. Add 2 bammy to the coconut milk; let soak for 3 to 5 minutes per side.Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1/2 cup coconut oil in the skillet over medium heat. Blot off excess coconut milk from the soaked bammy. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Repeat soaking and cooking with the remaining bammy.Serve the bammy with the reserved pistou.
Combine basil, arugula, tamarind, crushed red pepper and garlic in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until chopped. With the motor running, drizzle in olive oil; process until smooth. Add lime juice and salt; pulse a couple of times to blend. Set aside.
Grate cassava pieces with the smallest holes of a box grater.(Alternatively, cut the cassava in chunks and place in the cleaned work bowl of a food processor. Process the cassava until it’s a smooth puree, adding a little water if necessary.)Pile the grated cassava into a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out the excess liquid.
Place a 4-inch ring mold in a large skillet. Brush the mold and the pan beneath it with some of the 1 tablespoon coconut oil. Fill the mold with enough of the cassava (about 1/2 cup) so the bammy is 1/2-inch thick. Using the back of a spoon, press the cassava into the mold and flatten the top. Cook over low heat until firm, 2 to 3 minutes. Lift off the mold (you may need to hold the bammy down with the spoon so it doesn’t lift up too). Flip the bammy and cook until firm on the other side, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer the bammy to a cooling rack. Repeat to make 6 bammy.
Pour coconut milk into a shallow dish. Add 2 bammy to the coconut milk; let soak for 3 to 5 minutes per side.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1/2 cup coconut oil in the skillet over medium heat. Blot off excess coconut milk from the soaked bammy. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Repeat soaking and cooking with the remaining bammy.
Serve the bammy with the reserved pistou.
Originally appeared: EatingWell.com, February 2023
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Nutrition Facts(per serving)342Calories23gFat33gCarbs2gProtein
Nutrition Facts(per serving)
- Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.
