Fried plantain may be served as a
snack, a starter or a side dish to the main course, such as with
Jollof rice, spicy barbecued meat,
tomato stew or
beans. It is made in different ways: salted or unsalted, cut into "ears" or "fingers", diced or fried whole. In the Spanish-speaking Caribbean fried green plantains are eaten with
mojo sauce in Cuba and Puerto Rico and
wasakaka in the Dominican Republic, both a wet savory garlic sauce. They are sometimes eaten with ketchup or a mayonnaise-ketchup mixture. In the Pacific city of Cali, Colombia, plantains are eaten fried and accompanied by a condiment called Hogao. Sweet plantains are also served with savory entrees in the Caribbean, especially the Spanish-speaking islands, Pacific Colombia and Jamaica.
In Africa Alloco, as it is called in
Côte d'Ivoire and
Burkina Faso, is called
dodo (
Yoruba) in
Nigeria, missolè in
Cameroon,
kɔkɔɔ a y’akyi (
Twi) in
Ghana and
makemba in the
Democratic Republic of Congo. The name
alloco (sometimes seen as
aloko) comes from the Baoulé, an ethnic group found in the Eastern
Ivory Coast. It is derived from the word
loko, which signified if a plantain was ripe. It is a popular West African
snack made from fried plantain. It is often served with
chili pepper and onions. In
West Africa, it often serves as a side or can be consumed by itself.
Gizdodo is a side dish in Nigeria containing fried plantain and grilled gizzard.
Alloco is widely considered as fast-food and is sold on the streets of
Côte d'Ivoire. An area with many grilled meat and
alloco food vendors in the Cocody neighborhood is named Allocodrome, after this dish.
Ipekere Ipekere is a traditional Nigerian snack with roots in Yoruba cuisine. They are plantain chips. They are made from ripe and unripe plantains that are sliced into thin rounds or thin vertical shapes and deep-fried to achieve a crispy texture. The name is derived from the Yoruba language and is widely recognized throughout Nigeria. This traditional snack has a long history and is cherished for its delightful taste and simplicity. They are a staple in Yoruba cuisine and is enjoyed by people of all ages across Nigeria. In January 2024, a viral picture on social media depicted a woman processing the plantain chips with polythene nylon in hot vegetable oil; thus, citizens of Nigeria and Lagos State in particular were asked by NAFDAC to be careful of where they make purchase of the snacks, and ensure that they are registered with them.
Preparation To prepare
ipekere, ripe plantains are peeled and sliced into thin, uniform shapes, typically using a knife or a mandoline slicer. These are deep-fried until they turn golden brown, resulting in a crunchy and slightly sweet snack. Ipekere is seasoned with salt or sugar. They can also be flavoured with different spices, such as cayenne pepper, ginger, onion powder, or garlic powder. Some people also fry onions and fresh ginger along with the plantain slices for added flavour.
Kelewele Kelewele is a popular
Ghanaian
food made of fried plantains seasoned with spices. Kelewele is also the name of the spice mix itself. In
Accra, kelewele is usually sold at night by
street vendors and sometimes in the afternoon by the country side women.
Kelewele is also a popular choice for dinner. It is often served with
beans stew,
peanuts, Originally from
Ghana,
kelewele has been popularized in
America by several recipe books (recipezaar, 2009)
Preparation The plantains are peeled and may be cut into chunks or cubes.
Onions,
anise,
cloves,
nutmeg,
cinnamon, and
chili powder, however, may also be used as spices. The
oil should be hot and the plantain should not be too soft or it will absorb too much oil. The plantain should be fried until the
sugar in it
caramelizes, and produces brown edges on the plantain. , Ghana File:Fried plantains.jpg|Plantains being fried File:Un plat d'alloco Fried Plantains.JPG|A platter of fried plantains ==See also==