Mandi’o Chyryry: Cassava Skillet with Eggs and Cheese

Have some cooked cassava left over from lunch? In Paraguay, those leftovers do not have to come back to the table as the same side dish at dinner. With onions, eggs, and cheese, they can go straight back into the skillet and become Mandi’o Chyryry, a simple, hearty everyday dish.

It has become one of our favorite ways to use cooked mandioca, the term commonly used for cassava in Paraguay. It works just as well with freshly cooked cassava as with leftovers from the day before. The idea is a little like pan-fried potatoes with eggs, but cassava has its own flavor and a firmer, starchier bite.

And it does not take much to make. In this recipe, I will show you step by step how to turn cooked cassava into a quick, warm meal.

📝 Mandi’o Chyryry Recipe: Step by Step

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🛒 Ingredients for Mandi’o Chyryry

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Besides cooked cassava, the base recipe only needs eggs, cheese, onions, and a few fresh herbs.

Main Ingredients

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• 750 g cooked cassava, well drained
• 1 medium onion
• 1 garlic clove, optional
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• 2 eggs
• 100 g Queso Paraguay
• 2 green onions
• 1 to 2 tbsp chopped parsley or cilantro
• salt
• black pepper
• a little ají, optional

What Can I Substitute?

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Kitchen Equipment

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• large skillet
• pot, if using fresh cassava
• knife
• cutting board
• bowl for the eggs
• spatula or wooden spoon

👩‍🍳 Step-by-Step Instructions

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Preparation

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• If using fresh cassava: Peel the root, wash it thoroughly, and cut it into large pieces. Boil in salted water for about 20 to 30 minutes until fully cooked and tender. Drain well and let the pieces cool briefly. Do not eat cassava raw.
• You can use cooked cassava from the day before without any additional preparation.
• Remove the tough center fiber and cut the cassava into bite-sized pieces. Pieces that are not too small hold their shape better while browning and when the eggs are folded in.
• Finely chop the onion and optional garlic.
• Chop the green onions and herbs.
• Lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl.
• Cut the Queso Paraguay into small pieces or crumble it coarsely.

Cooking

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1. Sauté the onions: Heat the oil in a large skillet. Sauté the onion and optional garlic over medium heat until translucent.

2. Brown the cassava: Add the cooked cassava pieces and spread them out in a single layer if possible. Cook over medium to medium-high heat until browned in several spots. Do not stir constantly. Let the pieces sit undisturbed for a few minutes at a time, then turn them carefully.

3. Add the eggs: Pour the beaten eggs over the browned cassava and gently fold everything together.

4. Add the cheese: Once the eggs have started to set, add the Queso Paraguay. Continue cooking just until the eggs are fully set and the cheese has softened. Do not cook it too long, or the dish can turn dry.

5. Finish the dish: Fold in the green onions and herbs, then season with salt and black pepper to taste. Serve the Mandi’o Chyryry hot right away.

Nutrition Information

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The values are based on 1 of 3 servings of the base recipe.

• Calories: about 550 kcal
• Protein: about 13 g
• Carbohydrates: about 81 g
• Fat: about 20 g
• Fiber: about 5 g

The nutrition information is an estimate and may vary depending on the cassava, cheese, amount of oil, and serving size.

🍽️ What Goes Well with Mandi’o Chyryry?

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Mandi’o Chyryry can easily be served on its own as a warm meal. If you would like to add something, there are a few simple options depending on when you are serving it.

🔄 Recipe Variations

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Like many simple everyday dishes, Mandi’o Chyryry can be adapted to whatever you have on hand. Recipes therefore vary from household to household.

Popular Variations

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With vegetables: Diced tomatoes or Locote (bell pepper) add a little more moisture and freshness to the skillet.

With meat (Mandi’o Chyryry So’o): Ground beef, finely diced beef, or chorizo make the dish richer and more filling.

🇵🇾 Background on Mandi’o Chyryry

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Name and Spelling Variants

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The name points straight to the main ingredient. Mandi’o is the Guaraní word for mandioca, or cassava. Chyryry roughly means “fried” or “to fry.”

Sometimes, chyryry is also associated with the sizzling sound of food frying in a skillet. It is a useful image, but it should not be confused with the actual dictionary meaning.

We use the spelling Mandi’o Chyryry. Online, you will also find Mandi’o Chyryry with a straight apostrophe as well as the simplified spelling Mandio Chyryry.

Cassava and Mandi’o Chyryry in Everyday Paraguayan Cooking

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Cassava, eggs, and Queso Paraguay are everyday staples in many Paraguayan households. They are versatile and show up in all kinds of everyday dishes.

Cassava itself is often served as a side dish in Paraguay. When cooked pieces are left over, they can easily be turned into another meal with just a few additional ingredients.

Mandi’o Chyryry is a good example of how simple that can be. The cassava stays in fairly large pieces and is browned in a skillet. When we first saw the dish, it immediately reminded us of pan-fried potatoes. The basic idea is similar, although cassava has a very different flavor and texture.

There is no strict rule about when Mandi’o Chyryry is eaten. It can be served as a hearty breakfast, as a warm meal on its own, or sometimes as a side dish or appetizer. There is no fixed season for it either. Because it is quite filling, however, it works especially well during the cooler months as a hearty winter dish.

Cooked cassava is also used for Pajagua Mascada, where it is combined with meat and shaped into savory patties. Pastel Mandi’o, on the other hand, is similar to an empanada: its dough is based on cooked cassava, then filled with a savory mixture and fried.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

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Conclusion

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For me, Mandi’o Chyryry is a great example of just how simple everyday Paraguayan cooking can be. Cooked cassava and a few other ingredients quickly turn into a completely new warm meal.

If you would like to see what else you can make with cassava, browse our cassava page for more recipes and articles about this versatile root. You can find even more dishes to try in our collection of Paraguayan recipes.

Enjoy cooking, and buen provecho!