Tapioca, pancake the Brazilian way

Tapioca Pancake

Tapioca

Many Christian faiths in the United Kingdom mark Shrove Tuesday as the last day before fasting for the Lent period. It is also known as Pancake Tuesday or Pancake Day, when people eat pancakes and take part in pancake races. Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday, and it has many names, like Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras, the Tuesday of Carnival, and Pancake Day.

There are many variations of pancakes too. In Wales, Welshcakes or light cakes are eaten and in Gloucester some recipes use suet on their pancakes batter.
Olney Pancake Race in Buckinghamshire on Shrove Tuesday is  one of the best-known pancake races in the United Kingdom.

In Brazil, tapioca is wildly used in recipes, and one of the many famous recipes is the tapioca pancake. Tapioca, also known as manioc, is the name of this typical Brazilian dish, originating in North and Northeast Brazil, with indigenous origin, made ​​with starch extracted from cassava, also known as gum tapioca, tapioca starch or sweet tapioca flour. This flour/starch is moistened and  spread on a heated plate or frying pan. It coagulates with the heat and becomes a kind of pancake or dried crepe. The filling varies, but the most traditional one is made ​​with coconut and cheese curd.  It’s a popular breakfast and street food snack in the North and Northeast of Brazil.

For another lovely tapioca recipe check out Great British Chefs Blog :  Three Cheeses Tapioca Pancake

Simple tapioca
makes about 6-7 pancakes (10cms dia)
Ingredients
500g of tapioca starch (sold in Asian  and South American supermarkets, mini-markets)
coconut water to moisten the dough, the quantity varies
1/2 cup of finely grated fresh coconut

Method
1)Add coconut water to the tapioca starch to moisten.
Tip: If it becomes too wet, sprinkle more starch until it runs loosely between the fingers. It also should not be too dry
2)Add salt to taste and stir in the grated coconut (a handful)
3)Then pass everything through a sieve
4)Meanwhile place a skillet over high heat for a minute then lower to medium heat
5)Place the tapioca mixture in the pan (do not need oil) and spread it
6)Leave to cook for 1 minute, don’t touch the pancake mixture
7)Turn and cook the other side for a further minute
8) Place on a plate and add filling of choice, below is coconut and condensed milk – popular in Brazil!
9)Fold in half and enjoy it!

Tapioca, pancake the Brazilian way

Tapioca, pancake the Brazilian way