A hearty delicious nutritious vegan version of the Mauritian cassava (yuca) stew — Kat-Kat Manioc — that is prepared with mushrooms, beans, spinach along with the cassava. This dish is often eaten on its own as a soup or accompanied with bread or rice.
1tablespoonminced gingeror ginger-garlic paste, see notes
½teaspooncumin powder
1vegetable bouillon cubeor 1 tablespoon vegetable bouillon powder, or substitute the water with vegetable broth
2red mild chillies
2cupswateror as required for cooking and to make up the sauce
Salt to taste
Instructions
Cut the cassava roots into 2 to 3 pieces across. Make a slit in the skin all the way to the pink layer that is underneath the outer layer. Slide the knife under the pink layer and pull as you continue to slide the knife. The skin should come off fairly easily. Make sure both the outer layer and pink layer are completely removed.
Once peeled, cut the cassava pieces in half lengthwise and place them into a pan filled with water so that the water reaches the cassava up to ¾ of the way. Cover and turn the heat on to medium and allow the cassava to boil.
The cassava usually takes about 15 to 20 minutes to cook. Test if they are soft with a fork then remove them from the pan. Keep the water that they have been boiling in as we will use this later. Remove the fibrous stem in the middle of the cassava and leave the cassava aside for now.
While the cassava is cooking, you can prepare the other ingredients like dicing the tomatoes, chopping the parsley, chillies and spinach.
To make the stew, use in a deep pot. On medium temperature, heat one tablespoon of coconut or vegetable oil. Add one tablespoon of minced ginger. If using a mixture of garlic and ginger paste, add this instead. And add in one small diced onion at this stage if using. Let these sizzle for about 30 seconds. Then add the cumin and let this roast for another 20 seconds. Add in the chopped tomatoes followed by a little bit of the water in which the cassava has been boiling.
Now add in one vegetable bouillon cube or one tablespoon of bouillon powder.
Mash the cube so that it dissolves more easily. Then add the rest of the cassava water which is about one cup.
Add in the mushrooms followed by the chillies.
Next add the pre-cooked or canned baby lima beans.
Add in about one cup of water or vegetable broth, if you did not use a bouillon cube, and a few sprigs of thyme.
Now add in the pre-cooked cassava and parsley. Give everything a good stir. Cover and let the stew simmer for about 10 minutes or until the sauce is a little thicker. Finally add in the greens. These won’t take long to cook. So, cover the pan and let them wilt for a few minutes.
Stir, adjust the amount of water if required and add salt to taste. Turn off the heat.
The Kat-Kat Manioc is now ready. Serve as a soup on its own or stew with bread or over rice.
Video
Notes
Homemade Ginger-Garlic Paste (no oil, no salt) - https://veganlovlie.com/quick-tip-pre-mince-prepare-preserve/Link to original recipe - Kat-Kat Manioc - Mauritian Cassava Stew - https://veganlovlie.com/kat-kat-manioc-mauritian-cassava-yucca-stew-soup-vegan-vegetarian-recipe/