AI-generated image
Bolinho de aipim
Cheese-stuffed cassava balls
Bolinho de aipim: Rio boteco balls of mashed cassava stuffed with cheese and fried
Order a round of chope in a Rio boteco and a plate of these usually follows: golf-ball-sized fritters of mashed aipim (cassava) with a molten cheese centre, crisp and craggy outside, soft and stretchy within. Places like the bars of Tijuca and Botafogo fill them with everything from dried beef to shrimp, but cheese is the classic veggie order. The cassava dough needs no egg or flour to bind it, so they are naturally gluten free. Use a mozzarella or Minas cheese made with microbial rennet to keep them vegetarian. They go wrong when the cassava is mashed while wet: the balls soften and split in the oil. Drain it very well and let the steam escape. Chef's tip: chill the shaped balls for 30 minutes before frying, so the cheese stays inside and the crust sets before the centre melts.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 ¾ lb fresh or frozen cassava (aipim)peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 ½ tsp saltdivided
- ⅔ oz butter
- 2 spring onionsfinely sliced
For the filling
- 5 ½ oz mozzarella or semi-cured Minas cheesein 1.5 cm cubes; choose microbial rennet
For frying
- 4 ¼ cups neutral oil for deep-frying
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (3)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Boil 1 ¾ lb fresh or frozen cassava (aipim) in salted water with half the ¾ tsp salt over a medium-high heat for 20–25 minutes, until very soft and starting to fall apart.
22 minStep 2: Drain thoroughly, pull out the woody cores and leave in the colander for 5 minutes to steam dry.
5 minStep 3: Mash while hot with ⅔ oz butter, 2 spring onions and the rest of the ¾ tsp salt until completely smooth. Leave until cool enough to handle.
Step 4: Take a heaped tablespoon of dough, flatten it in your palm, put a cube of 5 ½ oz mozzarella or semi-cured Minas cheese in the middle and close the dough around it, rolling into a smooth ball. You should get about 24.
Step 5: Chill the balls on a tray for 30 minutes, until firm.
30 minStep 6: Heat 4 ¼ cups neutral oil for deep-frying in a deep pan to 350°F, or until a scrap of dough sizzles at once. Fry 6 balls at a time for 4–5 minutes, turning, until deep golden and crisp all over.
15 minStep 7: Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot with lime wedges or chilli sauce.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bolinho de aipim take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of spring onions?
- Chives, or a little finely sliced onion.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
SakarpadaSweet fried dough diamonds
Sakarpada (shakarpara) are little sweet diamonds of a rich dough made with ghee, milk and sugar, fried until golden and crunchy. They are a Diwali favourite with tea, and the cubes go into bhusu too. They keep for weeks in an air-tight tin.
Indian
Yaki onigiriGrilled rice balls
Yaki onigiri (焼きおにぎり) are rice balls grilled until they form a crisp, toasty crust, then brushed with soy sauce glaze. They are eaten all over Japan, at izakaya, at barbecues and from the freezer section, as a snack or with miso soup. The inside stays soft and steamy while the outside crackles. Best eaten hot, straight from the pan. Chef's tip: let the shaped rice balls dry for 10 minutes before they go in the pan. A drier surface forms a better crust and won't stick, and the glaze goes on only at the end so it doesn't burn.
Japanese
Taiwanese grilled corn
At Raohe and Shilin night markets the grilled-corn stalls are easy to find: look for the queue and the smoky, sweet smell. Cobs are par-cooked, then turned slowly over charcoal while the cook brushes them with a dark glaze of sacha sauce, thick soy paste, garlic and chilli, layer after layer, until the kernels are sticky, slightly charred and deeply savoury. It is eaten hot from a paper sleeve while walking the market. Sacha (shacha) sauce, a Taiwanese barbecue paste, usually contains dried fish and shrimp; vegetarian sacha is sold in Asian shops. Contains soy, wheat and fish. Chef's tip: brush thin coats and turn often; one thick coat burns before the corn chars.
Taiwanese