Ginataang kamoteng kahoy. This boiled cassava with coconut milk is one of the all-time favorite meryenda of Ilocanos which is best paired with coffee. It’s a bit sweet, salty, creamy and tasty due to the coconut milk.

The “kamoteng kahoy,” as we call it in our local dialect, is in its best harvest during rainy season. This root crop is also good for baking. In fact, cassava cake business in the Philippines is very popular. It is also ideal in making cassava bibingka, cupcakes, polvoron, chips, chicharon, “tupig or buyos” (grated cassava, wrapped in banana leaves, then steamed or grilled) and other ways of cooking it…it’s just aof matter of creativity and resourcefulness of Filipinos. Click here for the recipe of my Cassava Cupcake.

The Cassava or kamoteng kahoy is also a good source of carbohydrates, significant amounts of calcium, phosphorus, protein and vitamin C. This can also be a substitute to rice due to its high source of carbohydrates. In Bicol region, they also cook the cassava leaves and tops as ginataan, seasoned with siling labuyo. I have a Bicolano co-worker before and he let me taste that dish and I must say that it’s really good. Filipinos are really creative in culinary. 🙂

Ingredients:

2 kilograms kamoteng kahoy – peeled, washed and cut into 2 inches
2 cups coconut milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups water for boiling

Procedure:

1) Boil the kamoteng kahoy or cassava in 2 cups of water and coconut milk for 20-30 minutes or until water and coconut milk evaporates and oil and “latik” from coconut milk starts to come out. Do not forget to add the salt and sugar when it’s already boiling.
2) Ginataang kamote is ready to serve for meryenda. This is best paired coffee. Share and enjoy! 🙂