Guyanese Cassava Egg Balls
This Guyanese cassava egg ball recipe is incredibly easy to make and super hearty! These treats are made with boiled eggs coated with cassava mash. And, for an uber-crispy finish, they are deep-fried until golden brown.
The snack is very versatile and goes great with mango chutney or a refreshing beverage.
What Are Guyanese Cassava Egg Balls?
Not many people are familiar with these delicious snacks. Cassava egg balls, or simply egg balls, are popular street food treats found in Guyana. Now, you may even be wondering where the heck that is.
This is a small country in Southern America right next to Brazil and Venezuela. So, if you couldn’t guess, their cuisine consists of incredibly flavorful food with loads of texture. And this eggball recipe is no different.
These treats are very similar to Scottish eggs. But personally, I love them even more!
They are made with two parts: boiled eggs and seasoned cassava mash. The eggs can be boiled to any hardness that you like. However, you will most likely end up with hard-boiled egg balls. Luckily, I have a trick in the tips section that can help you get slightly softer eggs. Go check it out!
Then, you cover the eggs with a generous amount of cassava mash. Today, my mash recipe is quite simple, but packed with flavor! Once the boiled eggs have been coated, they are deep-fried to get a crispy texture.
You can serve the eggs with a savory mango chutney that will add a bit of sauciness and a ton of fresh flavors!
Tips And Tricks For Making This Guyanese Cassava Egg Ball Recipe
- If you don’t like super hard-boiled eggs, you can boil your eggs for 4-5 minutes only. They will be very fragile to work with when you peel and shape mash around them. But, they will be slightly under hard-boiled when your egg balls are done frying. This won’t always work because of many factors.
- If your boiled eggs or cassava mash is too hot, they won’t shape into beautiful balls. The heat makes them soft which will make them fall apart so easily. So, do allow them some time to cool slightly.
- If you have any leftover cassava mash, you can shape them into balls and deep-fry them without an added egg. They will be just as delicious.
- This eggball recipe can be made in an air fryer. Simply set it to 360ºF (180ºC) and fry it for 6-8 minutes. Check the progress after 6 minutes.
- These balls do not keep well, like most deep-fried foods. So, for the best and freshest results, always make as much as you need. If you have to store them, I recommend freezing them instead. Once thawed, you will need to deep-fry them again to get their crisp texture.
FAQs
Are Guyanese cassava egg balls healthy?
These aren’t exceptionally healthy snacks. They are quite high in calories, fat, and not very nutrient-dense. You do get some nutrients from the egg and cassava. But overall, I wouldn’t say this dish should form part of your regular diet.
What can you serve with Guyanese cassava eggs?
These snacks are very unique and won’t go well with a ton of different food. Not necessarily because they are difficult to pair. But mostly because they are, well, snacks. And, not many people love eating a bunch of sides with eggs.
So, I would recommend serving this with a refreshing drink like my Cherry Slurpee or a Mexican Margarita! And, in terms of food, it’s best to stick to dipping sauces.
Can you make this egg ball recipe with potatoes?
You can definitely make it with any other root vegetable that you have available. Although authentic Guyanese egg balls are made with cassava mash.
How many calories are in Guyanese cassava egg balls?
Determining the calories for this recipe is a bit difficult because you deep-fry the balls. Without being fried, each egg ball has roughly 150-200 calories. But, when you deep-fry them in oil, that number shoots up considerably. The final amount of calories depends on too many factors to say exactly.
More Delicious Recipes
Guyanese Cassava Egg Balls
Ingredients
- 2 pound cassava, peeled and cubed
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1 large egg, beaten (optional for frying)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp green onion finely chopped
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp cumin (optional)
- 7 large eggs
- 1 cup flour (cake or all-purpose)
- Vegetable oil, for deep frying
Instructions
Make the cassava mash
- To start, place the cubes of cassava into a large pot. Cover it with water and add some salt too.
- Bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat and allow the cassava to cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until it's fork tender.
- After the cassava is completely cooked, add it to a large bowl and add two Tbsp butter and mash it. You can use a fork, potato masher, and even a food processor.
- When you have a smooth fluffy mash, it's time to add the seasoning ingredients. That includes garlic, green onion, salt, cumin, and black pepper.
- Mix the ingredients well until you have a uniform mash. Set it aside to cool for a while.
Boil the eggs
- While your mash is cooling, boil the eggs for 7 minutes (hard-boiled eggs).
- Then, strain them from the water and peel them under cold running water. Set them aside to cool as well.
Assemble the Guyanese cassava egg balls
- Preheat your vegetable frying oil to 360ºF (180ºC).
- Once your elements are cooled to a workable temperature, you can start assembling your balls.
- Grab a generous amount of mashed cassava. Then, place a boiled egg inside.
- Shape the mash around the egg until it is evenly and completely covered.
- As you finish shaping the Guyanese egg ball, coat it in a layer of flour. Set it aside. Additionally, you can also coat it in beaten egg for more texture.
- Repeat these steps until all of your eggs have been coated. Try to divide the mash into 7 portions to ensure you have enough for all of the eggs.
- After you have made all of your egg balls, deep-fry them in your preheated oil. This will take about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Make sure that they are golden-brown and crisp.
- Once they are completely fried, drain the excess oil on paper towel.
- Serve the egg balls immediately with mango chutney or your favorite sauce.
