Cassava Karioka is a delicious and easy treat made with two simple ingredients: grated cassava and brown sugar. The cassava is formed into a ball and covered with brown sugar to create a glazed finger food cassava. Really, Cassava Karioka is just a ball of deliciousness. The lusciousness of crunchy caramelized sugar-coated Cassava Karioka is just so irresistible. I tell you, a single piece of this delightful finger food snack will not be enough. You need to make more!

Cassava Karioka (Karioka Kamoteng Kahoy)

The Filipinos are very clever when it comes to making snacks or merienda to put the family together at the table. As we already know, cassava is a starchy root that is commonly used as an ingredient to an array of worldwide cuisines. Surprisingly, one fact about cassava is that it can be poisonous if eaten raw or not well-cooked. So, be careful as you cook it!

Cassava Karioka is one of those snacks that is a very popular either home-made or street food recipe. It is usually in a powerful snack group that sits together with Banana cue, Camote cue, Turon, and Maruya in a winnowing basket of a peddling vendor.

How to Make Cassava Karioka (Karioka Kamoteng Kahoy)

To perfect your Cassava Karioka, you will be needing a very few ingredients and a clear recipe guide. Since cassavas are a type of root, it should be washed completely then peel off the brown skin. Using a shredder, grate it carefully then drain the juices. You do not want sloppy and watery cassava balls later.

Now with the dried grated cassava, scoop half a tablespoon and roll it into a ball. Repeat this process for the remaining ones. Heat the pan over low heat and put some oil. The oil must be able to sink the Cassava Karioka. If there is not enough oil, then make sure to flip it to cook each side evenly.

Wait until the pan and oil are completely hot before putting the Cassava Karioka or else, it will soak too much oil and become sloppy. Use a colander to strain excess oil or you can simply transfer the cassava balls on a tissue-lined plate before serving. Enjoy!

Cassava Karioka

Course: Filipino Recipes, Snacks

Servings

servings

Ingredients

2 cups grated cassava (kamoteng kahoy)
3/4 cup sugar
oil for frying

Directions

In a bowl, strain the grated cassava until its juice is fully separated from it. Discard the juice and set aside the dry grated cassava for later purposes.
Divide the sugar into half amounts for each cup of dried grated cassava. Mix well until it gets uniform texture and color.
Scoop a teaspoon of the mixture and form it into a ball. Do the same with all of the remaining mixture. Coat each grated cassava with sugar before cooking it.
Heat the pan over low heat then grease it with oil. Fry and stir the cassava balls for a few minutes until it turns golden brown.
Strain the oil as you take it out of the pan. You can either put the Cassava Karioka through a bamboo stick or simply transfer onto a platter. Enjoy!

Notes

Be careful on grating the cassava, better leave the end parts undone to prevent hurting your fingertips.
It’s best to mix the ingredients with bare hands. Make sure to wash properly with soap and put on plastic hand gloves for sanitary good.
Upon straining the juice from the grated cassava, it would be a lot easier to squeeze it with bare hands.
Do not fry on medium to high heat so that the Cassava Karioka Balls will not be burnt easily nor it will be undercooked inside.