Defrost the cassava and add it to a muslin-lined bowl. Give the cassava a good squeeze (it doesn’t need to be completely dry), and set aside the cassava juice for 15 minutes allowing it to separate
Break up the cassava, pulling and spreading it in a bowl. Check for any cassava fibres that haven’t been removed
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan
In the same bowl, add the melted butter, coconut milk, durian, sugar, eggs, salt and ground turmeric. Stir well until combined
The cassava juice should have separated now. Pour away the juice that will be sitting on top and save the white starchy paste at the bottom. Add the cassava starch to the cake mix and combine well
Soften the banana leaves on an open flame – it will only take a second on each slide. Flip the leaves continuously until they colour. Alternatively, you can soften the leaves in a dry pan
Butter an 8 inch square cake tin then line it with softened banana leaves
Pour in the cake mix and bake in the oven for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and preheat the grill to hot
Add 0.5 cm cubes of butter evenly around the top of the cake and grill for up to 10 minutes, or until lightly golden brown
Test for doneness by sticking a toothpick in the middle of the cake: there will be some starchy bits, but as long as these bits are dry, it’s done. Let cool before slicing
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