Monday, May 26, 2014

Mashed green plantain bananas - Majado de verde




Mashed green plantain bananas or majado de verde, how it is called in Ecuador, is a dish made by boiling green plantains, mashing them and then mixing them with onions, garlic and achiote or annatto.

This is one of my favorite dishes in Ecuador and it is very simple to make.

I can promise that with very little preparation you will have an absolutely yummylicious dish ready.

And depending on the sides, it can be completely vegan or not.

Majado de verde is a very popular breakfast and brunch dish; though I love it for lunch or even dinner.
Cooking the green plantain.
It is more common to find this majado or green plantain mash in the coastal areas of Ecuador; but it is also popular in the Highlands or Sierra and Ecuador’s Amazonic area.

While majado is usually made with green plantains, it can also be made with green bananas.

Majado de verde is usually served with a fried egg and a slice of queso fresco.

I also like to add some diced avocado or avocado slices, as well as some freshly made aji criollo or hot sauce.
Preparing the condiments, or el refrito.
As a breakfast dish, black coffee and fresh fruit juice are also a must.

Since this majado was made for lunch, I served it with a pollo al jugo, or chicken stew and a glass of homemade lemonade.

In the coastal area you can get the most delicious majado with fish stew.

If you are ever in Ecuador, I recommend you try it.

This is a dish that every Ecuadorian loves.
This is how you mash the plantain in Ecuador.
They might eat it with eggs, with cheese, with fish, with shrimps, or just with the hot sauce, but they will eat it.

And when they are not in Ecuador, they will talk about eating it in their favorite way.

There are heated discussions on which is the ultimately correct way to make majado, or how it should be called.

But one thing is for sure, you have not really been in Ecuador if you haven’t tried majado yet.

The quantities in this recipe are for 4 people.

Majado de verde or mashed green plantains


Ingredients
  • 3-4 green plantains, peeled and cut in rounds (each plantain can be cut into 3-4 pieces)
  • 1-2 tbs butter or oil, I use canola oil myself
  • 1 white onion, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • Fresh coriander leaves
  • ½ tsp achiote powder or ground annatto
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
  1. Boil the plantains for 30 minutes or until soft.
  2. Mash the plantains using a fork or potato masher. The consistency should have some small chunks, if it’s too smooth it will stick together.
  3. Prepare the condiments by heating the butter or oil over medium low heat, add the diced onion, crushed garlic, fresh coriander leaves, achiote or annatto, salt and pepper. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent, about 7-10 minutes.
  4. Add the mashed plantains to the refrito and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and add additional salt/pepper if needed.
  5. Serve immediately with your preference on the side.

32 comments:

  1. That looks awesome. I love plantains, but they are not easy to get all the way up here in New England!

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  2. I have only ever had plantains fried, but I bet I would love them mashed with some butter on them.

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  3. I've never had plantains before, but I see them in the store. I should try!

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  4. I love plantains! This recipe reminds me of Mofongo, another latin dish made with plantains. Very similar.

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  5. I love plantains when eating out. I've never cooked them myself, however, so I need to try this recipe. Thanks!

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  6. I've never had plantains. This looks like a delicious side dish option though!

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  7. I love to fry ripe plantains in olive oil. They are so yummy. I have them with scrambled eggs for breakfast sometimes. I don't do much with the green ones but you have given me a great idea

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  8. I always thing plantains are a good idea until I get them home and try to do something with them. Maybe if I tries this recipe, I might have better luck!

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    1. Wishing you good luck! Hope you have a great outcome :) Let me know how it turned out!

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  9. Thanks Joanna, I'll give this a try - or rather with green bananas as we don't get plantains in South Africa. Mostly I buy ripe-ish bananas but just the other day I bought green ones and had to wait until they were ripe.
    Garden of Eden Blog

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    1. You can do this with normal bananas also, Susan. They just need to be really green and hard. It's a bit more sweeter but still excellent with eggs or some cheese on the side.

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  10. This sounds yummy. I really like plantains, but I've never prepared them before.

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  11. We see plantains pretty often in the store, but honestly I've never tried them. I need to grab some and try this recipe out because it sounds delicious!

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    1. I hope you'll try it out, Jenni. Let me know if you liked it!

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  12. I have never made a meal with plantains. It seem really easy to make and very flavorful!

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  13. This looks delicious! I love plantains, and I would love this dish! Truth be told, I love most dishes!
    thanks,
    Mitch

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    1. You're welcome, Mitch! I hope you will enjoy it if you try to make it.

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  14. Plantains are great. Never had them this way. Looks good.

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  15. this looks amazing! I am sure it was delicious, I would love to make this for my family/

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  16. I bet that is yummy. I have never cooked with plantains before,

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  17. What a great idea, I've never thought of doing that!

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  18. This looks yummy! I have never tried plantain! It's something a friend of mine HIGHLY recommends though so I may have to give it a try!

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    1. I hope you'll try it, Jeanine. And I HIGHLY recommend them also :) Let me know if you liked them!

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  19. I love ANYTHING with plantains. Such an exotic and colorful dish

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  20. I've had them fried and they're delicious. I'd love to try this dish too.

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  21. I am trying new foods now that I have to be careful with gluten, this looks yummy and tummy friendly! Thanks for the recipe.

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    1. Yes, Candace. This is perfect for GF diet, no gluten, no tummy aches!

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  22. I like and eat green plantains but haven't tried them like this. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

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  23. Well I've never had this, but I would certainly give it a try. It looks good!

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  24. I love plantains, thanks for a great recipe. FYI for your readers, look in the Latin section for the annatto. Badia brand sells it (I'm sure there are others, too).

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  25. Looks tasty! I have never cooked with plantain before! Thank you for sharing at the Art of Home-Making Mondays! Please join us again this week! :)

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