malanga
Malanga Hashbrowns
01/29/10
Malanga is a brown and hairy tuber. It is related to taro and cultivated in the tropical regions of the globe. It is common is South Florida and found in every grocery store. I am not sure about other areas of the country, but if there is a latin grocery store in your town, they will most likely have some on hand. Once peeled, malanga reveals a crisp slippery texture. Malanga provides thiamine and riboflavin as well as some vitamin C and iron. Because the starch grains are the smallest and most easily digested of the complex caborhydrates, malanga is an excellent food for those with allergies.
Most of the time I peel, boil, and mash the malanga and serve as I would mashed potatoes. They are creamy with a slight twang compared to the mild taste of a potato. However, this time I was struck, literally, by inspiration. Ouch!
I was pulling some lentil loaf out of the freezer for dinner, and I remembered that I had some aging malanga that needed to be eated. I filled a pan with water, set it on the stove to boil, and started to peel the malanga. When I reached into a drawer, for what I do not remember, I say my mandolin and instantly knew I was going to shred the malanga and make hashbrowns. Yep, you never know when inspiration is going to strike. So, I promptly dumped the water, dried my pot, and switched to a skillet.
If you do not have a mandolin, a box grater will do just fine. Be careful while grating because malanga is very slippery, and we all like the skin on our knuckles and fingertips!
Peel and shred two good sized malanga ( 6 or 7 inches in length) and place in a mixing bowl. Add some salt and pepper and your favorite spices. I choose cumin and orgegano. Mix in. Because I wanted to make these hashbrown patties, I added one egg, beaten with a splash of soy milk, and two to three tablespoons of spelt flour. An egg replacer like Ener G will work just fine if needed. The point is to have a binder.
Place some oilve oil in your pan and heat. Once the pan is hot, use a serving spoon to scoop about a 1/2 cup of the malanga into the pan. Cook until the malanga begins to brown. Flip your patty over and brown the other side. Remove and place on a paper towel and cover to keep warm while continuing to cook the remaining malanga.
My husband ate his with the standard ketchup, but you could squeeze a lime over the top for a fresh zing. These also reheat well for breakfast the next morning! Just zap for one minute in the microwave or a few minutes in a warm pan. I would imagine that the shredded malanga could also be added to pancakes.....hmmmm. Sounds like a new experiment to me!
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