Snacking at School

Cassava ball, egg ball and channa were my favourite snacks to have at school during the mid-morning break. However, I did not always get to purchase them because most of my school mates were more assertive in making their way to the front of the crowd gathered around the snack lady. Often, I'd end up with none of the goodies because by the time I finally reached close enough to make a request, all the cassava balls, egg balls and channa would be sold out :(

The snack lady would encourage me not to let people push in front of me and to speak loudly, shouting above the noise for what I wanted but that was not me. It's still not me. So one day, the snack lady took pity upon me. Click here to read the column and find out how she helped me to get my daily snack-fix.

Cassava balls are made by boiling and mashing it until it's creamy, seasoned with herbs, coated in a batter and fried.

Here, have a bite

Egg balls are boiled eggs that are encased in the cassava mixture and fried.

Channa is chick peas that's sauteed with white onions, green onions, hot pepper, and the star of the dish - freshly ground cumin.

All of these snacks can be eaten by themselves but we love to and always have them with sour (a hot pickle) or pepper sauce. If you'd like the recipes for any or all of the snacks here, email me.

I also wanted to update you on a change I've made effective this week as it relates to comments. Things have become really hectic at my end and as a result, I will not be able to respond as I usually do, weekly, to each and every one of the comments left on my blog. You know that I read all of them and that will not stop. I'll still make it a point to welcome new readers and I will most definitely respond directly, by email to comments left with questions or seeking clarification and of course, requesting recipes. I look forward to your continued visits and to making my weekly rounds to your blogs. Thanks for the continued support.