Cassava balls

Name: Cassava balls
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Sierra Leone
Ingredients: 500 g commercially fully cooked ready-to-reheat cassava, drained; not raw or merely frozen roots; 80 g very finely chopped onion; 1 medium egg; 10 g washed chopped parsley; 30 ml neutral oil for pan-frying; 50 ml water to reheat cassava; Up to ¼ tsp salt and pepper

🥔 Twelve small fully cooked cassava patties with onion, egg and parsley, lightly browned in a pan.

Ingredients

500 g commercially fully cooked ready-to-reheat cassava, drained; not raw or merely frozen roots
80 g very finely chopped onion
1 medium egg
10 g washed chopped parsley
30 ml neutral oil for pan-frying
50 ml water to reheat cassava
Up to ¼ tsp salt and pepper

Preparation

Check cassava label confirms fully cooked ready to reheat. Drain and remove central fibres. Reheat with 50 ml water about five minutes or according to label. Drain excess and mash finely.

Cool ten minutes until warm rather than burning before adding egg, onion, parsley and seasoning. Never taste raw egg mixture.

Divide into twelve equal small pieces. Roll then flatten slightly into patties about 1.5 cm thick for even centre cooking.

Heat half the oil over medium heat. Cook six patties about seven to eight minutes, turning halfway. Repeat with remaining oil and six patties.

Check centre reaches at least 74 °C and egg is fully cooked; extend gently if needed. Colour alone is insufficient. Drain on suitable support.

Serve three patties per person, four snack or side portions. This shallow-fried adaptation starts with fully cooked cassava; it is not a method for raw grated roots.