Caribbean Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. 
Serving Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Jamaican Bammy
A traditional Jamaican flatbread made from grated cassava, pressed and pan-fried, then soaked in coconut milk for a soft, slightly sweet bite.
No common allergens detected
Based on this recipe's ingredient list. Always verify with your own brands and labels.
Instructions
7 steps- 1
Peel the cassava and remove the tough fibrous core running through the center, then finely grate the flesh.
- 2
Wrap the grated cassava in a clean cloth and wring firmly over a bowl to press out as much of the starchy liquid as possible.
- 3
Let the pressed cassava sit for a few minutes, then let the liquid settle in the bowl and pour it off, keeping the white starch that settles at the bottom if you want a firmer bammy.
- 4
Season the grated cassava with the salt and mix well, then press it firmly into a round mold or a greased ring about 5 to 6 inches across and 1/2 inch thick.
- 5
Heat a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat and cook the pressed cassava round for 6 to 8 minutes per side, pressing down occasionally, until golden and cooked through.
- 6
Pour the coconut milk into a shallow dish and soak the cooked bammy for 2 to 3 minutes per side to soften and add richness.
- 7
Return the soaked bammy to a hot, lightly oiled skillet and fry for 2 to 3 minutes per side until the edges crisp up, then serve warm.
Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Listahan Family Score™
74/100
Good fit for most families
Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.
Nutrition
per serving230
Calories
5 g
Protein
22 g
Carbs
15 g
Fat
Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.
Listahan cooking guide
Chef notes & practical guide
Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.
Cultural context
Bammy is a flatbread of pressed cassava that traces directly to the Taino, the Caribbean's Indigenous people, making it one of Jamaica's oldest surviving foods. Grated cassava is squeezed dry, formed into rounds, and griddled, then traditionally served alongside fried fish. The soak in coconut milk before frying is a later refinement that softens the dense cake and adds richness.
Listahan note
This version presses the grated cassava firmly to expel moisture before forming, then soaks the cooked cakes in coconut milk so they fry up tender inside rather than dry and chalky.
Technique cues
- Pressing the grated cassava hard to wring out its liquid is the critical step, because excess moisture keeps the cake from binding and frying into a cohesive round.
- Soaking the formed cakes in coconut milk before the final fry rehydrates the dense cassava so the interior turns soft instead of crumbly.
- Cassava must be cooked through; the raw root contains compounds that are only safe once fully heated, so the press-and-cook then fry sequence is not optional.
Kitchen flow
- Parallel prep
- Set the cassava to press while you ready the pan and warm the coconut milk for soaking.
- Make-ahead
- Form and pre-cook the bammy rounds a day ahead, then soak and fry just before serving.
- Leftover move
- Re-crisp leftover bammy in a dry skillet and top with avocado or smoked fish for a quick breakfast.
- Cleanup rhythm
- Rinse the grater and pressing cloth right away, since cassava starch dries to a stubborn film.
Ingredient brief
Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.
Grated cassava
Main structure
Purpose: Its starch binds into a cohesive cake when the moisture is removed and it is heated.
Handling: Grate finely and press out as much liquid as possible before forming rounds.
Adaptation: Frozen pre-grated cassava saves work; using tapioca starch alone will not form the same dense flatbread.
coconut milk
Soaking liquid
Purpose: It rehydrates and enriches the dense cake so the fried bammy is tender and faintly sweet.
Handling: Soak the formed cakes just until they absorb the milk, then fry while still moist.
Adaptation: Whole dairy milk softens them too, but you lose the coconut richness that pairs with fried fish.
salt
Essential seasoning
Purpose: Cassava is nearly flavorless on its own, so salt worked into the pressed pulp is what makes the bammy taste of anything.
Handling: Mix a measured amount into the pressed cassava before forming so it seasons the cake through, not just the surface.
Adaptation: A salted coconut soak can carry some of the seasoning, but under-salting leaves the bammy bland.
frying oil
Cooking medium
Purpose: The shallow fry is what crisps the soaked cake's exterior while the coconut-soaked center heats through.
Handling: Heat a neutral oil to medium so the surface browns before the inside dries out.
Adaptation: Refined coconut oil reinforces the coconut note; butter browns nicely but burns faster at frying heat.
Technique notes
- Press the cassava in a clean cloth and twist hard until barely any liquid runs out, the surest path to a bammy that holds together.
- Soak the cakes only until saturated, because over-soaked rounds fall apart in the frying oil.
- Fry over medium heat so the outside crisps while the coconut-soaked center heats through evenly.
Ingredient swaps
- Tree-nut and dairy direction
- If coconut is the concern, soak in plain dairy or oat milk instead, trading the island flavor for a neutral tender crumb.
- Lower-fat direction
- Soak in light coconut milk and griddle with minimal oil instead of deep frying, giving a leaner but less rich bammy.
- Weeknight shortcut
- Start from store-bought pre-pressed bammy rounds and skip straight to the coconut soak and fry.
Serve alongside
- Escovitch fish
- Steamed callaloo
- Ackee and saltfish
- Avocado slices
- Cold coconut water
- Ginger beer
- Sorrel drink
Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.
Storage & reheating
- Refrigerate cooked, unsoaked bammy rounds for up to 4 days wrapped airtight.
- Re-crisp in a dry or lightly oiled skillet over medium heat until warmed through.
- Freeze pre-cooked rounds for up to 3 months and thaw before the coconut soak and final fry.
Equipment
- Box grater
- Cheesecloth or clean towel
- Round mold or ring
- Heavy skillet
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