Meriam chef Nornie Bero has released a trio of homely recipes from her new cookbook Native Ingredients Every Day, featuring cassava and taro dishes infused with native Australian ingredients. The recipes include crispy taro nachos, a fragrant cassava yellow curry, and a cassava hash with desert lime pea yoghurt.
Taro Chips and Red Bean Nachos
Bero describes nachos as a household favourite, emphasizing the red bean salsa. She builds a volcano-like chip tower with taro chips fried crispier than an aunty's gossip, loaded with smoky red bean salsa and melted cheese. A bush lemon cream adds smooth, zesty flavor with a jalapeño wink. The taro chips can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container for up to two weeks. Sour cream or guacamole are acceptable substitutes for the bush lemon cream.
The recipe serves 6 to 8. For the taro chips, heat vegetable oil for deep-frying, fry 500g peeled and thinly sliced taro in small batches for 2-3 minutes until golden, drain on paper towel, and sprinkle with 1 tbsp lemon aspen powder. For the bush lemon cream, blend 250g sour cream, ½ cup pickled jalapeños, 2 avocados, ½ tsp ground pepperberry, 2 crushed garlic cloves, juice of 2 lemons, and sea salt until smooth; chill. For the red bean salsa, mix 800g tinned red kidney beans (rinsed and drained), 800g tinned diced tomatoes, 1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, 1 cup chopped coriander, ½ diced red onion, 2 thinly sliced spring onions, ⅓ cup sweet chilli sauce, 1 small deseeded and diced red capsicum, 1 tsp ground pepperberry, 1 tsp dried saltbush, ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, and juice of 2 lemons. For the cheese mix, combine 1 cup grated vintage cheddar, 1½ cups grated mozzarella, and 1 cup grated parmesan.
Preheat oven grill to 200C. Lay taro chips on a large baking tray, spoon over red bean salsa, scatter cheese mix, and grill until bubbling and golden. Top with dollops of bush lemon cream and extra jalapeños.
Cassava Yellow Curry
Bero highlights cassava's nutty flavor, spice hints, and nutritional benefits, noting it is underused. Fresh or frozen cassava works; pandan leaf is available at Asian grocers. Serves 4. For 1kg fresh or peeled frozen cassava, wash fresh cassava, peel, and place in water to prevent browning. Transfer to a large saucepan, cover with 10 cups water, bring to boil, cook 30-40 minutes until soft, adding 1 tsp ground turmeric after 20 minutes. Drain, cool, and cut into chunky cubes.
Add a dash of vegetable oil to a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 sliced medium onion, 2 tsp chilli powder, 1½ tsp ground aniseed myrtle, 3 tsp Keen's Traditional Curry Powder, and 1 tsp celery seeds. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add cassava, 350ml (1½ cups) coconut cream, 500ml vegetable stock, 1 teagrass stalk, 2.5 cm piece pandan leaf, 3 lemon myrtle leaves, and 1 tsp whole wattleseeds. Cook 25 minutes, adding 250ml (1 cup) water and remaining coconut cream if needed. Add 2 cups warrigal greens, simmer 10 minutes, season with salt. Serve with steamed rice or roti.
Cassava Hash with Desert Lime and Pea Yoghurt
Bero calls cassava the queen of the hash scene, contrasting its crunchy nuttiness with pea yoghurt and mint. Wash and peel cassava, place in water to prevent browning. For saltbush chips, shallow-fry a few tablespoons of saltbush leaves in hot oil for seconds until crisp, drain, sprinkle with salt. Serves 4.
For the cassava hash, finely grate 1kg peeled cassava, wrap in a clean tea towel, squeeze out excess liquid into a bowl. Let liquid sit, tip off water, save white starch at bottom. In a large bowl, combine grated cassava, cassava starch, 1 egg, ¼ cup tapioca starch, 2 crushed garlic cloves, 1 grated onion, ½ tsp dried saltbush, 1 tsp ground white pepper, and a good pinch of ground pepperberry. Mix into a thick batter. Heat a generous glug of extra-virgin olive oil in a non-stick or cast-iron frying pan over medium heat. Scoop quarter-cup portions of batter into the pan, flatten into patties. Fry 3-4 minutes each side until crispy and golden. Keep warm on a rack or paper towel-lined plate.
For the desert lime and pea yoghurt, use a hand blender to blitz 1 cup thawed frozen peas, finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon, 1 crushed garlic clove, 2 tbsp finely diced desert limes, ½ cup chopped mint leaves, and 2 tbsp chopped river mint (optional) until combined but textured. Stir in ½ cup shelled fresh peas, 2 tbsp saltbush chips, ½ cup thick plain yoghurt, 1 finely diced French shallot, and a pinch of ground pepperberry. Adjust with more lemon juice or saltbush. Stack crispy hash cakes high, dollop with yoghurt, garnish with extra saltbush chips and a squeeze of lemon.
This is an edited extract from Native Ingredients Every Day by Nornie Bero, photography by Rochelle Eagle, available now through Hardie Grant (A$45).
