Section 2: Root crop flour and recipes utilising root crop flour

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Root crop flour

Pancakes

Biscuits

Baki cakes

Sweet potato buns

Roti

Taro cakes

Taro muffins

Sweet potato biscuits

Steamed cassava snacks

Spicy cassava cake

Fritters

Chocolate sweet potato pie

Honeybread

Cassava snacks

Cassava bread

Banana bread

Vanilla buns

Mixed flour bread

Root crop flour

Materials:

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

Clean water

Equipment:

Sharp knives

Buckets

Slicer ( manual or mechanised )

Drier ( solar or hot air drier )

Grinder ( manual or mechanised )

Sieves

Bag sealer

Preparation:

a) Wash, peel and re - wash the tubers. Place the peeled tubers in a bucket of clean water until ready to slice. b) Slice the tubers to a thickness of 2 - 3 mm. c) Place the tuber slices in a single layer, on drying trays. Place the drying trays in the sun or in a hot air drier as soon as possible. Continue drying the tuber slices until they snap cleanly and crisply. d) Allow the tuber slices to cool. The dry tuber slices can be stored in sealed plastic bags or sacks, in a dry, well ventilated storage space until ready for grinding. e) Grind the dried tuber slices into flour when required. During the grinding operation the flour should be sieved to remove the coarse particles. The coarse particles can be re - ground. Grinding and sieving operations should be repeated until the flour resembles very fine powder. f) The flour should be stored in clean, dry, airtight containers, sealed plastic bags or sacks until required. The flour should then be stored in a clean, cool, dry place. it is important to label the containers of flour with the name of the product and the date that it was made.

Pancakes

Ingredients:

2 mugs root crop flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 1/2 tablespoons sugar

2 eggs ( beaten )

2 full mugs milk

oil for frying

Utensils:

Mixing bowl

Wooden spoon

Teaspoon

Tablespoon

Fork

Jug

Coffee mug

Glass

Shallow frying pan

Spatula

Stove

Preparation:

a) Mix all ingredients together to make a batter. b) Transfer the batter into a jug. c) Cover the base of the shallow frying pan with a thin layer of oil. d) Fry the batter a little at a time. Shake the frying pan to spread the batter evenly over the base of the pan (the pancakes should be flat, round and about 3 - 4 mm thick ). e) Cook each pancake for about 10 - 15 minutes - turning the pancake over once to cook both sides.

Biscuits

Ingredients:

2 mugs root crop flour

4 1/2 tablespoons sugar

2 round tablespoons margarine

1 egg

Flavouring:

1 mug ground ngali nuts or

1 level tablespoon honey or

10 tablespoons grated coconut

Utensils:

Coffee mug

Tablespoon

Fork

Glass

Mixing bowl

Rolling pin (or empty glass bottle)

Baking tray

Stove

Preparation:

a) Cream the margarine and sugar together to form a smooth paste.

b) Beat the egg and add to the margarine / sugar mixture.

c) Add the flour and flavouring ( nuts, honey or coconut ), a little bit at a time, to the biscuit mixture. Mix well.

d) Knead the mixture into a stiff cough. Continue to knead for 10 minutes.

e) Roll out the dough until about 1/2 thick.

f) Cut out circular shapes using an upturned glass.

g) Place the dough circles on a lightly oiled baking tray.

h) Bake in a moderately hot oven ( 180°C ) for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown on the outside.

Baki cakes

Ingredients:

- 1 1/2 mugs root crop flour

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 2 1/2 dessertspoons margarine or oil

- 1 egg

- 1/2 mug water

Utensils:

- Coffee mug

- Teaspoon

- Fork

- Glass

- Mixing bowl

- Rolling pin

- Spatula

- Shallow frying pan

- Stove

Preparation:

a) Beat the egg.

b) Add salt, flour, fat and mix well.

c) Add enough water to the mixture to form a dough.

d) Divide the dough into small balls of even size and roll out flat.

e) Put a thin layer of oil in the frying pan. Fry each cake until golden in colour. Turn each cake over once during the cooking process.

Sweet potato buns

Ingredients:

- 3 mugs boiled, mashed sweet potato

- 1 mug milk

- 2 mugs sweet potato flour

- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

- 1 teaspoon lemon juice

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- oil for frying

Utensils:

- Sharp knife

- Saucepan

- Sieve

- Potato masher

- Coffee mug

- Mixing bowl

- Teaspoon

- Wooden spoon

- Baking tray

- Oven

Preparation:

a) Heat the water in a saucepan.

b) Wash, peel and slice 4 medium sized sweet potato tubers. Place sliced tubers in the hot water and cook until soft.

c) Drain off water. Place cooked tubers in a mixing bowl and mash.

d) Measure out 3 mugs of mashed sweet potato and place in a mixing bowl.

e) Add milk, flour, baking powder, salt and lemon juice. Mix into a firm dough.

f) Shape dough into egg sized pieces. Place on a greased baking tray.

g) Bake in a hot oven ( 200°C ) until cooked.

Roti

Ingredients:

- 2 mugs root crop flour

- Water

- Cooking oil

- Pinch of salt

Utensils:

- Coffee mug

- Mixing bowl

- Wooden spoon

- Rolling pin ( or empty glass bottle )

- Shallow frying pan

- Spatula

- Stove

Preparation:

a) Mix salt and flour

b) Add enough water to make a thick dough.

c) Divide the dough into 4 balls

d) Pat each ball into a circular shape on a clean chopping board. The circular shape is known as roti.

e) Place a thin layer of oil in the frying pan.

f) Transfer a roti to the frying pan and cook over a medium flame. Turn the roti over once during cooking adding a little extra oil if the frying pan becomes dry. Fry until the roti is golden brown.

Taro cakes

Ingredients:

- 41/2 mugs cooked, mashed taro

- 1 tablespoon sugar

- 6 mugs cooking oil

- 2 tablespoons cassava flour

- 2 egg whites

Utensils:

- Sharp knife

- Tablespoon

- 2 coffee mugs

- Potato masher

- Mixing bowl

- Sieve

- Deep frying pan

Preparation:

a) Wash, peel and boil taro tubers until cooked.

b) Drain the tubers from the water and mash.

c) Measure out 41/2 mugs mashed taro

d) Add sugar, egg whites, 4 tablespoons oil and the cassava flour. Mix well.

e) Make small balls with the dough.

f) Pour the remainder of the oil into a deep frying pan and heat.

g) When the oil is hot, deep fry the balls until they turn brown in colour.

Taro muffins

Ingredients:

- 2 mugs root crop flour

- 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

- 2 teaspoons sugar

- 1 mug cooked, mashed taro

- 1 tablespoon margarine

- 2 eggs

- 1 1/4 mugs milk

Utensils:

- Sharp knife

- Saucepan

- Potato masher

- Wooden spoon

- Tablespoon

- Teaspoon

- Coffee mug

- Mixing bowl

- Bread tin

- Oven

Preparation:

a) Peel, wash and boil the taro until cooked.

b) Drain, mash and measure out 1 mug mashed tarot

c) Mix all the dry ingredients together.

d) Mix all the wet ingredients together.

e) Mix both the wet and dry ingredients together. Stir lightly.

f) Pour into a greased loaf tin.

g) Brush the top of the loaf with milk

h) Bake in a hot oven ( 220°C) until golden brown. Cooking time is approximately 20 minutes.

Sweet potato biscuits

Ingredients:

- 3 mugs root crop flour

- 2 teaspoons baking powder

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 2 mugs mashed sweet potato

- 6 level tablespoons sugar

- 1 tablespoon margarine

Utensils:

- Sharp knife

- Saucepan

- Potato masher

- Wooden spoon

- Coffee mug

- Mixing bowl

- Glass

- Teaspoon

- Rolling pin ( or empty glass bottle )

- Baking tray

- Oven

Preparation:

a) Wash, peel and boil the sweet potato tubers until cooked.

b) Drain the cooked tubers and mash.

c) Measure out 2 mugs of mashed potato.

d) Sieve the flour, salt and baking powder together.

e) Mix the mashed potato, sugar and margarine together.

f) Add flour to the potato mixture. Mix thoroughly.

g) Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until '/," thick.

h) Cut out shapes with an upturned glass.

i) Place on a well oiled baking tray.

j) Bake in a moderately hot oven ( 180°C ) for 12 - 15 minutes until golden brown.

Steamed cassava snacks

Ingredients:

- 2 mugs cassava flour

- 1/2 mugs hot water

- Pinch of salt

- Grated coconut

- Honey

Utensils:

- Coconut grater

- 2 medium sized bowls

- Sieve

- Teaspoon

- Coffee mug

- Large saucepan

Preparation:

a) Mix together cassava flour, water and salt.

b) Knead the mixture until a smooth dough is formed.

c) Divide the dough into 12 balls

d) Mix grated the grated coconut and honey together and divide into 12 portions.

e) Use the thumb to make a hole in the centre of each ball of dough. Fill each hole with the coconut / honey mixture. Smooth the dough back over the filling [ see illustration on page 51].

f) Steam the dough balls for 20 - 30 minutes.

g) Serve hot.

Filling steamed cassava snacks with honey &coconut mixture.

Spicy cassava cake

Ingredients:

- 3 mugs cassava flour

- 11 1/2 level tablespoons sugar

- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

- 1 large coconut, grated

- 1 1/2 mugs milk rind of half an orange

- 2 rounded tablespoons margarine

- 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

- 2 eggs

Utensils:

- Coffee mug

- Glass

- Teaspoon

- Fork

- Mixing bowl

- Wooden spoon

- Coconut grater

- Grater

- Saucepan

- Bread tin

- Oven

Preparation

a) Mix all the dry ingredients together.

b) Add melted margarine and mix well.

c) Add eggs, vanilla essence and milk.

d) Beat the mixture well.

e) Put into a well greased bread tin.

f) Bake in a moderately hot oven ( 180 - 190°C ) for 1 1/2 hours.

Fritters

Ingredients:

- 1 mug boiled yam, mashed

- 1 egg yolk

- 1/4 mug milk

- 1/4 mug root crop flour

- 1 teaspoon baking powder

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

Utensils:

- Sharp knife

- Saucepan

- Potato masher

- Coffee mug

- Glass

- Fork

- Teaspoon

- Mixing bowl

- Deep frying pan

Preparation:

a) Wash, peel and chop the tubers into small pieces. Place in a saucepan of water and boil until cooked.

b) Drain off the water and mash.

c) Combine with all other ingredients

d) Fold in 1 stiffly beaten egg.

e) Half fill the deep fat frying pan with oil.

f) Drop spoonfuls of the mixture into deep frying pan and cook until golden brown ( cooking time approximately 8 - 10 minutes).

Chocolate sweet potato pie

Ingredients:

For the pastry:

- 1/2 mug root crop flour

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

- 1 tablespoon margarine

- 6 - 7 tablespoons cold water

For the filling:

- 1 mug cooked mashed potato, sieved

- 2 mugs milk

- 2 eggs

- 3/4 mug brown sugar

- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

- 1/4 teaspoon salt

- 1 tablespoon lemon juice

- 8 small squares chocolate

- 1 teaspoon margarine

- 2 tablespoons boiling water

Utensils:

- Coffee mug

- Teaspoon

- Tablespoon

- Fork

- Glass

- Mixing bowl

- Wooden spoon

- Rolling pin ( or empty glass bottle )

- Sieve

- Shallow pudding bowl

- Sharp knife

- Saucepan

- Oven

- Stove

Preparation:

a) Make the pastry by mixing the flour, salt and baking powder together. b) Add the margarine and rub into the flour using the fingertips. Mix until the flour mixture looks like breadcrumbs. c) Add cold water a little at a time and mix well. Continue to add a little bit of water at a time until the flour mixture forms a smooth dough. d) Roll the dough out until it is large enough to line the inside of a shallow pudding basin [ see illustration on page 56 & 57] e) Wash, peel, boil and mash the sweet potato. f) Press the sweet potato through a sieve. g) Mix the sieved sweet potato with the milk, sugar and well beaten eggs. h) Stir in the cinnamon, salt, lemon juice. i) Pour the filling mixture into the pastry lined shallow pudding bowl. j) Cook the pie in a hot oven ( 230°C ) for 10 minutes then reduce to a medium heat ( 160°C) and cook for a further 15 minutes until the filling puffs up a little and the blade of an inserted knife comes out clean. k) Melt the chocolate. with the butter in a saucepan. Remove from the heat and add I or 2 tablespoons of boiling water. Beat the mixture until smooth and pour over the warm pie and chill well before serving.

Lining a pudding basin with pastry

Lining a pudding basin with pastry (cont.)

Honeybread

Ingredients:

- 1 full mug, cassava flour

- 3 level tablespoons honey

- 60 drops vanilla essence

- 1 egg

- 1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

- 1 mug water

- 2 tablespoons sugar

- Juice from two lemons

Utensils:

- Metal basin

- Sieve

- Coffee mug

- Teaspoon

- Tablespoon

- Wooden spoon

- Glass

- Fork

- Wok

- Bread tin

- Stove

- Oven

Preparation:

a) Mix the sugar, lemon juice in l/3 mug water. Heat over a medium hot flame until the sugar dissolves. Boil for 5 minutes. Stir continuously whilst heating. Allow to cool. b) Heat some water in the wok. c) Mix the honey and sugar mixture together. Boil for 3 minutes until the honey has blended well with the sugar mixture. d) Place a basin containing the honey and sugar mixture in the wok of hot water. Gradually add the sifted flour and stir to mix well. e) Add the vanilla essence, egg, bicarbonate of soda and the remaining water. f) Pour the mixture into a bread tin. g) Bake in a hot oven ( 210°C ) for 30 minutes.

Cassava snacks

Ingredients:

- 3 mugs cassava flour

- 3 1/2 mugs root crop starch

- 6 rounded tablespoons margarine

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

- 3 tablespoons milk powder

- 1/2 teaspoon tartaric acid

- 1/4 mug water

- 5 eggs

- 3 - 4 cloves of garlic

Utensils:

- Sharp knife

- Metal basin

- Sieve

- Coffee mug

- Tablespoon

- Teaspoon

- Wooden spoon

- Glass

- Fork

- Rolling pin ( or empty glass bottle )

- Baking trays

- Chopping board

- Stove

- Oven

Preparation:

a) Sieve all dry ingredients together and mix well.

b) Beat the margarine until smooth.

c) Beat the eggs well.

d) Peel and finely chop the garlic cloves.

e) Mix the eggs with the margarine. Add finely chopped garlic

f) Add all the dry ingredients to the margarine and egg, a little at a time. Knead into a dough and allow to rest for a few minutes.

g) Knead the dough for 5 minutes before rolling out to 3/4" thickness.

h) Cut the dough into round circles using an upturned glass.

i) Bake in a cool oven ( 150 - 160°C ) for 25 minutes.

Cassava bread

Ingredients:

- 4 mugs cassava flour

- 2 1/2 mugs water

- 1 heaped tablespoon sugar

- 3 eggs

- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

- 1/4 mug oil

- 1 1/2 tablespoons dried yeast

Utensils:

- Coffee mug

- Tablespoon

- Teaspoon

- Saucepan

- Piece of cloth

- Mixing bowl

- Wooden spoon

- Bread tin

- Oven

Preparation:

a) Mix l/2 mug cassava flour with the water. Boil for 4 minutes and allow to cool slightly.

b) Mix the yeast with the dry flour. Gradually mix with the warm water. Knead the dough well.

c) Add the remaining ingredients and knead thoroughly for 10 minutes.

d) Place in a well greased bread tin, cover with a clean cloth. Place in a warm area until the dough has risen to double its original size.

e) Bake in a hot oven ( 200°C ) for 50 minutes

f) Allow to cool before slicing.

Banana bread

Ingredients:

- 1 1/2 mug composite flour (1/2 mug root crop flour + 1 mug wheat flour )

- 2 rounded tablespoons margarine

- 3/4 mug sugar

- 2 eggs

- 2 ripe bananas

- 1/4 teaspoon salt

- 1/2 teaspoon sodium bicarbonate

- Oil for greasing the bread tin

Utensils:

- Coffee mug

- Tablespoon

- Teaspoon

- Mixing bowl

- Glass

- Wooden spoon

- Fork

- Bread tin

Preparation:

a) Mix the margarine and sugar together.

b) Beat the eggs well and gradually add to the margarine / sugar mixture.

c) Mash the bananas and add to the margarine / egg / sugar mixture.

d) Gradually add the flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda to the mixture.

e) Pour into a greased bread tin and bake in a cool oven ( 160°C ) for at least 1 hour.

f) Check that the loaf is cooked by inserting the blade of a clean knife into the dough. If the knife comes out clean then it is cooked. If the loaf is not quite ready continue to bake until the blade of the inserted knife comes out cleanly.

g) Allow the loaf to cool before removing from the tin.

Vanilla buns

Ingredients:

- 3/4 mug composite flour ( 1/4 mug root crop flour + 1/2 mug wheat flour )

- 1 rounded tablespoon margarine

- 6 tablespoons sugar

- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

- 2 eggs

- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence

Utensils:

- Coffee mug

- Tablespoon

- Teaspoon

- Mixing bowl

- Fork

- Glass

- Sieve

- Wooden spoon

Preparation:

a) Cream the margarine and sugar together until light and fluffy.

b) Beat the eggs well and gradually add to the margarine and sugar mixture. Continue to beat well.

c) Sieve the flour and baking powder together. fold in the creamed margarine, sugar and egg mixture using a little warm water. Add the vanilla essence.

d) Half fill paper cones with mixture.

e) Bake in a hot oven ( 220°C) for 15 .- 20 minutes or until the buns are firm to touch.

Mixed flour bread

Ingredients:

- 3 mugs composite flour ( 1 mug root crop flour + 2 mugs wheat flour)

- 2 level tablespoons dried yeast

- 3/4 tablespoon sugar

- 1/4 tablespoon margarine

- 1/4 teaspoon salt

- 1 3/4 mugs water

- Oil for greasing the bread tin

Utensils:

- Coffee mug

- Tablespoon

- Teaspoon

- Mixing bowl

- Wooden spoon

- Bread tin

- Piece of cloth

Preparation:

a) Dissolve salt and sugar in water

b) Mix the flour and yeast in the salt / sugar solution. Knead to form a soft, smooth dough.

c) Knead the margarine into the dough.

d) Mould the dough into a greased bread tin.

e) Put the bread tin in a warm place covered by a clean, damp cloth. Leave to rest until the dough has risen to double its original size.

f) Lightly spray some water on the surface of the dough.

g) Bake in a hot oven ( 200°C ) for 30 minutes.