124) CASSAVA WITH SHALLOT CHUTNEY

CASSAVA WITH SHALLOT CHUTNEY

ONCE A POOR MAN’S SUPPER,

NOW ON THE RICH MAN’S TABLE

AT STAR RESTAURANTS

Ingredients (for the cassava):

1)    Freshly dug cassava roots – 3 kg.

2)    Salt – 1½ teaspoons

Ingredients (for the shallot chutney):

1)    Shallots – 200 gm.

2)    Dry hot red chilies – 8 Nos.

3)    Tamarind – an olive sized bit

4)    Coconut oil – 2 tablespoons

5)    Salt – 1¼ teaspoons

To Cook;

Wash and peel the cassava. Split once or twice and cut into very large pieces (2 to 5 pieces depending on the size of the root). Select a vessel which should comfortably hold the cut cassava pieces with ample room to spare (to hold the froth). Put in the pieces and pour enough water to immerse. Set on high heat. As soon as it comes to a boil, lower the heat and cover partially with a lid.

While the cassava is cooking, peel the shallots and wash well. Put the shallots, the red chilies and the tamarind and the salt into a food processor and grind to fine paste (without adding any water).

This paste will smell so hot and strong as to bring tears to the eyes. The poor people used to eat it thus in olden times (rarely with a spoonful of coconut oil if they could afford it). What we need is to enjoy the taste and flavor of the chutney without the accompanying burning smell of the raw shallots.

So, set a small pan on low heat. Pour in the coconut oil. Tip in the shallot paste and stir continuously for 6 minutes on low heat. Your delicious shallot chutney is now ready to serve.

By this time, your cassava pieces should be cooked. To check, pierce the pieces with a sharp knife. If the knife goes in smoothly, drain off the water and serve hot.

I am sure you will enjoy this simple tasty meal which provides energy almost instantly.

Notes:

1)    Cassava can also be steamed or baked either in the microwave oven or on dying coals and is extremely tasty.

2)    In olden times, baked cassava was also eaten as a cure for diarrhea.

3)    You can also enjoy shallot chutney with steamed or baked mature breadfruit chunks.