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Muwogo (Steamed Yucca)

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Contributed by: BMC Teaching Kitchen

A bowl of steamed, flavorful yucca with bell pepper and onions.

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Commonly known as Muwogo and one of the major staple foods providing a basic diet for many Ugandans, yucca also called cassava-is the third largest source of carbohydrates in the tropics, after rice and maize. It is low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. Yucca is a good source of manganese and vitamin C.

The starchy, gluten free and gut friendly flesh of the yucca root is a light white or cream color inside with a rough texture on the outside. From the looks of it, you wouldn’t know that that the hard, dry, overly crispy root has a mild, sweet, somewhat nutty taste and is soft-on-the-inside.

As a food ingredient, yucca is somewhat similar to the potato because of its starchy and bland in flavor when cooked and therefore it is these similarities which make them decent substitutes for each other. It can be prepared in similar ways to potato; it can be boiled, mashed, fried or even baked and therefore can be eaten as a snack, meal or confectionary. Our focus on this recipe will be steaming.

It is important to note that yucca is toxic when eaten raw so ensure that you only eat when it’s fully cooked. Yucca has a high starch content which makes it rather dry, so including a sauce helps.

To enjoy this flavorful quick meal, yucca is best served warm with a cup of tea or a bowl of soup like Molokoni.  

Serves:
4 servings
Total Time:
50 minutes
Prep Time:
10 minutes
Cook Time:
40 minutes

Ingredients


Yucca_Root – 2, peeled, cut into desired pieces Red_Onion – 1, small, diced into very small sizes Bell_Pepper – 1/2, small, diced Cilantro – ½, teaspoon, chopped, optional Salt – ½ teaspoon

Instructions

Step 1
Peel the skin of the muwogo or yucca roots, cut through the middle into halves, then quarters, then in half again so each piece is about the thickness of your finger. Thicker pieces usually take longer to fully cook so the smaller the pieces, the better.
Step 2
Cut out the woody or thread-like root in the middle of each piece, and discard.
Step 3
Wash the pieces several times until the water remains clear or free of the yucca starch.
Step 4
Organize your pieces very well in a foil (preferably 2 layers of foil), add onions, bell pepper, cilantro (if desired) and salt to taste. Wrap the foil very well and place the content on the steamer.
Step 5
In the pot, add 3 cups of water but ensure that it is below the steamer and cover the pot. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 minutes.
Step 6
In the last 10 minutes, decrease the heat to medium and simmer. Remember to check on the amount of water remaining in the pot and add as needed.

Notes

Safely transfer it to a plate or bowl and serve warm. Enjoy this quick meal!

Nutrition Information

Serving Size:
1 serving
Calories:
330 Calories
Fat:
0.6
Carbohydrates:
Net Carb: 79.7
Protein:
3.05
Sodium:
324