Plantains have been in our store since day one. Green ones, yellow ones, the spotty black ones everyone grabs first. We sell more plantains than almost anything else — and honestly, we are not surprised.
If you already know plantains, this is a reminder of how many ways you can use them. If someone in your house is just discovering them, send them this.
One thing before you start: ripeness is everything.
- Green — firm, starchy, savory. For fufu, chips, tostones, soup.
- Yellow — softening, starting to sweeten. For kelewele, maduros, tacos.
- Black-spotted — soft, sweet, almost caramel. For dodo, moi moi, pudding, pie.
We keep all three in stock every week. Here is what to do with them.
1. Spicy Plantain Chips
Slice green plantains thin. Toss with oil and your spice of choice. Bake until crispy. That is it. Better than anything from a bag and gone within minutes. Piment Rouge from our spice shelf works perfectly here.
2. Plantain Fufu
Boil green plantains until completely soft. Pound or blend until smooth and stretchy. Eat with egusi soup, peanut soup, or any stew that deserves something to scoop it up with. If you grew up with this, you do not need us to explain it. If you did not — try it once and you will understand.
3. Maduros
Ripe plantain, sliced on a diagonal, fried in a little oil until golden. The edges caramelize. The inside goes soft. Five minutes start to finish. This is the one that ends up gone before the main dish even hits the table.
4. Plantain and Black Bean Tacos
This one is for the Caribbean and Latin side of our shelves. Caramelize ripe plantains, load them into tortillas with black beans, avocado, and lime. Simple, filling, and genuinely good. A lot of our customers make this on weeknights when they want something fast.
5. Kelewele
A Ghanaian classic. Ripe plantain chunks tossed in ginger, garlic, chili, and ground spices, then fried until the outside gets dark and crispy. Spicy, sweet, fragrant. The kind of snack people stand around the kitchen waiting for.
6. Plantain Pancakes
Two ripe plantains, two eggs, a pinch of cinnamon. Blend it. Cook it like a regular pancake. Naturally sweet, no flour needed, and better than most people expect. Good for kids, good for anyone who wants breakfast without much effort.
7. Plantain and Groundnut Soup
Green plantains and groundnuts simmered together with spices until the broth goes thick and rich. A West African Sunday pot. Make a big batch. It is always better the next day.
8. Tostones
Slice green plantains into rounds. Fry until just soft. Press flat. Fry again until crispy. Salt them. Serve with garlic sauce. This is a Latin American staple and one of the best things you can do with a green plantain. The double fry is not optional.
9. Plantain Pie
Layer ripe plantains with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a baking dish. Put it in the oven and let it do its thing. It comes out bubbling and caramelized and smells like every good thing. Serve it warm. Add ice cream if you want.
10. Plantain Ice Cream
Very ripe plantains blended with coconut milk, a little sugar, and vanilla, then churned into ice cream. It sounds like an experiment. It tastes like something you would order twice. Good use for plantains that have gone very dark and soft.
11. Dodo
Ripe plantain. Oil. Salt. That is the whole ingredient list. Slice and fry until golden with crispy edges. In Nigeria this goes with everything — jollof, fried rice, beans, eggs. Honestly it goes with anything. Some people make a plate of just dodo and call it dinner. We are not judging.
12. Plantain Moi Moi
Traditional moi moi uses black-eyed peas. This version uses ripe plantains blended with onions, peppers, and seasoning, then steamed until set. Lighter than you expect. Works well as breakfast or a light lunch. Good for the whole family.
13. Plantain Pudding
Ripe plantains, coconut milk, nutmeg, vanilla. Baked low and slow until soft and golden. The kind of dessert that does not need to announce itself. Just put it on the table and watch it disappear.
We have fresh plantains in store every week at Marché EHI, 1201 90th Avenue, LaSalle. Every ingredient in this list is on our shelves.
Come find us. Or shop online at Marcheehi.com.
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