Cassava Suman

From Cassava suman

I have always loved cassava, be it suman, or bibingka style, or pichi-pichi, or nilupak. (My father once added some grated cassava to his muffins topped with grated cheese, which we referred to as "cheesecake," and I loved the effect!).
Recently with all the grated cassava overload, after having been requested to prepare the pichi-pichi, I thought I'd make some cassava suman as well to bring to another Pinay gathering hosted by my friend Cecilia. Who would have thought a child would teach me how to make them? Not the child in the photo (whose name is Jessica), though, but a child blogger, Veggie Kid. The recipe and method was very simple, as long as you have all the ingredients, which I got from the Asian store. The only thing I changed was the cooking time. Instead of the 1 hour, I thought I would check after 20 minutes, and they were done!

Ingredients:
1-16 oz. frozen grated cassava, thawed (about 2 cups)
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2- 3/4 cup sugar (I used the half cup then measured the sugar heaping)

Instructions:


I prepared my own grated yucca/cassava using my food processor. If you have pre-grated ones from the Asian store, you are lucky!

Prepare the steamer (I used boiling water canner with the rack, on which I placed a rounded cake cooling rack, then added about 2 inches of water and started boiling it).

Prepare the banana leaves (cut in appropriate sizes, dipped in boiling hot water, wiped).

Mix the ingredients, scoop out about 2 tbsp each and lay on the banana leaves for wrapping. Proceed as depicted in the slide show.

Place in bamboo steamer seam side and folds down. Cover and place in the steamer if ready (as in water is boiling)

Steam for 20 minutes or until done.

When I first tasted it, still piping hot, I thought the banana leaves' flavor was so overwhelming. But when it has cooled down some, and my friends (and the kids as well) had a taste of it, plain or with sugar, they all liked it! I did not have seconds, though, because there was not enough for seconds for anyone. Haha! Gone in a flash! Thanks a lot, Veggie Kid!

UPDATE - 02-12-09
A promisingly yummier variation was made by mrsRusty.