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Section 3: Root crop starch and recipes utilising root crop starch

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Root crop starch
Caramel dessert
Savoury griddle cakes
Iced dessert (ice-cream)

 

Root crop starch

Ingredients:

- Fresh root crop tubers ( cassava, sweet potato, taro or yam )
- Clean water

Equipment:

- Sharp knives
- Buckets
- Grater ( manual or mechanised )
- Fine mesh cloth
- Press ( optional )
- Plastic tubing
- Drying tray
- Drier
- Grinder

Preparation:

a) Wash, peel and re - wash the tubers. Place the peeled tubers in a bucket of clean water until ready to grate.

b) Grate the peeled tubers into a fine pulp. Place the pulp in a clean bucket. Cover the pulp with plenty of clean water. Stir the pulp and allow to stand for 10 minutes.

c) Filter the pulp through a clean piece of cotton cloth and keep the water in a separate bucket. Squeeze out as much water from the pulp as possible ( a press can be used for this operation ).

d) Place the pulp in a clean, empty bucket and cover with more clean water. Stir the pulp thoroughly and allow to stand for a further 10 minutes. Filter the pulp as described in (c) above. Add the filtered water to the bucket containing the filtered water collected from the first pulp washing operation.

e) Repeat step ( d ) until the water used for washing the pulp remains clear.

f) Discard the pulp ( or dry and use as animal fodder ).

g) Leave the filtered water to stand overnight in the bucket.

h) Carefully syphon off the filtered water from the bucket using a piece of clean, plastic tubing. Discard the water.

i) A layer of starch will appear at the bottom of the bucket. Carefully rinse the surface of the starch with clean water. Discard the rinsing water. Cover the starch with more clean water and allow to settle for 1 - 3 hours.

j) Syphon off the top layer of water.

k) Scrape out the starch from the bottom of the bucket. Place on a drying tray lined with a piece of clean plastic and sun dry. If using a drying cabinet, place the starch on a clean metal sheet.

l) Break up the starch at frequent intervals throughout the drying process so that the starch dries thoroughly.

m) Continue to dry the starch until it resembles a fine white powder.

n) Grind the starch and package in clean, dry, air tight containers, sealed plastic bags or sacks until required. Store in a clean, dry and well ventilated place.

Caramel dessert

Ingredients:

- 4 mugs milk
- 5 tablespoons sugar
- 3 eggs
- 6 - 7 level tablespoons starch

Utensils:

- 2 medium sized saucepans
- 2 wooden spoons
- Glass
- Fork
- Large bread tin
- Refrigerator
- Stove

Preparation:

PLACE THE BREAD TIN IN THE FREEZER BEFORE STARTING THE RECIPE.

a) Heat the milk in a saucepan, stirring continuously to prevent the milk from burning on the bottom of the saucepan.

b) Mix the sugar with a little water. Heat in a separate saucepan until all the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is like syrup. Stir the mixture continuously whilst heating to prevent the bottom from burning.

c) Add a little hot milk to the sugar syrup. Gradually add the remainder of the milk and mix until all the sugar syrup has dissolved.

d) Mix the starch with enough cold water to form a smooth paste.

e) Add the starch paste to the sugar and milk mixture. Stir continuously to prevent any lumps forming.

f) Beat the eggs together in a glass. Remove the saucepan from the stove and add the beaten eggs. Mix well.

g) Heat the mixture for 4 -5 minutes.

h) Pour the mixture into a pre - cooled bread tin.

i) Place the dessert in a refrigerator for at least three hours before eating.

Savoury griddle cakes

Ingredients:

- 3/4 mug grated root crop tubers
- 1 small onion
- 1 1/2 tablespoon root crop starch
- 1 egg pinch of salt
- vegetable oil for cooking

Utensils:

- Sharp knife
- Grater
- Coffee mug
- Tablespoon
- Glass
- Fork
- Mixing bowl
- Shallow frying pan

Preparation:

a) Wash, peel and grate the root crop tubers as finely as possible.
b) Peel and finely chop the onion.
c) Beat the egg
d) Add onion, starch, salt and beaten egg to the grated root crop.
e) Mix well to give a dropping consistency.
f) Thinly coat the frying pan with oil. Heat over a low flame, dropping spoonfuls into the frying pan thinly coated with oil.
g) Fry each cake for 10 minutes, turning them over once during cooking.

Iced dessert (ice-cream)

Ingredients:

- 2 teaspoons root crop starch
- 4 tablespoons cooked, mashed sweet potato or taro
- pinch of salt
- 3/4 mug sugar
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
- 1 mug milk
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1/4 mug cold water

Utensils:

- Coffee mug
- Bowl
- Saucepan
- Sieve
- Fork
- Small bread tin or plastic container
- 2 glasses
- Teaspoon
- Tablespoon
- Sharp knife
- Wooden spoon
- Stove

Preparation:

a) Wash, peel and boil the root crop tubers.
b) Mix the sugar, starch, salt and cocoa powder together in a bowl.
c) Slowly stir in the milk.
d) Place the bowl over a saucepan of boiling water and stir until the mixture has thickened.
e) Separate the egg yolk from the egg white.
f) Beat the egg yolk well. Add a little of the hot milk mixture to the beaten egg yolk.
g) Mix the egg yolk with the remainder of the milk mixture.
h) Place the bowl back over the saucepan of hot water. Continue to stir for 4 - 5 minutes.
i) Remove the bowl from the saucepan of hot water and allow the contents to cool.
j) Mix the cold water together with the mashed root crop and lime juice. Press the mixture through a sieve.
k) Combine the root crop mixture with the milk mixture and place in the bread tin or plastic container.
l) Freeze the mixture for one hour.
m) Take the mixture out of the container and beat well.
n) Return the mixture to the loaf tin or plastic container and continue to freeze until hard.


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