Chinangwa

Ingredients

Cassava

• 1 kgcassava roots, chinangwa

To boil

• water
• salt

To roast

• a charcoal fire or hot coals

To serve

• salt
• sometimes a little oil or margarine
• sometimes with groundnut flour

To serve

• hot, from a roadside brazier, wrapped in paper

Directions

1. Peel it thickly, removing the whole pinkish layer under the brown skin, since that layer holds most of the compounds.
2. Cut out the woody central core, which is fibrous and inedible anyway. Bitter varieties are grown because they resist pests and store better in the ground, and they are processed into flour rather than eaten boiled.
3. Cut one open: the flesh should be white and clean, and any grey or blue streaking means it has gone. Cut the root into lengths of about ten centimetres.
4. Score the skin lengthways and lever the thick peel off with the knife. The skin comes away in a thick layer, taking the pink underskin with it, which is what you want. Put the peeled pieces in well salted water and boil them for twenty to thirty minutes.
5. Salt the water generously, since cassava is bland and absorbs seasoning poorly afterwards. It is done when a knife slides in with no resistance and the flesh has turned from opaque to slightly translucent.
6. Drain it and let it steam dry for a minute, which improves the texture considerably. The fibrous central core can be pulled out easily once cooked if you left it in.
7. Roast peeled pieces directly on the coals or on a grate over them. Turn them regularly, since they scorch on one side quickly. Roast for twenty to thirty minutes until the outside is charred in patches and the inside is soft. Now a point about the roasted version.

Technique

• Cassava must always be peeled thickly and cooked through, and never eaten raw.
• Sweet cassava is what is sold for boiling and roasting; bitter needs long processing.
• Many vendors boil it first and finish it over coals, which is more reliable.

Substitutions

• Frozen cassava, which is peeled and ready.
• Sweet potato or yam, which fill the same role.

Variations

• Boiled first and then finished over coals.
• Sprinkled with groundnut flour.
• Fried in slices the following day.

History

A cheap roadside filler in Malawi, especially in the north where cassava replaces maize as the staple.

Frequently asked questions

What is Chinangwa?

Chinangwa is a street food from Malawi: cassava boiled or roasted over coals and eaten with salt. A cheap roadside filler in Malawi, especially in the north where cassava replaces maize as the staple.

How long does Chinangwa take to make?

Chinangwa takes 15 min of preparation and 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Chinangwa?

Yes, within limits. Frozen cassava, which is peeled and ready. Sweet potato or yam, which fill the same role.

What is the most important thing to get right in Chinangwa?

Peel it thickly, removing the whole pinkish layer under the brown skin, since that layer holds most of the compounds.