Cassava Leaves Curry

Norah's Cooking Diary

Added by: Norah Added on: September 20, 2020

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In this video I am going to share with you a “Cassava Leaves Curry” (Gulai Lemak Pucuk Ubi) Recipe.

Each mouthful is absolutely delightful with its wonderful fragrance and flavor.

“Cassava Leaves” or “Pucuk Ubi Kayu” in Malay language is also known as Tapioca Leaves or Singkong Leaves in other Countries.

Cassava Leaves Curry is a traditional Malay dish in Malaysia. Some would call this dish “Sayur Kampung” meaning "Village Vegetable". This used to be a staple family dish for farmers but has been a traditional favorite for many people, farmers or otherwise 😉.

Happy cooking 😉

Several notes here to share with you:

Frozen Cooked Cassava Leaves is available in most Asian Grocery Stores.
You could substitute frozen cooked cassava leaves with fresh cassava leaves if you prefer. If fresh cassava leaves are used, they should be partially cooked by blanching in hot boiling water.
You could substitute raw sugar with white sugar if you prefer.
You could use 1 Tsp of Turmeric powder if fresh Turmeric is not available.

Here is a quick rundown of the recipe:

Ingredients for Cassava Leaves Curry

(Serves 3-4 peoples)

250 g Frozen Cooked Cassava Leaves
+60 g Dried Anchovies
2 Bulbs Shallots (±110 g)
2 Cloves Garlic (±20 g)
15 g Ginger
±20 g Turmeric
1 whole Red Chili (±25 g)
1 stalk Lemongrass (±30 g)
3 pcs Bay Leaves
½ tsp Salt
1 tsp Raw Sugar
400 ml Coconut Milk
250 ml Plain Water

Method of Preparation

The frozen cooked cassava leaves should be fully defrosted before emptying them into a bowl. Loosen up the clumped leaves. It is recommended to quick rinse the leaves and squeeze out the access water before cooking.

Gather the cleaned cassava leaves on a chopping board. Roughly slice the leaves to smaller pieces and keep them aside for now.
Thinly slice the shallot then set them aside.

Roughly slice the garlic, ginger and turmeric then set them aside.

Cut and discard the top green part of the red chili. Remove and discard the seeds of the red chili. Roughly slice the red chili then set it aside.

Prepare the lemongrass about 15cm long from the bottom and discard the rest. Bruise the lemongrass by lightly crushing it with a pestle then set it aside for now.
Add the sliced mixture prepared earlier into the mortar. Pound the mixture into a paste then set them aside for now.
Choose gutted dried anchovies if possible. It is recommended to rinse the dried anchovies a couple of times to reduce the saltiness in them before use.

Add the prepared dried anchovies into the mortar. Pound the anchovies into a floss. Don't worry if some of the anchovies are not fully pounded.
Add plain water, coconut milk, salt and sugar to a pan. Add the pounded mixture and anchovies floss to the pan. Stir the mixture over MEDIUM heat until they are mixed thoroughly.

Add the bruised lemongrass, bay leaves and the cassava leaves to the pan. Spread the cassava leaves in the pan for an even cooking. Simmer the mixture until they start bubbling steadily. Once it starts bubbling, stir the mixture for 1 min.

Cover the pan with its lid and reduce the heat to LOW. Simmer the mixture over LOW heat until the cassava leaves reach the desired texture. In this recipe, this takes about 10 mins.
After 10 min.

Carefully remove the lid of the pan.

Stir the mixture briefly then switch the heat OFF. The Cassava Leaves Curry is now ready to be served.
Serve the Cassava Leaves Curry while it is still warm. A hot bed of rice is a must!