Accra Cassava (Kouti, Cassava Fritters) – popular street food that is crunchy on the outside and chewy inside. Best enjoyed fresh off the pan!
Ahhh…. Accra Cassava. Oh how I’ve missed you! Back in my hometown, Yaoundé (Cameroon) I was able to have a good old Accra made of cassava practically anytime of the day. Yes, they are sold on every street corner imaginable
These Cassava fritters are also a popular street food in the Republic of Guinea and are known as kouti. They are crunchy on the outside and chewy inside. Fresh off the pan, the crunch is crackling – it fades as it cools down. So best enjoyed hot or warm.
For a while now, I have not had the opportunity to enjoy these bite- sized crunchy balls ,that is, partly because I have to make it from scratch. Sigh.
Ok, the real reason I have not made these cassava fritter is because I have been satisfying my need for these Accra, by loading up on this Corn Accra banana here and stuffing myself with this whole wheat Accra banana here. Seriously ,I love anything Accra- I can never stop at 20 .
So finally! I discovered a short cut for this fritters using frozen cassava and am so excited! Why it took so long , I don’t know .
These deep fried cassava fritters can be made with only 2 ingredients-Cassava and salt or you can include overly ripe bananas to sweeten things up. I have a sweet tooth –Now you know.
Frozen grated cassava is available in most Asian or Pilipino markets or even Hispanic markets. If you can’t find them grated, you can get the frozen or fresh cassava and blend- finely.
This is often served as a snack, side dish and more often with African pepper sauce. Recipe here
Enjoy
Accra Cassava (Kouti, Cassava Fritters) - popular street food that is crunchy on the outside and chewy inside. Best enjoyed fresh off the pan!
- 2 pounds grated cassava frozen is ok
- 3/4 teaspoons salt or more adjust to suit taste buds
- 3 large overly ripe bananas optional
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Using a cheese cloth or kitchen cloth , squeeze the grated cassava. It should be dry with very little moisture. Set aside.
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Mash overly ripe bananas with a potato masher, spoon or place in a food processor or blender until puree.
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In a medium bowl, add cassava, salt and mashed bananas- mix well. Mixture should be firm enough to roll into balls.
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Using your hands roll about a tablespoon of mixture in the palm of your hand into little bite size balls.
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Heat oil ( about 3 inches deep) to 375 degrees in a skillet or saucepan.You may also use the oil test by dropping a 1 inch square of bread into the oil. If it takes 60 seconds to brown, then the oil is at 365. Gently place cassava balls in hot oil and fry until golden brown .
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Remove from hot oil , drain well, and serve.
Frozen grated cassava defrosted
Using a cheese cloth or kitchen cloth ,squeeze the heck out of the grated cassava.
It should be dry with very little moisture.
Mash overly ripe bananas with a potato masher , spoon or place in a food processor or blender until puree.
Like this!
In a medium bowl ,add cassava, salt and mashed bananas- mix well
Mixture should be firm enough to roll into balls.
Using your hands roll about a tablespoon of mixture in the palm of your hand into little bite size balls.
Heat oil ( about 3 inches deep) to 375 degrees in a skillet or saucepan.You may also use the oil test by dropping a 1 inch square of bread into the oil. If it takes 60 seconds to brown, then the oil is at 365. Gently place cassava balls in hot oil and fry until golden brown . Remove from hot oil , drain well, and serve
Thank you for posting this recipe.
I’m surprised that most of your 15 African Snack recipes use wheat flour. I was hoping to find more traditional snacks using traditional foods – root vegetables, for example, as opposed to wheat.
Will Cassava flour work? I’m trying to get the ingredients for this but I can’t seem to find them in my area.
Cassava flour should work but you would have to play around with the texture . Don’t have an exact measurement for cassava flour yet.
I love this recipe for accra banana!! I tried it yesterday for my African potlock and it turned out great. I couldn’t find the already grated cassava so I bought frozen peeled cassava, cut in cubes, and put it in a food processor. My bananas didn’t ripen to perfection in time so I added dates to my recipe to sweeten it without adding sugar. I also added garri to get the gritty texture. The modifications worked out well. I really like the simplicity of your recipes. They bring down the mental and physical barriers of cooking delicious Cameroonian food.
Thank you so much!
Awesome! Thanks for taking the time to share this with me .
Can you bake them instead of frying them?
I am going to make your bammy recipe. So excited to try it with coconut milk and ghee! Thanks.
I have not tried baking these. Baking would not get that crispy exterior- the texture would not be the same
Can I use fresh cassava?
Yes, you can use fresh grated cassava. It works just fine.
Can I use wheat flour instead of cassava?
You sure can. I do it all the time and it works out just fine.
Imma this looks delicious. I have cassava flour (corse ground) at home . can i use that instead with a little water to rehydrate it?
You sure can. Might be slightly different in texture than fresh cassava. But it still works just fine.
I just love what you are doing sharing all these recipes. Excited to know grated cassava is sold in stores. I’ve been going through the gruesome process of starting from scratch. Thank you. Do you know what Stores carry them?
Definitely any market that cater to Asians , especially Filipino stores. Also check African markets . If you are up for it , buy frozen cassava and blend in a food processor.
I have tried the recipe like 3 times already and it’s delicious. thank you for this recipe. I love it.
Hi Dibo! Glad to hear this. Thank you!
Thanks for the recipe! We bought a bag of frozen grated cassava thinking we would use it as gari, but the texture (wetness) threw us off once it thawed. i wasn’t realizing that it needs to be squeezed dry. i did that then went ahead and made these fritters (without bananas). they turned out great!
Awesome!! Glad it all worked out for you!
Hi, I want to try this. What kind of oil do you use to fry the mixture?
Canola or vegetable oil
Another hit. I generally do not like to cook but with your blog, cooking is becoming a joy. Many thanks.
Aww, thank you !
I have been looking for this recipe forever. Thank you. it. Lovely pictures.
Girl, let me know how you like it . Thanks for stopping by!
J, let me know how you like them.
Great presentation. I think I have to make mine, Depuis December I have been craving for these ummy snacks.