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Loading...A smooth, stretchy cassava flour porridge that is the everyday starchy backbone of Angolan meals. It is typically molded into a mound and eaten alongside stewed fish, beans, or grilled meats to soak up rich sauces.
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Total Time20 mins
Servings4
Yield4 servings
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (estimated)
- 240 kcalCalories
- 1.5 gFat
- 0.5 gSaturated Fat
- 54 gCarbs
- 3 gFiber
- 1 gSugar
- 1.5 gProtein
- 290 mgSodium
- 180 mgPotassium
- 50 mgCalcium
- 1 mgIron
- 12 mgVitamin C
- 5 mcgVitamin A
Ingredients
For the porridge
- 3 cups water
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 cups cassava flour (also labeled mandioca or tapioca meal, sift if coarse)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or red palm oil (optional, for richness)
Directions
- Bring the water and salt to a gentle boil in a heavy-bottomed pot, then reduce the heat to medium-low so the surface only barely shimmers.
- Add about one-third of the cassava flour at a time, stirring constantly and vigorously with a sturdy wooden spoon or paddle so no lumps form.
- Once all the flour is incorporated, keep stirring and pressing the dough against the sides of the pot for 8 to 10 minutes, until it becomes a smooth, glossy mass that pulls away cleanly from the pot and holds a spoon-shaped imprint.
- Stir in the butter or palm oil, if using, and beat the porridge for another minute until it looks elastic and slightly stretchy, similar to soft bread dough.
- Wet your hands with cool water, scoop the hot porridge into a single rounded mound on a warmed serving plate, and smooth the surface with the back of a wet spoon.
- Repeat with additional plates for individual servings, keeping the mounds covered with a clean cloth so they stay warm and pliable.
- Serve immediately alongside Calulu, grilled fish, Muamba de Galinha, or any saucy stew, using pieces of the porridge to scoop up the sauce.
Cook’s Notes
- Use fine cassava flour rather than coarse farinha or toasted garri, which will give a gritty texture.
- The porridge stiffens as it cools, so serve it within 15 minutes of cooking for the best stretchy consistency.
- Wet hands and utensils often while handling; cassava dough sticks aggressively to dry surfaces.
- For a softer, looser funje, increase water to 3 1/2 cups; for a firmer dough suitable for scooping with fingers, use only 2 1/2 cups.
- Reheat leftovers with a splash of water in a covered pot, stirring until smooth; do not microwave, as it can turn rubbery.
