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You are here Home » Around the World » South American Recipes » Mbejú (Paraguayan Gluten-Free Cheese Flatbread)

Mbejú (Paraguayan Gluten-Free Cheese Flatbread)

November 29, 2018 by Lizet Bowen 6 Comments

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Mbejú is a buttery, gluten-free, cheese flatbread with crispy edges that is enjoyed all over Paraguay with a cup of coffee or cocido.

Mbejú is a buttery, gluten-free, cheese flatbread with crispy edges that is made with cassava flour and enjoyed all over Paraguay with a cup of coffee or cocido tea. | www.CuriousCuisiniere.com DISCLOSURE: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. These links are provided to help you find some of the more specialty products we mention in the recipe. If you make any purchase after clicking through one of our links, we receive a small commission from Amazon, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Curious Cuisiniere!

Mbejú: A cheese flatbread for cooler weather

As the cold weather arrives in Paraguay, people start sharing their mbejú pictures with cocido (yerba mate tea) or coffee on social media.

The cold makes you want to eat richer, more hearty foods. Mbejú is one of those dishes.

Cheesy and buttery, with crispy edges. It goes perfectly well with a hot drink.

I started making this recipe 14 years ago while traveling in the US for a year.

My husband and I shared some mbejú with people we visited with, introducing them to Paraguayan cuisine, which is not very well known.

What is mbejú?

Mbejú (pronounced bay-joo) is a savory flatbread, made with cassava or yuca starch/flour, lots of cheese and bound together with a splash of milk.

Because of the use of cassava flour, this flatbread is naturally gluten-free.

Mbejú is a buttery, gluten-free, cheese flatbread with crispy edges that is made with cassava flour and enjoyed all over Paraguay with a cup of coffee or cocido tea. | www.CuriousCuisiniere.com

What kind of cheese is used for this gluten-free bread?

Traditionally a fresh cheese called Paraguay cheese is used to make this cheesy, gluten-free bread.

Depending on who you talk to, this cheese can have a subtle or a more aged flavor.

For this mbejú recipe, we used a dry cheese with a mild flavor.

Other options are mozzarella, Parmesan, or cheddar cheese.

Or you can add a mixture of mozzarella, Parmesan, and blue cheese, which makes for a very tasty mbejú.

Not traditional, but delicious nonetheless.

What is cassava flour or starch?

Cassava, tapioca, manioc or yuca are some of the names for this popular root that is grown all over South America.

Bob’s Red Mill Finely Ground Tapioca Flour and Goya Tapioca Starch / Yuca Harina are the two brands I’ve used while in the US.

This cassava flour should be a fine powder, similar in consistency to corn starch.

Cassava flour or cassava starch to make mbeju should be a fine consistency, similar to cornstarch. | www.CuriousCuisiniere.com

How to serve Paraguayan mbejú

Mbejú is served with a cup of cocido (yerba mate tea) or coffee for an afternoon snack.

It can be served with red wine as an appetizer for a cookout too.

How to make my mbejú recipe

This recipe is very simple; easy to make with little ones and great to try with your classroom as you learn more about Paraguay.

Get all your ingredients out and a big bowl.

Start adding cassava flour, butter, salt, and cheese to the bowl and rub with your fingers until the mixture becomes like crumbs.

If you are using a dry cheese, this mixture needs a little bit of milk. Start by adding 2 tablespoons and then add 1 more at a time.

If you are using fresh cheese, like queso fresco, which has more liquid, you may not need to add milk.

Now is the time to try a little bit of your mbejú mixture to see if it needs more salt. The amount of salt in this recipe works great if you use a less salty cheese.

Cassava flour, cheese, butter, and a pinch of salt make up this crumbly mbeju dough mixture. | www.CuriousCuisiniere.com

How to cook mbejú

Choose whatever size frying pan you like. I prefer using a small one because it’s easier to flip my mbejú. I used a 5-in. / 13 cm. pan with a lid.

Heat up your pan on low, and add enough mbejú mixture to cover the bottom of the pan, about ¾ cup.

Use a spatula to bring the little pieces around the pan together with the rest of the mbejú mixture.

Cover the pan and let it cook for a minute, flip the mbejú and cook for a minute and a half without the lid.

How to keep mbejú fresh

Anything made with cassava flour needs to be eaten while it is still hot.

There are a few things you can do to help you with that by preparing ahead.

Make your mbejú mixture and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. It doesn’t take long to cook them, but you can skip the messy mixing part and wow your friends as you flip your mbejú.

This mbejú mixture freezes well for up to 3 months. 10 minutes before cooking it, take it out of the freezer and it’s ready to go.

Mbejú is a buttery, gluten-free, cheese flatbread with crispy edges that is made with cassava flour and enjoyed all over Paraguay with a cup of coffee or cocido tea. #flatbread #fallbread #cheesebread #appetizer | www.CuriousCuisiniere.com

 

4.75 from 4 votes
Mbejú is a buttery, gluten-free, cheese flatbread with crispy edges that is made with cassava flour and enjoyed all over Paraguay with a cup of coffee or cocido tea. | www.CuriousCuisiniere.com
Print This Recipe
Mbejú (Paraguayan Gluten-Free Cheese Flatbread)
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
25 mins
 

Mbejú is a buttery, gluten-free, cheese flatbread with crispy edges that is enjoyed all over Paraguay with a cup of coffee or cocido. 

These flatbreads are best if enjoyed while still hot. It only takes 2 1/2 minutes to cook each bread, and the dough mixture stores nicely in the refrigerator or freezer.** 

Yield: 8 flatbread 

Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Paraguay, South American
Keyword: cheese, flatbread
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 361 kcal
Author: Lizet Bowen

Ingredients
  • 3 cups (366g) cassava flour
  • 1 1/2 cups (169.5g) shredded cheese (like mozzarella, Parmesan, or cheddar)
  • 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 5 Tbsp (74ml) milk
Instructions
  1. Using a big bowl, add cassava flour, cheese, butter and salt. Mix with the tip of your finger until it resembles crumbs.
  2. Add 2 tablespoons of milk, mix until it resembles small pebbles. Adding more milk if needed.

    Cassava flour, cheese, butter, and a pinch of salt make up this crumbly mbeju dough mixture. | www.CuriousCuisiniere.com
  3. Heat a small frying pan on low to medium-low heat. Add ¾ cup of mbejú mixture, and with the help of a spatula, bring the little pieces around the pan together, pressing them with the rest of the mbejú mixture. Cover the pan and let it cook for a minute, until lightly golden in spots and easy to flip. Flip the mbejú and cook for an additional minute and a half without the lid.

  4. Serve with a hot drink.

Recipe Notes

** Mbejú is best eaten while hot. To prepare mbejú ahead of time, store the mbejú mixture (un-cooked) in the refrigerator or freezer for up to 3 months. If frozen, 10 minutes before cooking it, take it out of the freezer and you'll be ready to go.

 

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Filed Under: Appetizers and Snacks, Around the World, Bread Recipes, Fall Recipes, South American Recipes, Winter Recipes Tagged With: Cheese and Dairy

About Lizet Bowen

Lizet is Bolivian and lives in Paraguay, South America. Through friends and travel she has developed her love of food. From Africa to Asia, Europe to the Americas, there is always something new to try when you come to dinner. You can find more of Lizet's tasty creations on her website Chipa By The Dozen. You can also find her on Google +, Instagram, and Facebook.

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Comments

  1. Michael Sacco says

    November 13, 2018 at 2:59 pm

    Lizet, can Chipa dough be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator?
    thanks,
    Mike Sacco

    Reply
    • Lizet Bowen says

      November 16, 2018 at 5:32 pm

      Yes! both, chipa and mbeju dough can be store in the fridge for a few days. Freezes well too.

      Reply
  2. Lizet Bowen says

    October 24, 2018 at 4:46 pm

    Great! I love chipa. And cold weather is perfect for chipa and mbeju.

    Reply
  3. Michael C Sacco says

    October 13, 2018 at 8:11 am

    Really wonderful. Have made it twice and they are wonderful with my morning or afternoon Mate. Thanks!!

    Reply
    • Lizet Bowen says

      October 17, 2018 at 8:47 am

      I’m so glad you liked it Michael!

      Reply
      • Michael Sacco says

        October 20, 2018 at 8:29 am

        Between mbeju and your chipa recipe on your website, my breakfast has taken on a Paraguayan flavor. thank you! I may have to travel to Paraguay soon 🙂

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