This little rolls are the quintesential street food: not fully appreciated. But they are, in my humble opinion, one of the best buffet dishes in the Dominican cuisine. Chulitos can be made filled with meat (the traditional way) or filled with cheese or just plain. Feel free to experiment.

Time: 20 Mins
Difficulty: Easy
Serve: 8 people

Before starting to cook: Peel and grate the cassava. Reserve.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs of cassava
• 1/4 lb. of ground beef
• 2 cups of oil
• 2 tablespoons of coriander, finely chopped (optional)
• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 small red onion
• 1 green pepper
• Ground black pepper
• Chili sauce (optional)

Preparation:

1. Cut the green pepper and remove the seeds. Chop the green peppers in small cubes, and do the same with the onions. Put the ground beef in a bowl, mix in coriander, pepper and onion, add a pinch of oregano, a pinch of pepper and a teaspoon of salt.
   
2. In a shallow pan heat a tablespoon of oil. Add the ground beef and stir so it cooks uniformly. Add two tablespoons of water and the tomato paste. Let simmer at medium heat. Adjust water when necessary. When the meat is ready let all the liquid evaporate, adjust salt and chili sauce to taste (the street version can be quite spicy). Turn off the heat and reserve.
   
3. With a clean cotton cloth squeeze the cassava paste to get rid of excess liquid. Mix in a teaspoon of salt, stir. Put two tablespoons of the mixture in the palm of your hand. Flatten it and put a teaspoon of the cooked meat in the center. Roll the cassava mixture over it forming small rolls, seal the ends. Deep- fry immediately. Serve hot.

can i use frozen casaba intead?

I've never used frozen cassava, seeing as yuca of the fresh persuasion is really common here, but I don't see why not. Of course you need to thaw it first (don't use the microwave).

the yuca is cooked first? or ground raw?

It is ground raw.

Okay, I have found yucca! (No small task in rural Indiana)

Now I need help in learning how it is ground? It sounds like it needs to be quite fine. I am very inept in the kitchen. can someone please tell me how this is done? thanks.

chichiqua, you need to use the least coarse side of the grater. You will obtain some sort of paste from grinding the yuca.