Chikuanga (Cassava Bread)
Angola
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London, United Kingdom ·
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Chikuanga, also called kwanga, is fermented cassava pounded to a dense paste, wrapped and cooked into a firm loaf that is sliced and eaten with stews. It is made across Angola and the Congo basin, and the source associates it particularly with northeastern Angola. The long soak at the start is the whole process, and it is not a convenience step. Cassava is soaked for two full days at minimum, during which it ferments, and that fermentation is what makes it safe. Raw cassava contains cyanogenic glycosides which release cyanide, and soaking, fermenting and cooking are the traditional sequence developed over centuries to remove them. This is one of the clearest examples anywhere of a food processing technique that exists for a reason people worked out long before anyone could explain the chemistry. Longer soaking gives a softer, more sourly fermented result. Traditionally the finished paste is wrapped in banana or marantaceae leaves before its final cooking, and the leaves flavour it as it steams. The source's method substitutes cling film and string, which works but loses that. Where leaves are available they are worth using. The source calls Angola the Democratic Republic of Angola, which is not its name, the country is the Republic of Angola. Kwanga is also strongly associated with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which may be where the confusion arose.
Chikuanga, also known as kwanga, is a dense bread made from fermented cassava, wrapped in leaves and cooked, eaten across Angola and the Congo basin. The extended soaking that begins the process ferments the cassava and removes the cyanogenic compounds present in the raw root.
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Peel the cassava and submerge it in cold water. Cover it so it is airtight and leave it for a minimum of 48 hours. The longer it soaks, the softer and more fermented it becomes, and this fermentation is what makes the cassava safe to eat.
Once the cassava is soft, pull out the fibrous veins with a knife or your fingers, then pound it in a large mortar and pestle or work it in a food processor.
When the paste is smooth, transfer it to a large basin and pour in 2 litres of water.
Spoon the mixture repeatedly through a sieve to separate the pulp from the liquid, discarding the fibrous pieces that stay in the sieve. The cassava flour settles at the bottom of the basin.
Pour off the water from the top and transfer what remains to a small pot. Cook it until it has dried slightly and become malleable.
Knead the mass with a rolling pin until smooth.
Shape it by hand into a long cylinder and wrap it in banana leaves, tying it with string. If leaves are unavailable, cling film will hold the shape, though it contributes none of the flavour that leaves do.
Lower the wrapped parcels into a pot of water and cook for two hours, until firm and pale golden brown.
When cool, unwrap and slice into strips to serve with stew.
Personal notes from Nympha NzeribeBe the first to rate this recipe
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