I love the beiju de tapioca, which is nothing more than a “tapioca crepe,” known simply as tapioca (which is the starch extracted from cassava) or tapioquinha.
It is very versatile and can be served at any time of the day as the neutral taste allows it to be filled with either savory or sweet fillings.
The most common fillings are freshly grated coconut, butter, “queijo de coalho“, “queijo com goiabada” (Romeo and Juliet), coconut with condensed milk, carne do sol, chicken, egg and tomato, and many more…
It is a typical product of indigenous origin, discovered in the Pernambuco area during the Portuguese colonization.
The main ingredient is the polvinho or tapioca starch or goma (hydrated cassava starch), spread on the bottom of a heated pan or pot, the starch agglutinates forming a sort of wafer or dry crepe.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Very economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 18 crepes
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Brazilian
Ingredients
- 500 g cassava gum
- 1 1/4 cups Water
- to taste Salt
FOR FILLING: scrambled eggs, diced bacon, cooked ham, tomatoes, oregano, sliced green olives, cooked ham, mozzarella, cheese, carne do sol or Nutella, coconut, condensed milk, cream, cashew etc.
Preparation
Dissolve the salt in the water well. Then, put the gum in a bowl and pour the water little by little until it forms a moist mix. Use your hands to blend.
Pass everything through a fine-mesh sieve (this gives it that typical roughness) and divide into three parts.
Pour the first part into a non-stick pan (without oiling) and let it cook until it starts to become transparent.
Flip it and, when fully cooked, fill as desired.
Continue with the other parts.
The “crepes” can also be prepared in advance and heated later after being filled.
Recipe translation in Portuguese:
I really like the beiju, which can be savory or sweet. If savory beiju is with carne solar, chicken, eggs, tomato… if sweet: with coconut, condensed milk, guava, chocolate… the main ingredient is tapioca gum: called polvinho.
Mix the polvilho with water using your hands and place it in a sieve, then divide it into three. In a pan without oil, add the pulp and flour and toast the ingredients for the filling.
Mix the polvilho with water using your hands and place it in a sieve, then divide it into three. In a pan without oil, add the pulp and flour and toast the ingredients for the filling.
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You can purchase the tapioca gum online too:
Can you make cassava gum at home?
Yes, you can find the recipe HERE.
