Try my video-recipe for Arepitas de yuca and be amazed at how easy it is to make these wonderful, tasty, super-crispy cassava fritters, infused with the flavor and aroma of anise.
By - Reviewed: . Original: Dec 21, 2003
❝ I have made them various times with this recipe and yummmm! ... ❞
Why we ❤️ it
Although I've been enjoying arepitas de yuca for as long as I can remember-and they've always been one of my favorite Dominican foods-a friend taught me how to make arañitas de yuca, and I'm very grateful for that, because they're another great way to enjoy these tasty, crispy, and aromatic fried cassava treats.
Arañitas and arepitas de yuca are a special side dish for any meal. The combination of salt, sugar, and aromatic anise in a crispy fritter that will make your mouth water.
What are arepitas de yuca?
Arepitas de yuca are yuca fritters (frituras) made in the Dominican Republic to serve as a side dish with our lunch meal.
Arepitas vs. arañitas de yuca
The difference between these two side dishes is what side of the grater you use. The arañitas should have lots of fried yuca threads sticking out in all directions, thus the "spidery" look!
It's amazing what a slight change in the process can yield.
Arañitas and arepitas de yuca fritters.
Serving suggestions
Arepitas is typically served as part of our lunch meals, and go great with a moro rice, and any of the other suggestions therein. But you can also serve them an appetizer, perhaps with our mayo-ketchup dip, or our avocado dip.
Top tips
- How to know if yuca is good? Cut the yuca, and if the flesh is firm and bright white, it should be fine. Discard the yuca if it has any foul odor, has mushy spots, or discolorations when cut.
- How to make arañita de yuca? Arañitas de yuca are made by grating yuca with the coarser side of the box grater.
About this recipe
If you've read our books or browsed through our recipes in this blog, you'll notice that we often credit the person who gave us the idea, first told us about it, or even gave us their recipe. They can be a friend, a reader, a friend's grandmother, or a stranger we gave a ride home in an isolated part of the country - just to name a few.
With these recipes or ideas, there is still a long process of testing and getting them ready for publication. But it's easier with that to start with, and we're grateful for the people who share their knowledge with us and the world.
While I have been enjoying arepitas since... forever, and they have always been one of my favorite Dominican foods, I was taught about arañitas by a friend, and I am so grateful for that because they are another great way to make these tasty, crispy beautifully-golden yuca fritters.
So thank you Professor Midence, from Santiago, without you I may have not found out that, besides my beloved arepas de yuca, there was another version: arañitas, ("little spiders" in Spanish).
Tell me, do you make arepita de yuca at home? Do you make it differently? Let me know in the comments!
Video
Recipe
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Arepitas de Yuca & Arañitas [Video+Recipe] Cassava Fritters
Ingredients
- ½ pound yuca (cassava), [0.23 kg] peeled and washed
- 1 teaspoon sugar (white, granulated)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons of aniseed, (anise seeds)
- 1 egg (medium), medium
- 1½ cup vegetable oil, for frying
Instructions
1. Grating
Grate the yuca with the fine side of the grater to make arepitas, or the coarse side to make arañitas. The following steps are the same for both.
2. Combining
- In a large bowl combine grated yuca, sugar, salt, egg, and aniseed. Mix the batter until it is well combined.
3. Frying
- Heat oil over medium heat in a small skillet (oil should be at least 1 inch [2.5 cm] high).Add 2 tablespoons of the yuca mixture to the hot oil and fry until golden brown on one side (watch out for oil splatters), flip and repeat. Once browned, place on a paper towel to remove excess oil.Continue with the rest of the mixture.
4. Serving
- Once they are all fried, serve per suggestions above the recipe.
Cook's Notes
How to make arepitas de yuca
To make arepitas use the least coarse side of the grater.How to make arañitas de yuca
To make arañitas use the coarsest side of the grater.Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
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More yuca recipes
If you're looking for yuca recipes, you can serve as Chulitos, Yuca fries, as Yuca empanadas made with Homemade yuca flour.
Another favorite way to make yuca is Boiled with a garlic sauce, or encebollada (with onions), Panecico or pan de yuca dominicano, or garlicky Yuca mofongo served in a pestle.
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