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Roasted Cassava and Green Sauce

Farmacy
  • Serves: 4
  • Preparation: 5
  • Cooking: 35
  • Ready: 40

Rich in vitamins and minerals, cassava is a staple food in Brazil, Paraguay and Indonesia – eating this healthy root will help keep you nutritionally balanced.

Ingredients

For the cassava

  • 1 kg (2lb 4oz) cassava, peeled, stringy centre removed, flesh cut into 2cm (¾ inch) x 12 cm (4½ inch) sticks
  • olive oil
  • salt

For the Farmacy Seed Mix (makes 6 tablespoons)

  • 2 tablespoons cumin seeds
  • 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
  • 2 tablespoons fennel seeds

For the green sauce (makes 250ml/9 fl oz)

  • 2 whole garlic cloves
  • 1–2 green or jalapeño chillies
  • 1 teaspoon Farmacy Seed Mix (see below)
  • 1 large bunch of coriander, stems and leaves
  • 125 ml (4 fl oz) sunflower or rapeseed oil
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Method

To make the cassava

Preheat the oven to 200˚C/400˚F/gas mark 7.

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, salt the water well and add the cassava sticks. Cook for about 18 minutes.

Drain and arrange the sticks on a baking tray. Season generously with salt and olive oil and bake until golden; about 15 minutes.

Serve with Green Sauce on the side or on the top.

Note: Never eat cassava raw; it should always be cooked before eating.

To make the seed mix (needed for the green sauce)

Put the seeds in a dry frying pan without oil over a medium heat and cook them until they are fragrant. This takes about 3 minutes. The aim here is not to toast the seeds, but to release the beautiful combination of flavours by warming the seeds together in the pan.

Put the seeds in a food processor and pulse and blend until they have a consistency you like.

Store in an airtight container in a dry, dark place for up to 6 months.

The Farmacy Seed Mix takes food way beyond classic seasoning. It deepens flavours, taking dishes to a new level. This mix pops up in many recipes. Make a batch and keep it in the kitchen to use as needed. This recipe was inspired by chef Peter Gordon. We use it frequently in the Farmacy kitchen.

To make the green sauce

Put the garlic, chillies and seed mix in a food processor and blend together. Add the coriander, oil, lemon juice and salt. Process until the sauce is smooth, like pesto. Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary with more lemon juice.

Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

The colour may darken over time due to oxidation, but this doesn’t affect the flavour. You can top with a thin layer of oil to prevent oxidation, or alternatively, freeze half to use another time.

Additonal notes

Farmacy Kitchen Cookbook by Camilla Fayed is published by Octopus Books, £25.

“Cassava is a New World food that’s been around for more than 10,000 years. It’s a staple food in Brazil, Paraguay and Indonesia. This vegetable root is loaded with beneficial dietary fibre, which helps to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels and supports stable blood sugar. It’s rich in magnesium, copper, manganese, folate and vitamin C. All in all, eating this healthy root will help keep you nutritionally balanced.

Our magic Green Sauce is a raw sauce inspired by ‘schug’ or ‘zhug’, a hot chilli sauce of Yemeni origin which packs a punch of flavour whenever it is added to a dish. We use Green Sauce for a lift in flavour to garnish salads and other dishes, such as Aubergine Rolls. It mixes well with Tahini Sauce as the flavours complement one another. Chillies contain a range of vitamins and minerals, including iron, magnesium, fibre, potassium, copper and manganese. The coriander and lemon aid digestion and help support the immune system.”

Run by Camilla Fayed and team, the stunning and stylish Farmacy Kitchen is located in Notting Hill and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Featuring healthy choice veggie comfort foods such as the signature “Farmacy Burger” and plant-based ice cream sundaes, the menu is inspired by dishes from around the globe. With a large bar and cosy booths, it’s a place for those passionate about taste, provenance and nourishing recipes that are good for the body and for the earth.

Facebook: Farmacy
Instagram: @FarmacyUK

Farmacy Kitchen Cookbook cover

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