Have you ever woken up at 5am excited about the next Cuban-Thai fusion you are about to make? Well, I just did. And it truly is exciting, yet simple. Don’t you love it when something is simple to make but it feels like an explosion of flavors in your mouth? Well, here it is, yuca con mojo. Strike that, it is yuca with nam jim talay! I know mi gente are already asking, ‘¿Qué carajo es eso?‘ and that’s okay. Honestly, it’s better if you don’t even look at the ingredients first—just eat the yuca. But if you’re ready to see how this Havana-meets-Bangkok magic happens, here’s the secret.
Imagine if a Cuban mojo had a baby with a spicy Asian dipping sauce. This dish is salty, intensely garlicky, and has that authentic lime pucker we love on our yuca—but with a funky and spicy flavor that’ll make you wish you had it like this for all these years.
I told my wife I was going to call this ‘Un Mojo Chino,’ and she almost kicked me out of the kitchen! So, out of respect for her Thai roots… we’re calling this Yuca con Thai Mojo. But between us Cubanos… it’s the best mojo chino you’ll ever have.
It has that same sharp garlic bite we crave, but with the added ‘picante’ of Thai bird’s eye chilies. It’s like a mojo that finally decided to wake up and party. If you don’t eat spicy, just add a piece of one, just for flavor, pero tienes que echarle picante.
Yuca con Thai Mojo (Nam Jim Talay)
Description
Cuban yuca with Thai Mojo — creamy boiled or crispy fried yuca, served with a sharp, garlicky Thai Mojo (Nam Jim Talay) that mi gente will not see coming. Salty, sour, and spicy. This one will completely change how you eat yuca.
Ingredients
For the Yuca (Boiled)
For the Thai Mojo (Nam Jim Talay)
For the Fried Yuca (optional)
Instructions
-
Fill and salt the pot
Fill a large pot with enough water to cover the yuca. Salt generously—the water should taste salty.
Make sure your pot is large enough—yuca expands as it boils and becomes very soft. -
Add the yuca
Add the frozen yuca directly; no need to thaw.
Remember, make sure your pot is large enough—yuca expands as it boils and becomes very soft. -
Make the Thai Mojo (Nam Jim Talay)
Using a mortar and pestle, add the garlic cloves unpeeled. Hit them a couple of times — the skin will separate easily. Remove and discard the skins. Add the Thai chilies and smash everything together with the garlic.
No need to make a paste—rough, broken pieces are perfect. -
Combine the sauce
Add the fish sauce, lime juice, and shallots directly to the mortar if it's large enough. If not, scrape all the solids into a bowl and add the liquids there. A few good stirs with a spoon is all it needs—no blender required.
Give it a taste. If you're Cuban, you'll probably say "¡Coño!" If you're not, "wow" works just fine. -
Reserve the dipping sauce (optional)
If you are frying half the yuca, set aside about one third of the sauce now for dipping before you dress the boiled yuca.
-
Drain and devein the yuca
Once the yuca is fork tender, carefully drain the water. Handle the pieces gently — at this point the yuca is very soft and will fall apart easily if mishandled. While still hot, remove the woody vein running through the center of each piece.
Take your time, and start bragging about what you are making. Cuban food tastes better that way. -
Separate the yuca for frying (optional)
If you are frying some of the yuca, set it aside now before pouring the Thai Mojo.
The yuca for frying doesn't need mojo. -
Dress the boiled yuca
Pour the Thai Mojo generously over the yuca right after you drain and plate it.
The hot yuca will start absorbing the sauce as it cools, and that is exactly what you want. Do not wait. -
Fry the yuca (optional)
Heat enough oil in a deep fryer or FryDaddy for deep frying. Add the reserved boiled yuca pieces carefully. Fry until golden brown.
The yuca will go from paper white to a beautiful golden color. You'll know when it's ready. -
Rest and serve
Let the fried yuca rest for 5 minutes. Serve with the remaining Thai Mojo on the side for dipping.
