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The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving) | |
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620 | Calories |
34g | Fat |
57g | Carbs |
28g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 4 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 620 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 34g | 43% |
Saturated Fat 7g | 33% |
Cholesterol 40mg | 13% |
Sodium 911mg | 40% |
Total Carbohydrate 57g | 21% |
Dietary Fiber 4g | 15% |
Total Sugars 25g | |
Protein 28g | |
Vitamin C 21mg | 103% |
Calcium 21mg | 2% |
Iron 1mg | 8% |
Potassium 902mg | 19% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
Plantain mofongo is thought to originate in Puerto Rico, and is a dish made from fried green (unripe) plantains mashed together with garlic and crackling pork rinds, also known as chicharrón. To make mofongo, the plantains are sliced and fried until tender, and then mashed with garlic paste and pork cracklings. The mixture can either be formed into balls or a half-dome shape. Mofongo is traditionally mashed in a mortar and pestle, but you can use a potato masher if you don't have one.
This plantain recipe most likely stems from African cuisine—enslaved people brought a dish called foo foo or fufu to the Caribbean, which is made in the same manner from various mashed starchy vegetables, such as yams, cassava, and plantains. There are also similar mashed plantain dishes from the other Spanish-speaking islands; Cuba has fufu de plátano and The Dominican Republic has mangú.
Mofongo is a side dish as well as the main course, especially when it is stuffed with meat or seafood. It can be accompanied by a protein, such as chicken or shrimp, and beans and rice, but is also often presented in a bowl with a broth poured over the top. The Puerto Rican dish is also served directly out of the mortar.
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Ingredients
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2 cups vegetable oil, for frying
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3 medium green, unripe plantains
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1 tablespoon garlic paste
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6 ounces pork rinds or cracklings, crushed
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska -
Heat about 2 inches of oil in a frying pan or deep fryer to 350 F.
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While the oil is heating up, peel the plantains and cut into 1-inch rounds.
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Fry the plantains until golden and tender. This will take approximately 4 to 6 minutes.
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Remove cooked plantains from the pan or fryer and allow to drain on paper towels.
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Put the garlic paste in a mixing bowl or mortar and add the fried plantains. Mash until thoroughly blended.
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Add the pork rinds. Continue to mash and mix until all of the ingredients are well incorporated.
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Shape the mofongo into 4 balls.
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Alternatively, you can make the mofongo into a half-dome shape using a small condiment bowl as a mold; push a portion of mofongo down to the bottom of the bowl.
The Spruce Eats/Ulyana Verbytska
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With the back of a spoon, smooth over and level off the mix.
The Spruce Eats/Ulyana Verbytska
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Then use the spoon to scrape around the bowl and remove the mash in a half-dome shape.
The Spruce Eats/Ulyana Verbytska
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Serve the mofongo hot and enjoy.
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