I am a sucker for plantains and so are many Africans as well, be it fried, grilled, mashed, baked, you name it. The fascinating thing about plantains is they can be enjoyed either ripe or unripe. Plantains can be the main dish, side dish or dessert; the versatility is unmatched.
It is good to get creative with food. Even if the main ingredients remain the same, mix and match with a few other ones like making sweet and savory plantain balls with fish. Add a few spices and enjoy this flavorful dish as a starter or side dish.
It is always a joy to see your family enjoy meals that you whip up. Try this recipe and let us know how you like it.
Ripe plantain Photo: Foods from Africa
Servings – 10 balls Prep Time – 5 minutes Cook Time – 15 minutes
Ingredients
1 plantain ripe
180 grams cod fillet
1 onion medium approximately 74g
1 clove garlic smashed
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin ground
1 teaspoon coriander ground
1 teaspoon hot sauce or alternatively one birds eye chilli pepper
2 teaspoons coconut oil
Photo: African Vibes Magazine
Instructions
Prepare the plantain by cutting the head and tail off the plantain. With the skin on, place in a pot of boiling water, add some salt and cook for 4 – 5 minutes, or until the plantain is soft. Drain, remove skins and set aside.
Prepare the Fish Base In a separate bowl, combine the onions, garlic and spices.
Slice the fish into thin strips and add the fish to the onion and spices. Mix well to coat the fish with the spices.
In a pan on medium heat, heat 1 teaspoon of coconut oil and fry the fish mix for a few minutes, until the fish is done. This should take no more than 5 minutes, given the thin slices of the fish.
Remove the fish from the heat and add it to the drained plantains. Mash the plantain and fish mix together.
Add the second teaspoon of coconut oil to the pan, form the plantain and fish mash into balls, and fry until golden brown.
Recipe Notes
You can test for the ‘done-ness’ of the plantain by sticking a fork or the tip of a knife into it. If it sinks into the plantain with little resistance, the plantain is done.
Depending on how ripe your plantains are, they may need up to 10 – 15 minutes to get done.
You can use any white fish for this dish. I used cod, but you can use Tilapia, Halibut, Sole or Haddock
