Overview
Placali is fermented cassava paste, cooked to a smooth elastic mass and eaten with soup. It is one of the principal swallows of Côte d'Ivoire, and it is also eaten in Togo, where it is known as agbelima koumè. The fermentation is what separates it from the many other cassava preparations of the region. Cassava is grated, crushed and left for two days before any cooking, and the acidity that develops gives placali a distinct sourness that plain cassava fufu does not have. The texture is looser and stickier than pounded fufu, and it is deliberately kept that way: the amount of water left in before cooking decides how soft the finished placali will be, and Ivorian cooks adjust it to preference. Cassava reached West Africa from South America through Portuguese Atlantic trade, and Côte d'Ivoire has built an unusually large part of its food on it. Attiéké, the fermented cassava couscous, gari and tapioca all come from the same root, and placali sits alongside them as the swallow form. It is eaten with palm nut soup, okra sauce or kpala, and the pairing with a rich palm based soup is the one most associated with it.
AFN Heritage Note
Cassava reached West Africa through Portuguese Atlantic trade routes from South America in the 16th century and became a staple crop of Côte d'Ivoire, where it is processed into attiéké, gari, tapioca and the fermented paste eaten as placali. The dish is also eaten in Togo as agbelima koumè.
Ingredients
Dietary tags are provided by contributors as a guide, not verified by AFN, and they depend on the products you buy. If you have a serious allergy, check every ingredient yourself. Cooking, allergies and your own judgement
Directions
- 1
Chop the tip and tail off the cassava root. Cut down the entire length with a sharp knife and peel away the brown skin and the thick white layer beneath it.
- 2
Cut the peeled root into pieces, wash, grate and crush the cassava. Sieve it if the crushed cassava is very fibrous.
- 3
Transfer the crushed cassava to a bowl, cover, and leave to ferment for 2 days.
- 4
Put the fermented cassava in a saucepan, add a little water and mix until the consistency is liquid. Set aside.
- 5
Before cooking, pour off the water that has separated on top. The more water you leave, the softer the placali will be.
- 6
Place the saucepan over heat and cook, turning constantly, until the mixture becomes compact.
- 7
Continue over low heat, turning without pause with a spatula, until the dough thins and then begins to tighten. Work it energetically at this point and cook for 5 to 10 minutes more, until the dough no longer sticks.
Africook’s Notes
- How much of the separated water you pour off decides the final texture. Leave more for a softer placali, less for a firmer one, and decide before you start cooking because it cannot be adjusted afterwards.
- The turning is continuous and physical throughout. Placali passes through a stage where it thins before it tightens, and stopping during that stage leaves it lumpy.
- Two days of fermentation is the minimum for the sourness that defines the dish. A shorter ferment gives you cassava paste rather than placali.
- Sieve the crushed cassava if it is fibrous. Fibre that goes in will still be there at the end and is unpleasant in a swallow.
- Palm nut soup is the classic partner, with okra sauce and kpala the other standards.
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