Pork with cassava leaves
Serve this stewed pork with cassava leaves very warm, with rice and rougail on the side.
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan and cook onion for 2-3 minutes, until transparent, add garlic and cook for one minute more.
- Add pork meat and cook stirring frequently, until done - for about 20 minutes if cubed. Season.
- Once the meat is cooked, add the prepared cassava leaves.
- Cover with water, place lid on top and simmer for 15 minutes, or until cassava leaves are tender.
Notes
Cassava leaf can be found in ethnic grocers, raw or ground and frozen. Cassava leaves are toxic when raw. The leaves are not edible without some treatment - usually pounding, grinding or treatment with boiling water. Wash leaves thoroughly under running water and remove toxins by one of the following methods.
- Slice cassava leaves and pound them in a mortar. Let them stand for a couple of hours, at room temperature, before cooking.
- Pour boiling water over roughly chopped cassava leaves and let them stand for a couple of hours before cooking.
- Boil roughly chopped cassava leaves for ten minutes, let them stand for another ten minutes and then discard the liquid, before adding them to your recipe.
If you don't have it, substitute cassava leaf with the same amount of potato leaf, beet greens or spinach. Other greens can also be used.
Although it is a native Sotuh American plant, cassava, or manioc, is grown as a crop in many tropical countries because it is drought tolerant. was Cassava roots and leaves are staple food in many African countries, including Madagascar.
Food in Africa
Rougail is a spicy tomato sauce that can be very hot or not. The traditinal ingreidents are diced tomatoes, crushed ginger, chopped onions and and finely chopped chili peppers. Kaffir lime, juice or leaves, or curry leaf can also be added.