Cassava Suman made with grated cassava and coconut for the ultimate snack or dessert. This steamed Filipino delicacy is tasty, filling, and gluten-free!
Cassava is one of my favorites to eat as a snack or dessert. In fact, I have a few recipes with it as the main ingredient such as pichi-pichi, cassava cake, nilupak, and puto lanson on the blog,
Cassava suman is one of the easiest and tastiest things to make with this hearty tuber. If you use frozen already-grated cassava as I did, the recipe is just a matter of mixing the ingredients in a bowl, rolling the mixture in banana leaves, and steaming until cooked. All you need are four ingredients and one hour to have a batch ready to enjoy!
What is Cassava
Cassava is a starchy tuberous root widely grown in tropical and subtropical regions. It’s known as kamoteng kahoy in the Philippines and yuca or manioc in Spanish speaking countries and the U.S.
It’s a staple food crop used in various culinary applications such as alcoholic beverages, noodles, bread, chips, and cakes as well as tapioca flour.
Is it Safe to Eat Cassava
As it contains cyanogenic glucosides. this root crop has potential toxicity and should not be eaten raw or undercooked. Cooking or depending on the variety, the commercial processing of the cassava makes it safe to consume.
There are two types of cassava namely sweet and bitter. The sweet variety, which is what’s sold as fresh or frozen in stores, can be made safe to eat by peeling and thorough cooking. The bitter cassava, on the other hand, requires more extensive processing and is used in making flours and starches.
Tools Needed to Make Sumang Cassava
- banana leaves, cut into about 6 x 6-inch size
- kitchen twine or banana ribs for tying
- steamer
Tips on How to Make Cassava Suman
- You’ll need about 4 cups of grated cassava for this recipe. If using frozen, make sure to thaw completely and drain well.
- Quickly pass the banana leaves over high flames to help soften and make easier to fold.
- If you like a bit of texture, add grated coconut to the cassava mixture.
- You can easily double or triple the recipe as needed. Store the suman in resealable bags or airtight containers and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Cassava Suman
Ingredients
- 2 packages (16 ounces each) frozen grated cassava, thawed and drained or 4 cups freshly grated
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
Instructions
- With a damp cloth, gently wipe surfaces of banana leaves to remove any dirt or grit. Over high flames, quickly pass leaves for about 3 to 5 seconds to wilt.
- In a bowl, combine cassava, sugar, and coconut milk.
- Spoon about 2 heaping tablespoons of mixture onto a banana leaf and shape into a log. Fold banana leaf over mixture to enclose and roll tightly into a log. Fold both ends and tie with kitchen twine.
- Arrange prepared suman in a steamer and steam for about 35 to 45 minutes or until firm. Remove from steamer and allow to slightly cool.
Nutrition
Hi Lalaine, would love to try to make this recipe but where do you buy the frozen cassava?
Thank you
I buy it from Seafood City 🙂
Hi po, we have frozen grated coconut. Should we thaw and drain it as well?
Yes, thaw and drain very well 🙂
Hello,
For the frozen cassava, does it need to be thawed and drain only or needed to squeez out the liquid?
Thank you
NO need to squeeze out the liquid 🙂
once cook the left over that keep in fridge how long it can last… or how can i say if it still good to eat.?
Hello Mei
I’d say about 2 to 3 days in the fridge and maybe a few weeks in the freezer. Just thaw and warm them up in the microwave for a few seconds so they’ll soften up again.
I tried this recipe last year, and it was so so good. It was so good that my in-law even liked it so much (she doesn’t really eat anything that I cook or bake lol!).
Another 5-star recipe from Ms. Lalaine. Thank you.
I will make it again tonight.
Hi! What kind of grated coconut do you use? Fresh or the dried packaged ones that you buy at the grocery stores? If it’s the dried ones, is it the sweetened or unsweetened? Thank you.
I suggest instead frozen grated coconut substitute “Macapuno” that’s in a bottle.. that’s I cooked.
Thanks for the tip!
Hello..ask ko lng po kung ung frozen cassava is already cooked or need pang ilaga..thanks
Hello LJ
No, hindi kailangan lutuin ang cassava, grated lang. Maluluto while it bakes 🙂
I love it ,🤩👍👍🥰🥰thank you
I tried ur cassava suman and my family like them so much The only problem is when i wrap it in banana leaves the coco milk leaks out from the wrapper So i addedmore grated coconut. My friends keep on asking for it since then. Thanks for sharing ur recipes i also love to cook but mostly desserts . Looking forward for ur coming recipe book
Hi Bing
Thank you for sharing your experience with this cassava suman recipe. Yes, the mixture can be a pain to wrap because of the liquid but it’s what keeps the suman soft and tender. I just like to double wrap to solve the problem. I am glad you were able to find a way to make the recipe work for you. Happy cooking!
I miss this so much. I haven’t tried doing this yet but when I was still in PI, I helped my mom make cassava suman to sell. We boil it and use thinner strands of banana leaves to tie the suman instead of twine. The latter is much stronger I believe so. I definitely have to make this suman this year!
Wow!fave ko yang suman nung nasa province pa kme ng grandparents ko.thanks sa recipe kc mkakagawa na ako ulit ng suman.Excited na ako!
Have fun 🙂
I always doing this nung elementary ako 🙂 lagi kasing may kamote sa bahay at niyog sa bahay 🙂 galing sa mini garden ng lola ko, ska madali lang din lutuin 🙂
Hi Ann
First time ko nagluto nito and I was suprised how it easy it was to make. I used already frozen grated cassava and I am sure mas masarap ang gawa sa atin na fresh at bagong balat instead of naka-freezer nang matagal.
Thanks for your comment, appreciate it 🙂