Almidon de Mandioca – Cassava Starch
Starch made from ground Cassava, also known as manioc, yuca, yam or mandioca. This is an important starchy root vegetable with a thousand culinary uses around the world. In South America this is often used to make delicious cheese bread balls, called Chipa in Paraguay, Pao de Queijo in Brazil and Pan de Queso in Many other countries.
Recipe Cheese Bread Puffs (Chipa/Pao de Queijo)
1 Cup whole milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
2 cups cassava starch (almidon de mandioca)
2 eggs
1.5 cups grated cheese (parmesan is used in most recipes but any grated cheese works, the stronger the flavour the better)
- Bring to the boil the milk, oil and salt then allow to slightly cool.
- Add the cassava starch and stir in as much as possible
- As the mixture cools further, add in the eggs one by one. Use a spoon to start with but as the mixture becomes more stiff, use your hands with the dough
- Add the cheese and work in until uniform throughout
- Form into small balls around the size of a ping-pong ball.
- Place on a baking tray and then take for around 30 minutes at 200C until golden brown, and only just cooked
The cheese balls are chewy and gooey on the inside and a great side dish for any meal!