During our very recent trip to Fiji, chowing down on cassava, taro, jackfruit and breadfruit seemed like something we would only be able to enjoy in a tropical island setting. I am happy to announce that 2 out of 4 of these delicious foods are easily purchasable fresh locally! I can now make my own taro and cassava fries!
Hot off the plane, I headed to Superstore yesterday to get my hands on all the island foods I could find. Breadfruit and jackfruit seem to be the elusive ones that I hear are only available fresh in Vancouver and Toronto. Jackfruit, my favorite of all, is available canned or packaged in the produce section, but breadfruit on the whole is trickier to find. I’ll let you know if I find out differently, as I have a call into a couple of produce managers. 😉
While in Fiji, we were fortunate to be able to spend quite a bit of time with our Fijian friends. Sarita knows how much I LOVE tropical foods so she spoiled us with breadfruit chips and cassava (also known as yuca) root and taro fries. Delicious, tasty and filling. Wow! I am still feeling full from our trip and we got home a day and a half ago.
I have been excited, since the first day I tasted her appetizers, to come home and find a way to make them without using oil. It seems that many of the foods in Fiji are deep fried. As much as they taste amazing, there is nothing healthy about deep frying. Nothing.
Well, good news! Cassava and taro fries taste fantastic both air fried and baked without using a drop of oil! They crisp right up and are delicious dipped in the usual ketchup or vinegar. If you really want to jazz it up, try them served with a Mint and Cilantro Chutney. Sarita made some up for us and we were hooked. My friend Lesley, who was traveling with us, loved it so much she was drinking it out of the bowl ;).
Between the cassava fries and the chutney, you have a great snack or base to a meal. With no oil, they are a healthy starch filled with fiber and nutrients. Cassava is a good source of vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin.
Making Cassava fries:
You should not eat cassava raw because it contains naturally occurring forms of cyanide, which are toxic to ingest. Peeling and cooking cassava makes these compounds harmless. In North America, cassava is often called yuca and may also be referred to as manioc or Brazilian arrowroot.
Ok, so here we go! Let’s get down to how to prepare your cassava!
First, you will need to find it. I would suggest a store that caters to ethnic foods like Superstore. You will find cassava in the root vegetable section.
It comes with a wax coating on it to keep it fresh during shipping. It is very hard and seems like it would be impossible to cut, but it’s not.
Bring a medium sized pot of water to a boil. Carefully chop off of the ends using a sharp knife and keeping your fingers out of the way.
Next, cut the vegetable into manageable chunks that will be long enough for fries, then cut off the tough skin.
Like potatoes, once peeled, cassava oxidizes when exposed to air turning a light brownish color, so you may want to have a bowl of water to soak it in until you use it.
Slice the chunks in half lengthwise and you will find a thin, tough core that you will need to remove.
Slice each quarter into three pieces, keeping them around the same size.
Boil the cassava for 5 minutes until slightly tender. Strain and place into a medium sized bowl with a lid.
Once boiled, the cassava will look like this. Add the seasonings and with the lid on, toss until combined without smashing the cassava up too much.
I cooked the cassava two ways, in my airfryer for about 15 minutes at 360 degrees, and in the oven on silicone sheets at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. They turned out virtually identically. You might try spritzing them with water part way through either cooking process to keep them moist. Or if you are not opposed to a little bit of oil, you could add some in with the spices before you shake the bowl.
Serve warm with your favourite dip! You might like to try a mint and cilantro chutney.
If you aren’t eating them right away, store in a glass container with a lid to keep them moist.
I hope you enjoy this tropical treat!
(Alternatively, you can place the cassava in an airfryer at 360 degrees for 10-15 minutes, tossing a couple of times.) www.thevibrantveggie.com It is easy to double or triple this recipe for a larger group. This recipe will work for other root vegetables too such as potatoes, yams or sweet potatoes. Those you may not need to boil first if you cut the pieces smaller.
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes