Cassava Chips with a Tamarind Chutney

This is one of my favourite things to eat, a real treat, and one that brings back so many lovely childhood memories from Malawi, where I grew up. Cassava is a root vegetable similar to yams. It is native to Central and South America. And is also a staple food in Africa and Asia. You can use it like potatoes, boil, bake, fry and mash. Although I either fry it or use it as a base for my mum's chicken and cassava casserole.
You can buy it frozen in any Asian/Indian food store. It usually comes in a large 1 kg bag and you boil it from frozen.

Frozen Cassava
Oil for frying
1-2 Eggs beaten
salt and Chilli powder (optional)

1. In a large saucepan add 4-5 chunks of cassava and boil for 30-40 min, until tender. Once the cassava is cooked, it should be fairly firm but easy enough to slide a fork through it.

2. The next step is important, once cooled you need to cut the chunks length ways in half and remove the stalk from the middle, then cut into chunky chips.



3. Heat oil in a wok or deep frying pan and add the cassava chips to the beaten egg and coat, then slowly place them in the oil, fry until golden, strain and place them in a dish with a paper towel to soak the excess oil.

4. Sprinkle with salt and chilli powder ( I like the this way) and serve with a tamarind chutney.

Tamarind Chutney

This is a dark sweet and sour chutney, used as a dipping sauce. Used in India like Ketchup is used in the West. You can get small tubs of it in Indian supermarkets and it is concentrated.

150 mls water
3-4 Tsp of tamarind paste
1/4 cup of dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp cumin and salt, pepper to taste
1/4 tsp chilli

Add all this in a saucepan, simmer for 6-8 min and then cool, it will get thick and syrupy as it cools. It keeps well in the fridge for 3-4 weeks.

Enjoy!

Till next time

Ashia