Salvaro

Method

1. Use commercially prepared grated sweet cassava intended for the stated cooking method. Follow its preparation instructions before measuring; do not substitute fresh unknown or bitter roots. Keep chilled during preparation.
2. Squeeze only enough liquid from the cassava to remove dripping moisture; it should remain damp and spreadable rather than dry and crumbly.
3. Mix in salt and sugar if using. Add coconut milk one tablespoon at a time only if the cassava will not spread into a thin, even paste.
4. Spread 2–3 tablespoons very thinly over each banana-leaf square, aiming for an even round about 2 mm thick with no heavy centre.
5. Steam in a single layer for 8–10 minutes, until the cassava turns translucent and peels cleanly from the leaf.
6. Peel off the cooked sheets and dry them indoors in a single layer in a 70–80°C oven, with air circulation as the appliance permits, until rigid through the centre and no longer flexible. Turn once. Do not use uncontrolled outdoor sun drying or interrupt drying by leaving moist sheets at room temperature.
7. Heat oil to 170–175°C. Fry one dried wafer at a time for a few seconds per side until it expands slightly and becomes crisp; do not let it turn dark brown.
8. Drain vertically on a rack, cool completely, and serve plain or brush very lightly with coconut caramel so the wafer stays brittle. Fry and serve the dried wafers promptly. If keeping unfried wafers, cool briefly, pack and freeze promptly; thaw in the refrigerator and re-dry completely before frying. This home method does not establish a room-temperature shelf life.