Plantain Bread Recipe – Ala Nevis
Newcastle, Nevis
Bambooshay Snackette
March 06, 2010
Ingredients:
3 Large ripe plantains
2 Teaspoons Fresh Chile Sambal
1 Cup rice flour
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1/4 Cup diced fresh Mango
1/4 cup Canola oil
1 Teaspoon turmeric powder
1 Cup dry roasted peanuts
Cooking Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F
2. Peel the plantains, cut them into small chunks, and put in a large, deep mixing bowl. Mash into a thick paste with your fingers or an electric blender. If you use a blender, you may need to add 2 to 4 tablespoons water for smoother blending.
3. Add the diced mango pieces, and Chile Sambal, rice flour, and salt and mix well. Gently heat the canola oil in a small skillet and add the turmeric. Stir well, remove from the heat, and blend it into the plantain mixture, which should be thick yet soft enough to pour.
4. Grease a standard loaf pan, and pour the plantain mixture into it. Bake for 1 hour, or until cooked and firm. Remove from the oven and let stand for 15 to 20 minutes before turning it out on a wire rack.
5. Slice and serve with dry roasted peanuts or as an accompaniment to other dishes.
Plantain Trivia
1. The term “plantain” is loosely applied to any banana cultivar that is eaten when cooked. However, there is no formal botanical distinction between bananas and plantains.
2. Ripe plantains can be eaten raw, since the starches are converted to sugars as they ripen.
3. Plantains are a major food staple in West and Central Africa, the Caribbean islands, Central America, and northern, coastal parts of South America.
4. Mature, yellow plantains can be peeled like typical dessert bananas. The pulp is softer than in immature, green fruit and some of the starch has been converted to sugar.
5. In Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Cuba, plantain is mashed after it has been friend and is made into mofongo, or fried and made into tostones, tajadas, or platanutres.
6. They’re packed with magnesium, which is known to increase the release of tryptophan and serotonin in the body, which can help people relax and sleep.