Cassava Balls

Bolitas de Mandioca / Cassava Balls

Mandioca, as we called it in Paraguay, is known in the United States as cassava, manioc or yucca. Paraguayans eat plain boiled cassava with lunch or dinner on a daily bases as a substitute for bread. However, there are many different recipes that utilize cassava as its main ingredient; the Bolitas de Mandioca is one of them. These cassava balls are great for appetizer by itself, with dipping sauce or as a side dish.  

What you need

3 Cups of yucca

1 Cup of fresh grated Parmesan cheese

1 Tablespoon of flour

1 Tablespoon of butter

   Salt

Makes 18 to 20 balls

First, peel the yucca and boil it in hot salty water until the yucca turns a bit soft. I usually throw 1 teaspoon of salt but you can put more if you wish. Drain the water out and let the yucca sit, to dry and cool down, for about 30min. Then, grate 3 cups of yucca.

Next, combine in a bowl the yucca, parmesan cheese, eggs, butter and flour. If possible use your hands to make sure everything is well mixed.

After that, start forming the balls with your hands. To make the balls smoother, sprinkle flour on top of the balls you initially made and on your hands and repeat the process.

Then, fry the balls in a pan with hot oil until the balls turn golden brown. 

Enjoy!