Farofa is a delicious accompaniment to many Brazilian dishes, especially the classic black bean stew feijoada. Farofa is made with manioc flour (harina de mandioca), which is toasted in a skillet with butter, onions and palm oil. The root of the manioc (cassava) plant is commonly sold as a very fine starch (almidón), often called tapioca flour in the US. But to make farofa, you need manioc flour that is coarsely ground, with a texture like farina cereal. You can find manioc flour in Brazilian markets or online.
Ingredients:
•1 large onion, finely chopped
•8 tablespoons of butter
•1 tablespoon palm oil
•2 cups manioc flour
•Salt & pepper to taste
•1/2 cup chopped black olives (optional)
•1/2 cup diced hard boiled egg (optional)
Preparation:
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat.
1.Add the onions and cook until very soft and golden, about 10 minutes.
2.Stir in the manioc flour and cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 more minutes until well mixed and evenly toasted.
3.Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in optional balck olives and/or hard boiled eggs if desired.
The rich Farofa
“This is the basic recipe for farofa in Brazil..... good but almost plain....nowadays, we use vegetable oil,like canola,corn or olive oil.... or butter. If you want to improve the recipe, to serve with chicken, roasted meat or steaks, fry 2 links of sausage in the oil; ad onions, garlic,green and red peppers chopped, half a dozen fat black olives,stir in the manioc meal and when browned, put salt and ground pepper to taste, and half a cup of fresh chopped parsley. It's called ""rich farofa"". Can be served with various meats or over a tossed salad.”
