4
Ingredients
- 4 green or just-yellow plantains
- Water
- A pinch of salt, optional
Method
- 01 Trim the ends, slit the skin lengthwise and peel.
- 02 Cut into 4–5 cm pieces.
- 03 Steam over simmering water (or simmer in lightly salted water).
- 04 Cook 20–25 minutes until a knife slides in easily.
- 05 Drain if needed and serve hot with fish, stewed meat or greens.
Steamed (or boiled) plantains stay neutral and starchy: they carry sauce without the caramelised sweetness of fried makemba. When pounded, they become lituma.
In the same spirit
Other recipes close by territory or by gesture.
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Boiled yam
Boiled yam recipe: tubers cooked in water until tender, served plain or with a short sauce — a simple side still under-documented in the catalogue.
15 min prep · 35 min cook
-
Makemba
Makemba recipe: ripe plantains fried golden outside and soft within — Congolese side or snack across the DRC.
10 min prep · 15 min cook
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Lituma
Lituma recipe: green plantains cooked then pounded into a soft dough — Cuvette / Equateur side, related to foutou.
15 min prep · 30 min cook