Tatale (Plantain Pancakes)

INGREDIENTS

4 overripe plantains
2 onions, roughly chopped
½ scotch bonnet chilli, deseeded, chopped
25mm fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
¾ tsp ground hot pepper or cayenne pepper
Sea salt, to taste
280g rice flour, plus extra as needed
Sustainable palm or carotene oil, for frying

METHOD

1. Peel and chop the plantains, blitz along with the onions, chilli, ginger, cayenne pepper and sea salt to taste. Blend until well combined, but still with some texture. Add rice flour as needed to achieve a consistency similar to drop-scone batter. Alternatively, mash the ingredients together in a bowl – it doesn’t need to be super smooth. It’s quite nice to have small chunks of plantain in it.

2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a nonstick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Once hot, add 1 tbsp of the plantain mixture to the pan. Using the back of the spoon or a palette knife, gently spread the mixture into a pancake around 1cm thick and 4cm in diameter. Repeat with more of the plantain mixture, depending on how many pancakes your pan will accommodate.

3. When the pancakes begin to bubble a little and start browning at the edges, use a palette knife to gently turn them over. Fry for a few minutes on the other side. Remove from the pan and repeat with the remaining plantain mixture, keeping the cooked pancakes hot while you fry the rest. Serve hot or warm with the bean stew