Cassava mashed is one of the flagship dishes of the cuisine of northern Peru, mainly from the Piura region. Its name comes precisely because it is a dish made from crushed yucca or “majada”, as it is usually called in that part. In addition, pork made almost chicharrón is also included. It is said of this dish that it is the “cousin” of the seco de chabelos, which contains mashed ripe bananas and a protein.
Ancient Piurans say that the northern cassava mash appeared because there was a time when plantain was scarce and it was preferred to choose this tuber. In this article we venture to learn more about the gastronomy of this part of South America and we leave you everything you need to have to encourage you to prepare this delicacy at home. Get everything ready, read on to find out how to make mashed yucca and, let’s cook!
Ingredients to make Cassava Majado:
- 300 grams of yucca
- 250 grams of pork
- ¼ cup chicha de jora
- 1 medium red onion
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 3 tablespoons yellow chili paste
- 1 yellow pepper
- 1 handful of chopped Chinese onion
- 1 handful of chopped coriander
- 1 pinch of salt, pepper and cumin
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
How to make Cassava Majado:
- To start, peel the yucas, rinse them and place them in a pot with water until they are covered and a pinch of salt.
- Cook them for approximately 15 minutes or until, when inserted with a fork or knife, they are soft without falling apart.
- While the yucas are cooking, prepare everything you will need for the dressing. To do this, cut the pork into small pieces, the onion and the yellow pepper into small squares. Also prepare the garlic and yellow pepper pastes and place the indicated measure of chicha de jora in a small container. Finally, also finely chop the coriander leaves and the Chinese onion.
- Tip: if you can’t get chicha de jora, you can also use white vinegar, but in less quantity, approximately half of the chicha de jora to complete the rest with water.
- Once the yucas are cooked, remove them from the water and crush or mash them with the help of a wooden spoon or a pestle. You must crush them until all have been as seen in the image. The essence of mashed yucca is not that it becomes a puree either, the texture will have to end up somewhat rustic.
- Prepare the pork crackling. To do this, heat the oil in a small pot, add the previously seasoned pork meat and cook it until browned.
- Tip: if you prefer, you can make the yucca mashed with chicken or bacon using these meats instead of pork. In this case, we also recommend cooking it beforehand.
- Once the meat has browned, remove it and reserve it. Add the onion to the same pot and cook it for about 2 minutes, more or less, or until it is cooked. Then, add the chopped yellow pepper plus the ground garlic and also the yellow pepper paste. Let cook without stopping stirring gently for about 3 minutes.
- With the dressing done, it is time to add the mashed yucca to the pot along with the pork. Also add the chicha de jora and mix everything. Add salt, pepper and cumin to taste.
- Tip: if you see that the preparation is drying out a lot despite the chicha de jora, add water little by little. Remember that mashed yucca with meat cannot be very creamy either.
- Finally, finish the preparation by adding the chopped Chinese onion and coriander. If it is to your liking, you could also add a little diced pepper.
- To serve, it is almost mandatory to accompany the mashed yucca with a Creole zarcita, for which you will only need a little onion, a piece of chili pepper and chopped coriander leaves, more lemon and a pinch of salt. You can also add chifles and canchita serrana. To eat!
