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Yakeyake

Name: Yakeyake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 65 min
Cuisine: Ghanaian
Ingredients: 1 kg cassava; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp sugar; 1.5 l water

Yakeyake: the Ewe staple of grated cassava steamed into fluffy, couscous-like crumbs

Features:

Yakeyake comes from the Volta Region, where grated cassava is pressed dry, broken into crumbs and steamed until it turns into a light, slightly chewy grain that looks like coarse couscous. It is pleasantly neutral, a little sweet, and in Ewe homes it is often eaten with fried fish and a hot tomato and pepper sauce; for a meat-free plate, serve it with that same pepper sauce, sliced avocado and fried ripe plantain. Fresh cassava must be cooked thoroughly and never eaten raw. Chef's tip: squeeze the grated cassava in a cloth until no more liquid comes out; wet cassava is the common mistake and steams into a gummy paste instead of separate crumbs.

Total time: 65 min
Difficulty: medium
Serves: 4

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Ingredients

Serves4

2 ¼ lb cassavapeeled, woody core removed; or 800 g frozen grated cassava, thawed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar (optional)
6 ¼ cups waterfor steaming

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Method

0/6 done

Step 1: Finely grate 2 ¼ lb cassava into a bowl.
15 min
Step 2: Put the grated cassava in a clean cloth or muslin, twist and squeeze hard until no more liquid drips out. Throw the liquid away.
5 min
Step 3: Crumble the cassava into a bowl, add 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar, if using, and rub between your palms until it looks like fine damp breadcrumbs. Push it through a coarse sieve to break any lumps.
8 min
Step 4: Bring 6 ¼ cups water to the boil in a pot with a steamer or colander on top, lined with a damp cloth. Spread the crumbs loosely in it, cover and steam.
20 min
Step 5: Tip out, fluff with a fork and break up any clumps, then steam again until the crumbs are translucent, tender and no longer starchy-tasting.
15 min
Step 6: Fluff once more and serve hot with pepper sauce.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 330 kcal
Protein: 3 g
Carbs: 80 g
Fat: 1 g
Fibre: 4 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does yakeyake take?: About 65 minutes in total: 30 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 vegan?: Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
Is it gluten free?: Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.

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