The mbejú or mbeyú is a syncretic dish that comes from Paraguay, in South America. Of clear Guarani indigenous influence due to the use of cassava or cassava starch, cheese and butter are also added, products added by the Spanish Jesuits. In fact, the very word ‘mbejú’ -or ‘mbeyú’- is a Guarani word that means “flattened cake”, and this is what this preparation consists of: it is a kind of tortilla that brings together the previous ingredients and that is cooked roasted in a skillet.
The mbejú is usually enjoyed for breakfast, accompanied by mate, coffee, tea or milk, and it is also customary to serve it on the occasion of the San Juan festivity. Although there are several types of mbejú, the one that we share with you is the simplest and that you can prepare at home without difficulties. Come to Paraguayan lands preparing one of its most appreciated and popular dishes, and discover how to make mbejú in just a few steps.
Ingredients to make Mbejú or mbeyú:
• 500 grams of cassava starch or bitter cassava
• 250 grams of creamy medium cured cheese
• 200 grams of butter or margarine
• 1 tablespoon of salt
How to make Mbejú or mbeyú:
To prepare this Paraguayan mbejú recipe, start with the base: cassava starch. Pour it into a bowl along with the salt and mix well. Now add the cheese. Ideally, it should be a creamy cheese that is not very fresh, but not very mature either. Lastly, add the fat. Generally, butter is used, but you can use margarine. Mix well between your hands to achieve a not too fine sand texture. In fact, more or less large balls should be formed. Remember, it should not look like dough, the mixture is ready when it has that texture that we see in the photo.
Lightly grease a pan, just to prevent them from sticking, and spread a portion of the mixture when it is very hot. Be careful not to crush the mixture against the pan. All you have to do is seal the edges of the mbejú with a spoon or flat knife. To flip, place a large plate in the pan to push the tortilla through so that the cooked side is up.
Now drop it carefully into the pan to cook it on the other side. When ready, keep them warm and serve with mate, coffee, tea or hot milk. You can also serve it with sausages or hot dogs to accompany a good vegetable or meat soup. Now you know how to prepare mbejú at home!
