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Placali is an Ivorian fermented cassava paste (yucca) also consumed in Togo (Agbélimakoumè). Ivorian cuisine is the cuisine of Côte d’Ivoire, a West African country and by extension, it affects its neighboring countries’ cuisines as well.
These countries include; Burkina Faso, Ghana, Liberia, Guinea, and Mali all have cuisines that are inspired by the country’s neighbors. This cuisine is also affected by France and Portugal’s colonization of the country.
What is Placali?
Plakali is a traditional cuisine cooked mostly by the Ahanta and Nzema peoples of Ghana’s Western region. Plakali is served with a soup made from palm nuts or groundnuts.
It’s made from cassava bread boiled in boiling water, and it’s comparable to banku and fufu, two other Ghanaian staple foods. Cassava has successfully made its way into diverse African dishes. No worries, we love to see all of it.
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Cultural Background of Plakali
During the colonization era, Ivorians hustled to supply cassava to some French and Portuguese merchants as a barter for their gold and valuables, which they sought forcefully for in Côte d’Ivoire.
The cassava they traded came from Brazil and other South American countries occupied by the Portuguese at the time. As more Ivorians learned about cassava, they began to cultivate land for its cultivation and experiment with novel cassava recipes. Cassava has become one of Côte d’Ivoire’s staple foods as a result of this.
In addition to Placali, cassava is also used for Attiéké, tapioca and gari.
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Placali Recipe
Ingredients
- cassava
Instructions
- Chop the tip and tail of the cassava root. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the entire length of the cassava. Peel the brown skin and the thick white layer. Once the root is peeled, cut it into pieces, wash, grate and crush the cassava. If the crushed cassava contains a lot of fiber sieving.
- Transfer the crushed cassava to a bowl, cover and let ferment for 2 days.
- Put the crushed cassava in a saucepan, add a little water and mix until the consistency is liquid, then set aside.
- Before cooking remove the water that has been formed on the top of the casserole. The more water you keep, the more Placali will be soft.
- Put the saucepan on the heat and cook while turning using until the mixture becomes compact.
- Put the rest in a saucepan. Heat over low heat by turning constantly with a spatula without pause until the dough thins and begins to get more compact turn energetically. Cook for 5 ~ 10 min (or until the dough does not thigh).
- Placali can be enjoyed with Palm nut soup, Okra or Kpala.
