Spicy Little Fried Cassava Cakes ---Vietnamese Hush Puppies

Bánh cay is a snack that I enjoyed very much in Vietnam. This small spicy cake made of fresh cassava is similar to the Western snack, Hush Puppies. Cassava is peeled and soaked in water overnight so the poison in cassava is released in the water overnight. I think that if we do not try to consume this snack all the time, then this method is not necessary. In the diaspora of Vietnamese and Koreans in America, supermarkets are selling cassava packages that are already shredded in the frozen form. Because current modern life is rushed and busy, the processed manioc (cassava) is convenient and very tasty for housewives. Although this fried food snack is delicious to taste, I try not eating Bánh cay so often. My recipe is very tractable and can use either packaged frozen manioc or fresh cassava roots. The packaged frozen cassava is 16 oz, and one small to medium fresh cassava after peeling and shredding is about 8 to 10 oz. Because the quantity of spice ingredients for this recipe is for fresh cassava, adjust the quantity of spices according to the amount of fresh or frozen cassava used. On a cool autumn day, this snack is a wonderful choice to make and share with friends and family over a cup of hot coffee or tea. What Heaven!!

Ingredients
1 fresh cassava, peeled, washed 
2 tbs Korean frying mix
1 tsp turmeric or curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp chili flakes
1/4 tsp cayenne
3 green onions, the green part only, chopped
2 cups peanut oil for deep frying

Directions
In a mini food processor, add cut cassava and press the chop button. Process until all cassava is a fine coarse.
Combine the cassava with the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

 Wash hands and place a small amount of the cassava in palm of your hand. Use a soup spoon to mold this little cake into whatever shape that you like but not bigger than 1 ½ to 2 inch lengths.

Heat oil in a sauté pan and start frying the cake. Do not let the oil become too hot because it will burn the cake.

Fry these cakes over medium heat until golden brown. Remove with a slot spoon and enjoy.