Plantain Brownies

I came across this tasty alternative brownie recipe when researching baking uses of plantain (cooking banana). Without the need for any type of flour (unlike the Avocado Brownies which require coconut flour) the ingredients are a little bit more straightforward and cheaper. I often buy 3-4 plantains for £1 at my local market Caribbean grocery food stall. Grocery shops that cater for Asian, Caribbean and African cuisine will sell plantain but you may even find it at some supermarkets.

The preparation method for these brownies is just as easy as the avocado version. Once you’ve measured out all the ingredients just blitz everything (except the choc chips) in a food processor. I don’t have a food processor so in my case I use a combination of blenders*.

Moist and chocolatey, these brownies have been just as popular, if not a little bit more so, than the avocado variety and are a big hit with my gluten-free and wheat-intolerant friends.

I’ve not yet tried the accompanying caramel sauce (which adds dairy) but it can be found with the original recipe on the So Let’s Hang Out website.

Plantain Curry

I’m not sure how I came across this recipe on The Guardian website but it became the first of my Dinner of the Month in July. I first made it for my birthday party and it was the popular main dish (sweet potato hummus was the most popular appetiser).

The first time I made this curry I forgot to add the 200ml of water but having made it again with the water I actually prefer it without. However when I used sweet potato in place of plantain I added the water to help it cook through.

Plantain Curry

 

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Prep time

60 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

1 hour 15 mins

 

A spicy, caribbean vegetable curry that makes a delicious main meal served with coconut rice.

Author: http://www.theguardian.com

Recipe type: Main

Ingredients

• 1 onion
• 1 red pepper
• 1 green pepper
• 1 chilli*
• Coconut oil, for frying
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ginger
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• 3 plantains**
• Salt
• 400g black-eyed or black beans
• 200 ml water (optional)**
• 4 Large tomatoes
• 3 Tbsp fresh thyme (dried thyme can also be used)
• Juice of 1 lime

Instructions

1. Start by preparing the vegetables. Cut the onion in half and slice thinly. Slice the peppers into strips. Deseed the chilli and dice finely.
2. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onions, peppers and chilli and fry gently until softened, but not brown.
3. Add the cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Stir the spices into the vegetables and allow everything to fry for a minute before tipping it all into a bowl.
4. Peel and slice the plantains into rounds about 1cm thick. Add 1 tbsp oil to the frying pan, add a sprinkling of salt and add the plantains. Fry on a medium heat until they turn bright yellow and start to brown.**
5. Drain the black-eyed beans and add to the frying pan with the spiced vegetables and water. Allow the mix to simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, deseed the tomatoes, then chop into small chunks.
7. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the tomatoes, thyme, lime juice and extra salt to taste.

Notes

* Originally scotch bonnet is suggested but I found it made me wheezy so opted for a medium-large red chilli (deseeded)
**If substituting the plantain for a large peeled and diced sweet potato add it with water and beans.

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