SIX SNACKS TO MAKE WITH OVERLY RIPE PLANTAINS.
This is a helpful guide for anyone looking for what to do with overripe plantains.
For almost every Nigerian, plantain is a goated meal. You could have them with eggs for breakfast, as a side with jollof rice for dinner, or boiled with vegetables for lunch — a very versatile food packed with flavor and nutrients.
Over the years, many people have become creative with how they cut it, as it is commonly fried. The common way to cut them is to have them diced or cut into ovals or round chunks.
Recently, I saw plantains that were sliced like wavy French fries.
However, when the plantains are overly ripe, the chances of making these delicacies thin out completely. But before you trash that bunch of plantains because it is overly ripe and “useless”, let me tell you six ways you can put it to good use.
If you have a blender or potato masher and a good frying pan, making these snacks is simple.
Plantain puff puff.
I do recommend going easy on this one because you will get addicted. Take it from a one-time addict (that’s a lie; I’m still addicted). If you’re a fan of plantains and puff puff, then this is your chance at having the best of both worlds. This finger food is easy to make, using yeast batter and your mashed plantains.
It is fluffy on the inside (my sister says it’s like eating the clouds; I think so too), chewy, and has a killer taste. It’s common street food in Nigeria — maybe because it is so suitable for on-the-go consumption. I don’t know. Try it yourself!
Plantain pancakes.
Looking for a quick breakfast or a scrumptious dessert to serve at your lunch party? Plantain pancakes are your best deal. Plantain pancakes are light, so you don’t have to worry about having a heavy meal for breakfast.
This meal tilts away from the conventional pancakes to something similar to French crepes.
The good thing is vegans can have it too! And it’s a safe snack for those on a diet. Plantain pancakes do not require any flour, sugar, or dairy product. It has a natural sweetness. From one ardent pancake eater to another, this pancake recipe is totally “it”.
Plantain bread/cake. (I’ll be using the two names interchangeably)
You’ve heard of banana bread. Today, I present you with plantain bread. If you’re feeling a bit peckish, craving some dessert, but your doctor has just sent you yet another reminder about eating healthy, then Plantain cake may be your saving grace. This, I dare say, is better than banana bread.
Although it tends to harden faster than banana bread, plantain bread has a sweeter and less intense flavor.
This dessert or meal — whichever you make it out to be — is so moist, it’s almost as if it’s melting in your mouth. Many people have confessed to eating the whole thing before realizing it.
And guess what. It is pocket friendly, so you don’t need to worry about overshooting your budget.
Plantain pie.
This one is a teeny-tiny bit more complicated than the others but it is worth it.
Plantain pie is not native to Africans alone. The Caribbean also knows what’s good.
This snack is a classic example of “curiosity is the mother of invention”. Born out of an experimental procedure in someone’s kitchen, this snack is probably the next best thing after the light bulb.
Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but you get the point.
Plantain Mosa.
A very common inclusion in the famous “Small chops”, this snack would bring out the Oliver Twist in you.
If you’re looking to give this snack an extra edge, you can add pepper to it.
Many people think it to be the same as Plantain puff puff, but I think differently. Plantain Mosa is more plantain-y than plantain puff puff. It is softer and tastier. Personally, it is my favorite on this list.
Plantain Mosa and a cup of cold orange juice = bliss.
Plantain chin-chin.
I know what you’re thinking. The first time I heard this, I was like whaaat. But trust me, you’re gonna love it. I like to keep my fridge stocked with this because it’s an ideal snack.
On those days when I feel hungry but not to the point of actually making a meal, plantain chinchin comes to the rescue. It is your ideal snack if you are looking for something savory and chewy.
Better than this, it is a healthy snack that has been classified as a superfood. Which means it either delays or reverses some diseases.
How cool is that?! Very cool, if you ask me.
Bonus: This is not a snack, but I’ll add it anyway. Thank me later.
Plantains are full of flavor, and it’s almost as if all of that flavor is enhanced as it gets softer. You can cut overripe plantains into your pot of beans to add to its flavor.
Some people would say to do so when the beans are halfway done, but I prefer mine right from the start.
After learning these recipes, I thought of all the times I had thrown away my overripe plantains because I thought of them to be useless.
But now, I have a different view of ugly-looking, funky-smelling plantains, and I think you should too. And if you hate wasting food as much as I do, I guess you have just found yourself a solution.
Instead of a bin full of “too ripe to use” plantains, you could have a table decorated with plantain cake, plantain mosa, or even plantain puff puff.
P.S: Be careful not to use rotten plantains instead of overripe plantains. Rotten plantains usually have a foul smell and mold growing on them.
Sources:
image 1 https://www.nigerianfoodtv.com/plantain-puff-puff-how-to-make-plantain-puff-puff/
Image 2 https://www.africanbites.com/plantain-pancake/
Image 3 https://cheflolaskitchen.com/plantain-cake-plantain-bread/
Image 4 https://www.simplytrinicooking.com/plantain-pie/
Image 5 https://cookpad.com/ng/recipes/15664526-plantain-mosa
Image 6 https://cookpad.com/in/recipes/15864740-plantain-chinchin
