Savoury Grated Cassava Loaf

I had been trying to make this dish for the longest time, but haven’t done so for the longest time because I couldn’t decide what a cassava was and I didn’t really bother looking it up on the net as well. This root has remained a mystery since secondary school. Now, I am finally thinking about it again. And taking some time to find out more about it.

So cassava is a starchy root, also known as a yuca, or arrowroot. It seems to be widely used in other parts of the world such as in South America, and not commonly so in Singapore and regional countries here. Except maybe as deep-fried or oven-baked chips or in breads. Being a starchy type of root, it is also suited to steaming and making steamed cakes, similar to how we make tapioca cake and carrot cake in Chinese cuisines. Which is what I’m trying out here in my recipe as well in my first attempt cooking this root.

Ingredients:

  • Oil: 2 tbsp
  • Shallot: 4, finely chopped
  • Garlic: 1, finely chopped
  • Dried prawn: 1 tbsp, soaked in water
  • Chinese celery: 1 stalk, chopped
  • Spring onion: 1 stalk, chopped
  • Salt: 1/2 tsp
  • White pepper: a pinch
  • Cassava: 300, grated
  • Egg: 1, beaten
  • Milk: 100ml
  • Butter: 30g, melted

Method:

  1. Preheat oven at 170 degrees Celsius.
  2. Heat oil in wok. Saute shallots and garlic till light brown.
  3. Add in dried prawns, celery, spring onion, salt and white pepper. Fry till fragrant.
  4. Remove stir-fried ingredients from heat. Stir in cassava, egg, milk and 15g melted butter.
  5. Pour mixture into a sandwich tin. Pour remaining butter on top of mixture.
  6. Bake in oven for 45min till golden brown.
  7. Leave to cool for 15min before slicing.

Trick:

  • You can grate the cassava into even finer shavings if you would like to eat the slices with less crunch.

Serving:
1 small loaf, approx 6 slices

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