I mentioned yuca as one of the things I’m loving lately and I wasn’t lying.  I’ve had it in some form at least once a week for about a month now.  And I don’t plan on stopping especially since I found Armitage Produce.

A few weeks back I was at Whole Foods and I picked up a few yuca roots.  Now, yuca is not something most people see all that often and as I was standing in the checkout line the lady in front of my asked what it was.  I told her and she asked what can you make with it and as I was about to answer the cashier chimed in and explained yuca and the delicious things you can make with it way better than I could.  As I got to the front, I learned she was Puerto Rican and yuca was a staple in her family.  We chatted for a bit as she was checking me out and I told her I wished there was a Latin grocery store near here because I would love to get things like green bananas and yuca and harina de maiz.  That’s when she told me about Armitage Produce.

So that weekend Adam and I went on an adventure and found the magic that is a Latin grocery store.  So many delicious things and at way better prices than the regular grocery store.  I found frozen yuca, which I had been searching for since it holds up a little better than fresh here in the states(Amanda from Curious Coconut explains why here), and promptly bought 10 pounds.  I don’t care if I looked like the crazy white lady, I wanted my yuca.

I came home with that 10 pounds of yuca and got busy.  Fries, chips, and this curry were some of the first things I tried out.  I have more coming and trust me, you aren’t going to want to miss it!

Yuca & Spinach Curry

Just a quick note: If you can find frozen yuca easily, use that instead of fresh.  It’s much easier to work with and will save you the step of peeling.  If not don’t worry fresh is just fine and you can use this guide as to how to peel and prep the yuca.

• 2 lbs yuca, fresh or frozen (you want to end up with about 2 1/2 cups diced)
• 1 bunch of fresh spinach, rinsed, stems removed and cut into ribbons
• 1 cup onion, diced
• 1 can full-fat coconut milk
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• 2 tbsp garam masala
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp pepper

1. No matter if you fresh or frozen yuca, you need to boil it first.  Once it’s peeled place the yuca into a big pot and cover it with water.  Add a little salt and bring it to a boil.  Once at a boil simmer for about 20 minutes or until the yuca is fork tender.  Drain the water and let the yuca cool.  Then dice into little cubes, removing the fibrous core if you haven’t already.
2. In a blender, add the coconut milk and almost all of the spinach, leave about a cup out.  Blend until everything is combined and you have a fairly smooth sauce.  It’s ok if there are a few pieces of spinach left.  Set aside.
3. In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat and saute the onion until soft and translucent.  About 5 to 10 minutes.  Add the diced yuca and stir a little to combine.
4. Add in all of the spices and stir to coat. It will feel like everything is sticking to the bottom of the pan and it’s too dry but don’t freak out just yet.  Cook for about 2 minutes.
5. Pour in the spinach milk and stir to coat everything.  Lower the heat and cover the pan with a lid.  Cook like this for about 15 minutes, stirring every so often.
6. Add the last cup of spinach and stir into the curry until it’s just wilted.  Taste and see if you need to add salt or pepper and then serve over rice or with some naan!