Bammy
Grated cassava pressed thoroughly to express its liquid, a real food-safety step since bitter cassava carries cyanogenic compounds that must be removed, then toasted into rounds and finally soaked in coconut milk and pan-fried until crisp. Directly descended from casabe, the cassava flatbread of Jamaica's indigenous Taino and Arawak people, predating European contact on the island.
Vegan-optionalVegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 lb (900g) cassava, peeled and finely grated
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup coconut milk, for soaking
- Oil or butter, for frying
Steps
- Press the grated cassava tightly in muslin or cheesecloth to remove all liquid.
- Mix with the salt.
- Press into 4-5 inch rounds, 1/2 inch thick, in a dry skillet or bammy ring, and cook 5-7 minutes per side until lightly browned and holding together, then cool.
- Soak the toasted rounds in coconut milk for a few minutes until softened.
- Pan-fry in oil or butter until golden and crisp on both sides.
- Serve with fried or steamed fish.