Ginataang Kamoteng Kahoy (Cassava in Coconut Milk)

Ginataang Kamoteng Kahoy (Cassava in Coconut Milk)

My wife called it Balinghoy, I just knew it as either Cassava or Kamoteng Kahoy. We purchase this tuber fresh from the market back in my hometown of Baguio. We would remove the rough, outer bark before cooking it. You need to be careful with the raw product as it has toxins, so it needs to be thoroughly cooked before consumption. We do not have fresh cassava here in New Zealand, but we do have the frozen variety, available from the Asian store. It has already been pre-cooked so the first stage of cooking is shortened.

Total time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pack Frozen Cassava, thawed
• 400 ml Coconut milk
• 1/2 cup White sugar
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• as needed Water

Cooking Directions

1. Chop the Kamoteng Kahoy into bite-size pieces.
2. Place the pieces in a thick-bottomed pot (arrange it in such a way that you maximize space - I made the pieces stand beside each other), then pour enough water to nearly submerge and add the salt.
   
   
3. Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat. The cassava pieces will eventually as it starts cooking. The whitish colour will also turn a nice light yellow. This will take around 15 minutes, but occasionally check by piercing with a fork for tenderness.
   
   
4. Pour the coconut milk and add the sugar and continue boiling uncovered.
   
   
   
    Let the coconut milk boil for 20-30 minutes, just enough time for it to reduce and thicken. You will notice that initially, the coconut milk will be foamy and then the bubbles will become more pronounced as it thickens.
   
   
5. Serve warm.