- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total time
- 50 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- EASY
- Calories
- 410 kcal
Quick summary
“Classic comfort side dish of the Brazilian table made with cassava roots cooked until completely soft, drained, and mashed while still hot with butter and whole milk. Seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper, it develops a velvety, silky, and full-bodied texture.”
What you need to know
- Cooking the cassava until the pulp cracks ensures soft starch that is easy to mash.
- Mashing the root while still hot prevents the fibers from hardening and forming unwanted lumps.
- The butter incorporated into the hot dough emulsifies with the starch, ensuring a velvety texture.
Ingredients
Main
- 1 kg of peeled cassava
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup butter
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
Principal
- Place the cassava in a pot with water and bring to a high heat until boiling.
- Reduce the heat and cook for about 30 minutes or until the cassava is soft.
- Discard the water and drain the cassava well.
- In a bowl, mash the cassava well until you get a smooth puree.
- Add the milk and butter to the puree and mix well until incorporated.
- Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- If you prefer a creamier puree, add a little more milk.
- Serve hot as a side dish for meat or fish.
Chef's tips
- Remove the central fibrous cord before kneading to ensure a smooth consistency.
- Heat the milk before mixing so as not to lower the temperature of the puree in the pot.
- Beat with a wooden spoon vigorously to aerate and soften the final consistency.
Variations
- Cassava Puree with Cheese: add one hundred grams of grated queijo de coalho or standard queijo minas to the puree while still hot in the pot.
- Rustic Mashed Potatoes with Golden Garlic: brown four sliced garlic cloves in butter before incorporating into the mashed cassava puree.
- Oven Gratin Puree: transfer the puree to a refractory, sprinkle parmesan, and take to a hot oven at 200°C for ten minutes.
Substitutions
- Traditional butter can be replaced by northeastern bottle butter to imprint an authentic rustic touch to the puree.
- Whole cow's milk can be substituted with homemade coconut milk for a fragrant side dish ideal for fish.
- Half the cassava can be swapped for Peruvian parsnip (mandioquinha) to enrich dish with golden color and sweetness.
How to store
Store the puree in an airtight plastic or glass container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Cassava starch hardens with cold; Reheat in a saucepan over low heat, drizzling in four tablespoons of warm milk and stirring until creamy again.
Can it be frozen?
It can be frozen for up to sixty days in a sealed container. When thawing over low heat in the pan, the puree may look curdled; whisk with a spatula adding a spoonful of warm butter to re-establish the smooth emulsion.
What to serve with
Pair with pot roast with dark sauce, charcoal-grilled pork ribs, grilled fish fillets, and loose white rice.
Frequently asked questions
Can I blend the cassava in a blender or electric mixer?
It is not recommended to beat at high speed, as it breaks the starch chains and turns the puree into an elastic, sticky paste.
What to do if the cassava takes a long time to soften in the pot?
Give a thermal shock by adding a glass of very cold water to the boiling pot; the change in temperature breaks the resistance of the fibers.
How to make cassava puree more velvety?
Pass the hot cooked cassava through a steel sieve, pressing with a spoon before adding the butter and heated milk.
Can I freeze raw peeled cassava to make puree later?
Yes, peeled raw cassava freezes perfectly for up to six months; cook directly frozen in boiling salted water.
