Unripe Plantain Porridge

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Unripe Plantain Porridge is one of those meals that can really be boring if you don’t cook it ‘intentionally’ By intentionally I mean you have to set out to make it delicious. Growing up, this dish was rarely made in my home. Occasionally when it was cooked, it was viewed by us as an adult meal. We just didn’t find it attractive enough to want to venture. As I grew older, I noticed this dish was gaining popularity and was identified as a lower carb option for weight management and that my friends was music to my ears lol.

While in med school it happened to be one of the meals usually suggested for diabetics too. Because of its acclaimed weight loss capabilities I dived into plantain porridge eating. But before then, I had to find a more creative way to make it more attractive to my eyes and my taste buds and after much tweaking here and there I arrived at this delightful way around this dish which my mom-in-law ( fast forward to the future) couldn’t have enough of lol… It’s that good I tell you.

Recently I have been all about getting my kiddos to enjoy more of our Nigerian delicacies. I am trying to de emphasize the Standard American diet SAD for short. Living in the United States doesn’t mean we should do SAD, which is a diet high in SUGAR, CARBS and FATS and is the reason for the epidermic called obesity.

Eating low carb, and sugar free will go a long way to help your waist line and that of the kids. Anyway that would story for another day. That is not to say they won’t have occassional treats but…. in moderation I hope?

Plantain is not low carb but is a complex carbohydrate which means it’s is broken down more slowly and it doesn’t lead to spikes in blood sugar (it has a low glycemic index) In other words because it’s a carbohydrate, it should be eaten in moderation especially if you are on the weight loss wagon. Did you Plantains are a good source of Vit B6 too?

The unripe plantain porridge we are cooking today will be popping with so much flavor the kiddos can’t resist. You watch and see.? This dish like beans porridge is a dish you can only enjoy if it is well cooked.

Like I said earlier, It can be boring so much so that it’s not a favorite for adults talk less of kids. But today this recipe will literally blow your mind. Enjoy ?

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5 from 1 vote

Unripe Plantain Porridge

This is a delicious African delicacy made with unripe ( green ) plantains with a hint of ripe plantains to sweeten it. It is insanely delicious and I hope you give it a try. My kids love it. Enjoy!!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Total Time35 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Nigerian

Servings: 8

Calories: 222kcal

Author: Chichi Uguru

Ingredients

• 6 fingers of unripe plantain
• 1 finger semi ripe or ripe plantain
• 2 medium sized onions
• 1 habenero pepper
• 1 medium red bell pepper
• 1 cup Palm oil
• salt / bouillon powder to taste
• 2-3 handful kale leaves optional
• 8 cups of water
• 1/2 cup of coarsely ground crayfish

Instructions

• Peel the ripe plantain, chop into cubes and set aside.
• Peel the unripe plantains*, chop into cubes and put in a pot filled with 8 cups of water then place over a lit up stove and start cooking
• Chop half of 1 onion and add to the pot  with 1/2 cup of crayfish and bouillon powder to taste. Allow to cook.
• While you wait, chop up onions and pepper and prepare my ultimate onion-pepper medley sauce recipe here.
• About 10 mins into the cook time, add the diced ripe plantain into the pot.
• 2 mins to the end of cooking time, add the chopped red bell pepper and mix in the onion-pepper sauce, stir and taste for seasoning. Adjust accordingly.
• If you chose to use green vegetables like kale or spinach, this is the time to add it.
• Stir and turn off the heat.  Food is ready. Enjoy

Notes

*Sometimes unripe plantains can be tricky to peel the skins. Here's what I do. Refer to picture below to visualize it. Cut off the two ends then make 5 vertices slits from too to bottom and pull. Easy Peasy ?

 

 

Isn’t this plantain porridge pretty? It is delicious too. As you can see the kiddos emptied their plates asking for more and No I didn’t have to bribe them ??

This dish is insanely delicious. If you get the chance to try this recipe, do give us a feedback to know how it fared in your own opinion. If you have questions ask away. We are here to help.

Share your creations with us on Instagram using the hashtag #mydiasporakitchen don’t forget to tag @mydiasporakitchen. Thank you for stopping by.

Stay well.

Chichi?