AI-generated image
Payaguá mascada
Payaguá mascada: Paraguayan fried cassava and beef patties
Payaguá mascada is an Asunción family supper and a favourite for using up boiled cassava: mashed mandioca kneaded with minced beef, onion and garlic, shaped into flat cakes and fried until crusty, then eaten with a tomato salad or with mandioca on the side. Use sweet cassava. A common mistake is using watery, freshly boiled cassava, which makes patties that fall apart in the pan. Chef's tip: let the boiled cassava steam dry in the colander for ten minutes before mashing.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ lb sweet cassava (mandioca)peeled, core removed
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 14 oz minced beef
- 1 onionvery finely chopped
- 2 spring onionsfinely sliced
- 2 garlic clovescrushed
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 eggbeaten
- 5 tbsp sunflower oilfor frying
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Fresh ingredients (4)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Boil 1 ⅓ lb sweet cassava (mandioca) in water with 1 tsp of 1 tsp salt until very soft, about 25 minutes. Drain and let it steam dry for 10 minutes, then remove fibres and mash smoothly.
25 minStep 2: In a bowl, mix 14 oz minced beef with 1 onion, 2 spring onions, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp black pepper, 1 egg and the rest of ½ tsp salt.
3 minStep 3: Knead in the mashed cassava until evenly combined. Shape into 8 flat patties about 1.5 cm thick, wetting your hands so they don't stick.
7 minStep 4: Heat 5 tbsp sunflower oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the patties in batches until deep golden and crisp underneath, about 5 minutes, then turn and fry the other side. The middle must reach 160°F, with no pink meat.
12 minStep 5: Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot with a tomato and onion salad.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 25 g
- Carbs
- 44 g
- Fat
- 27 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does payaguá mascada take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- 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 onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- 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
Masala khakhra
Khakhra are thin chapaties roasted slowly on a griddle until they turn crisp, like a cracker. This masala version adds gram flour, fresh fenugreek, turmeric and chilli to the wheat dough. They are a light Gujarati breakfast or tea-time snack, and lovely with pickle, chutney or a smear of butter. You can also make them in a roti maker.
Okonomiyaki
Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き, 'grilled as you like it') is the pride of Osaka, where it's cooked on hot iron griddles in lively restaurants. Finely shredded cabbage is folded into a light batter with egg and spring onion, then fried into a thick, soft pancake with a crisp outside. It's painted with a fruity brown sauce and zigzagged with mayonnaise. Bonito flakes are usual on top; this vegetarian version uses seaweed flakes and pickled ginger instead. Chef's tip: don't press the pancake down with your spatula while it cooks. Osaka cooks leave it alone so the cabbage steams inside and stays light and fluffy; pressing squeezes out the air.
Coastal Mombasa mix
A Mombasa street-food bowl: chickpeas and potato simmered in coconut milk with raw mango and chilli, ladled into small bowls and topped with crisp lentil fritters, crunchy chevdo and red, green and tamarind chutneys. Make the fritters and chevdo ahead and assemble at the table. It's sweet, sour, hot and crunchy all at once.




