Tostones (fried green plantains)

There used to be a Colombian vegan food stall in the now-long-gone Papirøen, which was always S's top pick when we went there, mainly because of their yummy plantain chips (tostones). 

I bought some very green, fairly small plantains from our super weird local Indian shop the other day. Only two, because I wasn't sure what to do with totally green ones (or if ones this green would ever ripen). S and I were sitting on the sofa early evening, somehow the question of what to do with the plantains arose, he suggested tostones, I had a quick Google and discovered they call for very green plantains, and was sold. They also seemed to be pretty simple. Off I went...

(makes about 20 tostones)

2 very green plantains

refined coconut oil (or other flavourless high-temp frying oil) for frying

coarse salt for sprinkling

lime, avocado, coriander also nice if you have them

Peel one plantain (they don't peel easily - had to slice to some extent). Cut into rounds 2-3 cm deep. Melt 2-3 mm depth of coconut oil in a high-sides frying pan. Fry plantain rounds a few minutes on each side, until yellow and just starting to brown. Remove from heat onto a plate. Repeat with the other plantain (peel and slice one at a time so it doesn't go brown - alternatively you could peel and slice them all and keep the slices in salted water until ready to fry).

Take the first slice of lightly fried plantain, put it on a flat plate, and squash with the (clean) underside of a tin (e.g. of coconut milk). The tin has a rim which means you can't flatten too much so press firmly. Repeat for all the slices from the first plantain, then put them back in the frying pan (add more oil if needed). Fry a few minutes on each side, until golden brown and crispy-crunchy. Remove to a plate lined with kitchen paper and sprinkle with coarse salt. Repeat for the rest of the slices.

Nice with a dip - guacamole would be ideal. Or just a sprinkle of salt and a squeeze of lime. Or ketchup if you are little s. S and s both loved them - they deffo turned out way better than I dreamed when I bought the green plantains, and were pretty similar to the colombian vegan ones - perhaps not quite as crunchy but no complaints.

Plantain, chilli and polenta fritters

These used to be one of my go-tos - it was a (Sugar Club) recipe T made and I loved so she colour-photocopied it for me and I made it soooo many times - the recipe is totally splattered. Hadn't had a plantain in a while but the baby loves bananas (obvs, they all do), so I thought plantains might be down his alley too. He liked them - perhaps not as much as good old Jarlsberg but yeah anyway.

225 g / 8 oz (approx 1 normal-sized plantain), grated
80 g / 3 oz polenta grains
1 egg
60 ml / 2 fl oz beer (this is an awkward amount, since we never really drink beer - alternatively add a little bit of water and some baking powder to the mix)
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup sliced spring onions (or 1/4 cup finely chopped onion, at a pinch)
1/4 cup fresh coriander, chopped
1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh green chilli (used 1 whole mild yellow one)
1 tsp salt
veg oil for frying

Mix all ingredients except oil well together and rest for 15 min (note: I did this minus most of the salt and the chilli so that I could fry a few baby-friendly ones first before doing the rest). Heat a frying pan and add enough oil to coat the bottom by a few mm. Heat to smoking, then add spoonfuls of the mixture and cook for 90 sec on each side, stacking on a plate lined with kitchen paper when done. Plantain is sweet so can burn easily - watch the heat.


We ate with red rice and some mild tomato-lime-coriander salsa.

I wrote up a simpler, vegan version on here before.

Plantain and coconut polenta with tomato-coriander salad

The polenta here is really just a variant on basic polenta - this time made with milk and coconut oil. I remembered how well polenta and plantain go together when eating these fritters recently, so this is also kind of a variant on those.

For the polenta:
1/2 cup polenta (cornmeal)
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup fake milk mixed with 1 cup water
1 ripe plantain, peeled and diced small
1-2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp cajun spice (or just paprika)

For the salad:
1 large tomato, diced small
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
piece of firm tofu, diced (optional)
juice of 1/2 a lime
salt+pepper

To make the polenta, heat the milk and water together in a pan to boiling point. Mix the polenta and salt together in a small bowl then whisk the polenta mixture gradually into the hot milk. When it is all added let it simmer until it becomes thick (this usually takes 5 min or less). Add diced plantain and mix thoroughly. Add the coconut oil and cajun spice and mix well. Check for seasoning and cover until you're ready to eat it.

For the salad, mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl.

To eat, dollop some warm polenta on a plate and top with salad.

Fried plantains with cinnamon salt

A quick thing for a weeknight (about 10 min beginning to end), and so, so more-ish.

2 medium plantains, very black
grapeseed or canola oil to fry
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly ground sea salt
1/2 tsp sugar (optional)
2 tsp chopped fresh coriander
juice of 1/4 lime

Peel the plantains and chop on the diagonal into chunky slices 2-3 cm thick. Heat about 7mm of oil in a small-medium frying pan until spitting hot. Lay the plantain pieces in the oil and fry for a few minutes (until well browned but not burned) on each side, turning with a fork. Be careful not to let them burn: they are sweet when black so the sugar can easily catch. When done, remove the fried plantains to a plate lined with kitchen paper. Mix the salt, sugar (if using) and cinnamon together, then sprinkle it on. Squeeze the lime juice over the top and lastly sprinkle with chopped coriander. Eat quickly - cooked plantains are nowhere near as good cold.

Eat with boiled rice, fresh avocado, beans and hot sauce (or a subset of those) to make into a full meal. Ripe plantains are naturally sweet, and the cinnamon and sugar make them more so. You can dial back the sweetness a little by skipping the sugar and cinnamon (and lime), but they will still be pretty sweet.

Thai green curry with plantain, chickpeas and cauliflower

I have been ferreting through the freezer, trying to figure out why it is so full and disorganised (probably a clue is its bad design... at least, S pointed out, it being really full means it is more energy efficient!), and what treasures might be lurking at the back...

Among other things, I discovered galangal, lemongrass, and half a bag of frozen peas. And, possibly due to an exciting visit to Jitlada Thai in Hollywood, wondered if maybe I should make a Thai curry?

This recipe looked like the business. Amazingly, I actually had most of the key ingredients for the paste (or reasonable substitutions). I didn't have any of the recommended veg to go in it, but decided to freestyle with what I had - no way was I going out to buy food last night - it hit -12C and my fingers froze on the bike ride home in spite of double, super thick gloves.

Green Curry Paste:
1 stalk fresh lemongrass, sliced finely and minced OR 3 tbsp frozen or bottled lemongrass
2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2+1/2 tbsp soy sauce, OR equal parts Thai Golden Mountain Sauce and soy sauce, leave out the dark soy
1-2 tsp brown sugar (to taste)
1-3 green chillies, minced (to taste) (used 1-2 tsp dried red chilli as we didn't have any green)
1 small onion
3 cloves garlic
1 thumb-size piece galangal OR ginger, peeled and sliced
2 kaffir lime leaves (fresh or frozen), snipped into thin strips with scissors, OR substitute 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 loose cup chopped fresh coriander leaves and stems
1/4 cup fresh basil
1 tsp dark soy sauce, OR substitute 1 more tbsp regular soy sauce

Other:
2 kaffir lime leaves, OR substitute 1 bay leaf
1 tin coconut milk
1 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas OR 1 1/2 cup firm tofu drained and chopped into cubes OR a combination
1 black plantain, peeled and chopped into chunks
~3 medium carrots peeled and sliced
~10 mushrooms, roughly chopped into quarters
~1 cup of cauliflower chunks about an inch diameter
3/4 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped (optional)
2-3 tbsp oil for frying

To make the green curry paste, place all paste ingredients in a blender. Add a few tbsp of the coconut milk, enough to blend ingredients. Process well.

Place oil in deep frying pan. Turn heat on medium-high and add paste. Stir-fry until fragrant (about 1 minute), then add the coconut milk. Add tofu and / or chickpeas and stir to combine.

Add lime leaves (used bay) and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.

Add plantain and carrots. (Note: if more sauce is desired, add up to 1 cup vegetable stock.) Cover and simmer another 5 min, then add the cauliflower. Simmer for 3-5 min more, until carrots are soft enough to pierce with a fork.

Finally, add mushrooms and frozen peas. Stir and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes, or until peas are cooked but still bright green.

Do a taste test for salt and spice, and add more soy sauce, salt, lime juice or coconut milk accordingly.

Vegetables: The recommended combo was 1 cubed sweet potato (added when I did the plantain and carrot), 1 red pepper, chunked and a cup of sugarsnap peas (both added when I did the mushrooms) - alternative recommendations were: broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, spinach, french beans, aubergine, squash, and courgette.


All in all this was really successful: the curry paste worked out well and tasted good and quite authentic. The colour of the curry paste was a bit off (kind of greenish, but also brownish): wondered if I might have skimped a little on the coriander by measuring it before chopping - another time measure after chopping and will probably end up with more. The basil was the tired stuff off our windowsill - fresh holy basil would probably have been much better (and greener).

The plantain, chickpeas and cauliflower all tasted great in this format - was especially pleased with the plantain and chickpeas together. However, they are all brownish and so are the mushrooms and tofu, so that didn't help with the colour issues! So, another time it would be cool to try and get hold of some kaffir lime leaves and holy basil, and some more colourful veg, but I was really impressed with this recipe as a quick, storecupboard-based weeknight supper.

It probably took about an hour in total - could have sped this up by cutting the carrot thinner, and also by prepping the cauli / mushrooms / peas while the pot is on (I was tired and thought it best to prep everything at the beginning to avoid getting confused / stressed). We ate it with simple coconut basmati rice (toss through a few tsp of coconut oil when the rice is cooked and steaming).

Edit: I made this again (after another freezer-clearance effort): this time used holy basil and lime leaves, and green chillies, and made sure my herbs were well-packed. And the paste came out deep green and wonderfully aromatic - I could eat it on its own. I used only one chilli - perhaps use more next time, it wasn't very spicy. For content, I used chickpeas, carrot, tempeh, baby turnips (roots and greens), courgette, peas, radish greens... turns out this is a good way to use random things up / most of the necessary items can be stored in the freezer or pantry indefinitely - only really need the fresh holy basil and coriander.

Mashed plantains and parsnips with cumin

I saw this combination somewhere, thought it sounded good.

4 small to medium parsnips, peeled and chopped into even sized pieces
2 mostly-black plantains, peeled and chopped into even-sized pieces
2 tsp ground cumin
olive oil
salt+pepper
1 tsp maple syrup
almond milk

Heat the oven to 400F. Parboil the parsnips and then toss in a baking tin with 1 tsp cumin, 1-2 tbsp olive oil and some salt and pepper. Roast for 20-30 min until browned and tender. Meanwhile boil the plantain pieces in a pan until tender (approx 20-30 min).

Take the parsnips out of the oven and let cool for 5-10 min. Drain the plantains. Put the parsnips in the pan and use a wand blender to puree them. Add the plantains and mash with a fork until as smooth as poss, then add remaining cumin and maple syrup; and almond milk, olive oil and salt+pepper until a good taste / texture is achieved.


The cumin / plantain / parsnip went really well together and tasted great, but I didn't get the texture quite right. Perhaps needed to use the blender on the plantains too?

Plantain + polenta fritters / sauteed beet greens

A long-awaited Haymarket trip leading to a lot of produce calling out to be eaten...

Sauteed beet greens

We bought 2 bunches of baby beetroot - one of normal pink ones and one of golden.  They came with the leaves and I suspected the leaves might be good too.

Leaves from 2 bunches baby beets
5 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 tbsp olive oil
grated nutmeg
salt and pepper
optional: 2 tsp maple syrup, 2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Separate stems from leaves and chop them separately (and fairly roughly).  Heat oil in pan and saute the garlic for a minute or two.  Add chopped stems and saute for a few more minutes.  Add leaves and salt+pepper / grated nutmeg to taste.  Continue to cook until the leaves are flopped and done.  Add the optional maple syrup and/or balsamic vinegar to taste as well (sometimes beet greens are quite bitter, I like the maple syrup as a way of offsetting that).

Came out well good - tasted much like chard.  Bargainous purchase - 2 veg for 1!  I've sauteed chard, spinach and kohlrabi leaves in the same way in the last few weeks - a winner every time.



Plantain and polenta fritters

1 large, very ripe plantain (blackened on the outside)
~50g polenta
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp chopped coriander
good pinch cayenne pepper (or 1/4 a hot green chilli, finely chopped)
2 large spring onions, finely chopped
1 tsp baking powder
canola oil to cook

Mash the plantain with a fork (or grate coarsely).  Add the other ingredients and mix until well combined.  Shape into roughly palm-sized patties and cook in a hot frying pan in a little canola oil.  Made about 8.

Based on a favourite from my teenage years (think originally from Sugar Club / Tas)- still just as tasty.  Seb was a big fan too.