Recipes

Plantains in Coconut Milk

Serves 4

| Prep Time: 5 mins

| Cook Time: 10 mins

| Total Time: 15 mins

You may need: Zanzibar Zest

Discover The Recipe

We can never have too many healthy dessert recipes on hand and this delicious vegan recipe for Plantains in Coconut Milk comes together quickly to deliver amazing flavor. A plantain is a type of banana with lower sugar content that is popular in African, Caribbean and Asian cuisine. In their unripened state they are green in color with a slightly starchier texture, while fully ripe plantains are bright yellow with black spots and a banana-like flavor, though less sweet. Unlike bananas that can be eaten raw, plantains must be either fried or boiled before eating. Most people prefer to eat them when they are ripe since they are sweeter and can be used for both savory and sweet recipes.

Our Zanzibar Zest spice blend transforms this humble recipe into an earthy-sweet and elegant dessert. Inspired by the ancient spice markets and alleys in Stonestown, Zanzibar where the smell of warm spices and freshly brewed coffee waft to tickle your senses. We take ripe plantains and shallow fry them until golden brown and beautifully caramelized. The plantain slices are then simmered in a creamy coconut sauce, complemented by fragrant notes of cardamom, ginger, cloves and cinnamon and sweetened with brown sugar. Enjoy this recipe by itself or pair it with our Zanzibar Spiced Coffee recipe. It can also be a sweet finish after enjoying a bowl of our Zanzibar Pilau recipe on the website.

Ingredients

4 ripe plantains, cut into pieces (frozen is ok)
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp Piquant Post Zanzibar Zest
1 15 oz can coconut milk
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp shaved coconut, toasted

Notes

Don’t be fooled by how simple and quick this recipe is! It’s so delicious and elegant at the same time.

It can be tricky to find ripe plantains fresh, but don’t worry! You can find frozen ripe plantains in Latin markets! If you aren’t able to find plantains, go ahead and use ripe bananas.

Instructions

Slice the plantains into pieces. Heat the oil in a skillet and add the sliced plantains. Sauté about 5 minutes until the plantains are golden brown.

Add the Piquant Post Zanzibar Zest, coconut milk and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 3-5 minutes or until the mixture has thickened.

When the coconut milk has thickened as desired, remove from the heat and transfer to a serving dish

Sprinkle with toasted coconut and more brown sugar and serve immediately.

Alternatives & Substitutions

If you love our Zanzibar Zest blend, try this Vegan Malva Pudding and our Zanzibar Spiced Coffee. For a savory change, try our Zanzibari Vegetable Curry, Kenyan Chicken Curry, Zanzibar Fish with Spiced Cornbread, Swahili Grilled Fish with Coconut-Tamarind Sauce, or our Fish Coconut Curry.
Looking for more plantain recipes? Try this Sweet Plantain Bread or these Coconut Sugar Caramelized Plantains.
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