Toasted Cassava Side Dish (Farofa)
Farofa Say it: fah-ROH-fah
Farofa is Brazil's everyday crunchy side: toasted cassava meal stirred into butter with savory bits until it turns loose, golden and nutty. This classic version folds in crisp bacon, soft onion, garlic and scrambled egg, then finishes with black olives and parsley. It is the traditional partner for feijoada, churrasco and simple beans and rice, and it is on the table at Sunday lunches and family barbecues alike. Its magic is texture — crisp crumbs that soak up sauce and brighten every plate.
Toasted Cassava Side Dish (Farofa)
Farofa
Pronounced fah-ROH-fah
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Level
- Easy
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Method
Set a large, wide skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring now and then, until the pieces are crisp and golden and the fat has rendered. Lift the bacon out with a slotted spoon onto a plate, leaving about 1 tablespoon of fat in the pan.
Add the butter and onion to the skillet and cook over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant and not browned.
Push the onion mixture to one side of the skillet. Pour in the eggs and scramble gently for 1 to 2 minutes, until barely set, then break them into small pieces and fold together with the onion.
Return the bacon to the pan. Add the cassava meal, salt and pepper and stir constantly for 3 to 5 minutes, until the meal is evenly toasted, deep golden and smells nutty; pull the pan off the heat at once if it starts to darken.
Take the skillet off the heat and stir in the olives and parsley. Taste, adjust the salt and pepper, and serve warm while the crumbs are still crisp.
Regional variant: Farofa de Banana (Banana Farofa)
Leave out the bacon and eggs. Sauté 2 firm bananas sliced into thick coins in the butter with the onion until lightly golden on both sides, then fold in the cassava meal, salt and parsley and heat through for 2 to 3 minutes. The result is sweet-savoury and softer, and it is the classic partner for grilled or roasted meat.
Cook's notes
- Use a wide skillet rather than a deep pot so the meal toasts evenly, and keep stirring — it goes from golden to scorched in under a minute.
- If you can only find untoasted cassava meal, dry-toast it in a skillet over medium-low heat for 5 to 8 minutes until lightly golden before you begin.
- For a looser, richer farofa, melt an extra tablespoon of butter into the pan just before serving.
Serve with
Serve with feijoada, churrasco, roast chicken, or plain black beans and white rice, with a caipirinha or cold beer alongside.
Make ahead and storage
Best eaten warm the day it is made; keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and refresh in a skillet with a little butter.
