Baked Plantain Load
Submitted by JaimeC
Baked plantain loaf from Ivory Coast made with mashed ripe plantains, rice flour, chilli sambal, and turmeric. A gluten-free West African side dish served with salted peanuts.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
60 minREADY
90 minThis is a dish from the Ivory Coast, and it’s unlike almost anything in a Western pantry. Very ripe plantains get mashed by hand or blender into a thick paste, then mixed with rice flour, chilli sambal, and turmeric-infused oil. The whole thing goes into a greased loaf tin and bakes for an hour until firm enough to slice.
Very ripe plantains are essential here, not firm yellow ones. Black-skinned, soft plantains are at their sweetest and mash into a smooth paste without a blender. That natural sweetness offsets the heat from the chilli sambal and the earthiness of the turmeric in a way that only ripe plantain can deliver.
The turmeric gets bloomed in warm oil before it goes into the batter. This brief heat activation releases more of its color and flavor compounds than simply stirring in the dry spice would.
The consistency of the batter is the part that requires the most judgment: thick enough to hold a loaf shape but soft enough to pour. The directions give good guidance: adjust with small amounts of rice flour to firm up or water to loosen.
Serve sliced alongside salted peanuts or as an accompaniment to spicy West African dishes.
Kitchen Tips
- Use black-skinned plantains: The riper the better. Firm yellow plantains won’t mash smoothly and lack the sweetness that balances the chilli.
- Bloom the turmeric in oil: Heating turmeric in oil before adding to batter activates the flavor and gives a richer golden color.
- Stand 5-10 minutes before turning out: Rushing this step causes the loaf to break. Let it firm up before inverting.
- Adjust batter consistency carefully: Add flour or water just a tablespoon at a time. The batter goes from too thick to too thin quickly.
Variations
- Extra heat: Increase chilli sambal to 3 teaspoons for a more assertive, spicy profile.
- Coconut oil: Substitute corn oil with coconut oil for a slight tropical fragrance that works well with the plantain.
Ingredients
Directions
Peel the plantains, cut them into small chunks & put into a large deep mixing bowel. Mash into a thick paste with your fingers or an electric clender. If using a blender, you may need to add 30 to 60 ml of water for smoother blending. Add the chilli sambal, rice flour, salt and mix well. Gently heat the corn oil in a frying pan and add the turmeric.
Stir well, remove from the heat and blend into the plantain mixture which should be thinck yet soft enough to pour. If it is too soft, add small amounts of rice flour or if too stiff, add small amounts of water until it reached th described consistency.
Grease a loaf tin, and pour plantain mixture into it. Bake in teh overn on medium to low heat at 150-180C for 1 hr. or until cooked and firm.
When cooked, remove from the oven and allow to stand for approximately 5 to 10 minutes before turning it out on a wire rack. Slice and serve with salted peanuts or as an accompaniment to spicy dishes.
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