As I often say, plantains are truly a wonderful invention of nature! They can be prepared in so many different ways, and every single one tastes absolutely delicious.
Today's recipe came about like this: I had a few yellow plantains left over from my last shopping trip in the fridge. They weren't spoiled yet, but they were starting to get a bit spotted. They definitely didn't look good enough to steam anymore, and I personally thought simply frying them would be too boring. Then I remembered a recipe I'd seen on social media a few days ago that I'd been meaning to try anyway. The balls in that recipe were made with yams, but I figured if it works with yams, plantains can certainly do it too.
The yam ball recipe called for tuna. But I wanted to start with a vegetarian version first. To liven things up a bit, I opted for two different types of breading: classic breadcrumbs and gari (cassava flour). The balls with the classic breading looked better after frying, as they had a lovely golden-brown crust. But the ones with the gari coating tasted much better. They were perfectly crispy and the slightly tangy flavor of the gari gave them a really intense taste. Both versions were absolutely delicious, though. The combination of the savory addition and the sweetness of the yellow plantains is simply fantastic!
I will definitely repeat this recipe with different ingredients. The balls are perfect as an appetizer or a simple snack. They taste great both hot and cold. There are absolutely no limits when it comes to the sauce you can use. You can use anything you have in the fridge. This recipe is also a great way to use up plantains, even if they're not looking their best anymore. It's a true no-food-waste recipe that you should definitely try. I wish you the best of luck!
The whole thing as a video
Plantain Balls | Plantain Balls
Ingredients
- 2 yellow plantains
- 50 g fresh Roma tomatoes
- 1/4 red bell pepper
- 1/4 green bell pepper
- 4 small mushrooms
- 1 small carrot
- 1 small onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 spring onion
- 1 tsp Magic Sauce (or your favorite herbs)
- 3 tablespoons of cooking oil
- Salt
- 500 ml frying oil
For the breading
- 1 egg
- 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- 4 tbsp Gari (cassava semolina)
Instructions
- Clean and finely chop the carrots, bell peppers, mushrooms and spring onions.Wash the tomatoes and cut them in half
- Heat cooking oil in a pan, add the finely chopped onion, garlic and salt, and sauté briefly. Add the tomatoes, carrots, tomato paste and Magic Sauce, and roast for about 2 minutes.
- Then add the chopped bell peppers and mushrooms, mix well, and sauté for another 5 minutes. Next, add the chopped spring onions and mix well. Season to taste and set aside to cool
- Meanwhile, put the egg in a bowl, add some salt and a little spice or magic sauce and mix well.Place breadcrumbs in one plate, gari in another, and set aside for breading
- Peel the plantains and boil them in salted water for about 15 minutes, or until very soft. Then mash them with a potato masher until a dough forms.
- Add the cooled, cooked sauce, a teaspoon of Magic Sauce, and salt if desired. Mix everything well and let it cool briefly
- Now form small balls from the dough and then roll them first in the egg, then in the breadcrumbs. Coat half in breadcrumbs and the other half in gari
- Now heat a pot of frying oil and fry the balls for about 3 minutes, until lightly golden or golden brown. Drain on a paper towel and enjoy hot or cold
