Cookbook:Farofa

| Brazilian Cuisine

Farofa is a typical Brazilian dish made of toasted manioc flour. It's usually served as a side dish along with feijoada or grilled meat.

Ingredients

 * 1-2 tbsp butter or vegetable oil, preferrably olive oil.
 * 2 large garlic cloves, minced
 * A few pieces of chopped processed fatty meat (typically bacon)
 * 2 onions, chopped
 * 500 g manioc (cassava) flour or premade farofa mix
 * 1–2 tbsp tempero baiano (see notes)
 * Salt to taste
 * Cilantro to taste, chopped (optional)

Procedure

 * 1) Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the meat and fry for a minute or so. Depending on how much fat is released from it, add up to 1 tbsp of the oil or butter, enough to fry the garlic and onions.
 * 2) Add the garlic, and stir for a minute or so, making sure not to let it burn.
 * 3) Add the onion and seasonings, and cook for about another minute.
 * 4) Add the flour and any additional ingredients. Stir well and continue toasting for a couple minutes more. If using premade farofa mix, stir until the extra ingredients are well-done. If using raw cassava flour, slowly add the remaining butter or oil and stir until toasted and golden.
 * 5) Turn off the heat, and add chopped cilantro if desired. Serve hot to warm.

Notes, tips, and variations

 * Additional ingredients may be added for taste and texture. Common additions are green olives, fried plantains, ground ginger, dry textured vegetable protein and onion flakes.
 * Tempero baiano (see notes) is a Brazilian spice mix based on cumin, paprika, cilantro and oregano. If you don't have it, you can add the individual components to taste.
 * Manioc flour or premade farofa mix may already be salted, so taste when adding more salt.
 * Coarse corn flour in flakes can be used as a substitute for the cassava flour.