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Pajagua mascada
Beef and cassava patties
Pajagua mascada: Paraguay's crisp beef and cassava patties for San Juan
Pajagua mascada is a Paraguayan street-food classic that appears on every table for the San Juan festival on 24 June, when bonfires burn and the night is full of games and traditional food. Minced beef is mixed with mashed cassava, onion, garlic and a little egg and flour, shaped into flat patties and fried until crisp. The name comes from Guaraní and refers to the 'chewing' of old Paraguayan cooks, who made it from leftover meat. Chef's tip: dry the boiled cassava well and remove its woody core, which keeps the patties light and crunchy.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb cassavapeeled, in chunks
- 14 oz minced beef
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 2 cloves garliccrushed
- 3 spring onionschopped
- 2 tbsp parsleychopped
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp plain flour
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¾ cup vegetable oilfor frying
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Boil 1 ⅛ lb cassava in salted water for 20–25 minutes, until soft. Drain well, remove the woody core and mash. Cool.
25 minStep 2: Mix the mash with 14 oz minced beef, 1 onion, 2 cloves garlic, 3 spring onions, 2 tbsp parsley, ½ tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp ground cumin, 1 egg, 3 tbsp plain flour, 1 ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper until well combined.
Step 3: Shape into 12 flat patties about 1.5 cm thick.
Step 4: Heat ¾ cup vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the patties for 4–5 minutes a side, until deep golden and crisp, and 160°F in the centre. A common mistake is a pan that is too hot: the outside browns before the raw beef inside cooks.
25 minStep 5: Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot with a tomato salad.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pajagua mascada take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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