If you are thinking that cassava flour is ideal for cooking, then it may be considered. Through the years, Cassava flour is known as grain-free flour. Besides, it would not be surprising to know when someone follows a diet and blends different flavors to achieve the same consistency as the flour. So, before having a look at the different recipes, let’s go through what Cassava flour is all about.
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What Is Cassava Flour?
Cassava flour is always considered as the dietary staple because it could be an alternative to starch-rich foodstuffs. In fact, it can also be an option when you think about something else that wheat flour. So, here are some facts that you need to know.
The cassava plant is usually found in many regions of Asia, Africa, and South America. It produces the cassava root which contains carbohydrates and is much similar to sweet potatoes, yam, plantains, and taro. Apart from being one of the favorites among vegetarians, the tuberous root vegetable is nut as well as gluten-free.
Even though the term ‘tapioca flour’ is used instead of ‘Cassava flour’, there’s a vast difference between the two. While Tapioca is the starch extracted from the Cassava root, cassava flour is drawn from the entire root constituting a high amount of dietary fiber.
Despite the fact that Cassava flour contains many cyanide compounds, there’s no harm in consuming the flour. But, when you eat the root in raw form, then it can be poisonous in nature. It is because of these reasons many people ensure that Cassava has been through the process of soaking, cooking, and fermenting. These processes eventually remove the toxic compounds and prevent the person from falling ill.
If you consider a serving of 100 grams, Cassava has twice as many calories and carbohydrates as that of sweet potato. This makes it for the best food item among millions of individuals. But, as a word of caution, you shouldn’t eat cassava flour recipes at every meal. You should consume the flour in moderate quantities.
Cassava flour is the same as wheat flour. But, as compared to coconut flour or almond flour, the flour is neutral and mild in flavor. While it’s soft and powdery, it is not that grainy and gritty as you may think about. When you buy cassava flour, it’s important to check for quality and the way it has been processed.
A Few Cassava Flour Recipes
Farofa
Farofa is nothing but a Brazilian side dish that contains coarsely ground flour and bears a similar kind of texture as couscous. As the recipe is cooked with meat along with onions and garlic, the dish can be served with a pot of feijoada, a traditional dish with black beans, and stewed meat.
Flatbreads
Cassava flour is suitable for making bread that you can girdle on the gas burner or the stove. If there’s something special you want to make for your little ones, then it could be crepes and tortillas. A pizza crust or bread slices are excellent dishes to try with the flour.
Cookies And Cakes
In case you wish to throw a surprise, then you can swap cassava flour in for most of the standard recipes. You may have to spend some little time altering the flour to liquid ratio, but most dishes don’t need any changes. Cookies would be easy to make dessert when you have decided to substitute wheat flour with cassava flour. But, if you want something to tickle your taste buds, then you can try a chocolate layered cake.
How To Prepare The Cassava Cake?
For preparing the Cassava cake, you would need the following ingredients.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs of cassava, grated carefully
- 14 ounce of sweet, condensed milk
- 12 ounce of evaporated milk
- 14 ounce of coconut milk
- 13 ounce of coconut cream
- Two third cup of sugar
- 3 eggs and 3 egg whites
- 1 cup of grated coconut
- 3 egg yolks
Preparation Time
The entire procedure of preparing the cake may take around 30 minutes. But, the time may vary depending on the condition of the oven and the time for which you are going to bake the cake.
Steps
Initially, you need to heat the microwave oven at a temperature of 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Now, you need to take a large bowl and mix the ingredients well.
Later, you need to pour everything into greased rectangular size pans.
Afterward, you need to bake everything for as much as 30 minutes.
Soon after you have mixed the toppings, you should spread the batter evenly on the two cakes.
Once you have baked the cakes, you should cool them inside the refrigerator and slice them into 24 equal cubes.
How To Prepare Cassava Bread?
When you are planning to prepare the Cassava bread, you require:
Ingredients
- Half a kg of Cassava, which washed and peeled well
- One-third cup of fresh parmesan, finely grated
- Half a teaspoon of salt
- A quarter cup of olive oil and 2 crushed garlic cloves
Preparation Time
The total time required for preparing the Cassava bread is 1 hour and 30 minutes. But, once you prepare everything, you may just need 15 minutes to cook the bread.
Steps
Initially, you need to grate the cassava on the side of the grater that has big perforations.
Now, with the help of cotton cloth, you need to squeeze the cassava and extract excess liquid.
As you spread the ingredients on the tray, you should keep it inside the refrigerator for around four hours.
Now, you need to heat up a nonstick pan over a medium intensity flame.
Moving ahead, you should spread the cassava on the pan. But, before doing so, you should break any clumps that have been formed.
As soon as you cook everything for a minute, you should flip the sides till they become light brown.
In the end, you should let the bread cool down. Make sure that the slices are spongy, and that all the water is evaporated. If that’s not the case, then you should continue cooking the bread.
NOTE: Think about using a small pan for 12 single servings. In case the pan is bigger in size, then servings may vary. Moreover, if you are going to have the bread throughout the entire week, then it must be stored in an airtight container.
I hope you have learned how you can prepare dishes from Cassava flour. If you have come up with any other idea apart from the ones mentioned above, then we would love to hear from you.
