yucca/cassava fritters (arepitas de yuca)
I so happen to stop by a Latino supermarket today and they had such fresh yucca that it inspired me to make some yucca fritters, known in Spanish as “arepitas de yuca”. This is my mother’s recipe and it’s super easy to make. The only complicated part in the process of making these fritter, and that discourages some from making them, is having to grate the yucca. But even that is not hard. Peeling the yucca can also be intimidating because of its thick and rough rind.
The yucca, also known as cassava, manioc, tapioca and other names, is tuber native to Latin America, specially Brazil and Paraguay, which was a food staple for the pre-Columbian people in the Americas. The yucca is a versatile super vegetable, with sweet undertones, that is is full of vitamins and minerals.
Videos: How to Peel Cassava Root or How to Make Arepitas de Yuca
Yucca fritters work well as an appetizer or a side dish with any lunch or dinner meal.
Recipe:
1 lb. of yucca (1 Large or 2 small)
1 Egg
2 Tablespoon Sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoons of anise
1 cup of oil for frying (I prefer coconut oil)
Instructions:
Peel the yucca. Before grating it real fine, make sure to remove the vein that runs down the center of the yucca. You can use a food processor to grate the yucca but I prefer to use a grater.
Place the grated yucca in a towel and squeeze a couple of times to eliminate the excess starch. This will help after frying for your yucca fritters to remain soft on the inside.
In a bowl, incorporate the egg, sugar, salt, and anise to the yucca mixture.
Heat oil in a small pan at medium heat.
Add tablespoons of the mixture and fry until golden. Turn and repeat.
Place on paper towels to remove excess grease.
will guild between 8 and 10 yucca fritters.
