Plantain Fufu – If you like plantains, you will love this fufu recipe. It’s tasty and easy to make. Try it with traditional African soup and stews like egusi soup, okro soup, or efo riro.
Plantain fufu
Plantain fufu is a traditional West-African dish made from green plantains. It is very similar to the traditional West African fufu and can be used as a replacement for it. Plantain fufu is an excellent choice for those looking for a slightly lighter version of the traditional fufu recipe.
Plantain fufu belongs to the food group we call solid/swallow food because they are doughy in consistency so we use our fingers to cut out morsels and use the morsels to scoop the soup/stew before swallowing.
Why Plantains?
Plantains are grain-free and gluten-free and they are a good source of Magnesium, Calcium, and many other nutrients. In fact, it is recommended as a healthy food for diabetes and also helps to improve general body wellness.
Plantain fufu is one you should try out from time to time if you’re looking for an excellent alternative to the traditional fufu recipe made from cassava. You can check more plantain recipes here.
How To Make Plantain Fufu
This meal is really easy to prepare. All you have to do is to peel and cut the plantains into small chunks – this will make blending a breeze. Pour the blended plantain inside a pot and continue to stir until it becomes doughy and stretchy enough to roll into balls or any other shape you desire.
Though, this recipe can also be made using plantain flour – which is flour made by drying the green plantains and grinding it into a fine powder.
I choose to use the green plantains today because that is what I have at home at the moment but if you like you can also use the plantain flour for this recipe. It works just as well. However, I will advise you to buy one that has no preservative in it.
Variant names of fufu include Foofoo, Fufuo, Foufou, Foutou, and many more depending on the part of Africa.
What is Plantain Fufu made of?
Plantain fufu is made with unripe (green) plantains and water.
What does plantain fufu taste like?
Since the plantain used is green and unripe, it is starchy and the flavor is somewhat subtle. That is why you don’t eat it by itself, you need a form of soup or stew to pair with it.
I will not recommend using ripe plantains because the starch has been converted into sugar therefore it will be hard for the plantain to form a doughy solid consistency when cooked.
How long does it take to make plantain fufu?
It takes about 5 minutes on average. A little more time may be required if the plantains you use are on the bigger side.
Sometimes, we plan to use the green plantains in our recipes but all of a sudden, they go ripe on us. The best thing to do in order to prevent this is to store them and you will be able to use them anytime you choose to.
Green plantains can be best preserved by freezing them. Simply peel them then put them in a ziplock bag and freeze them. When needed, simply thaw and use as needed.
HOW TO MAKE PLANTAIN FUFU
Plantain Fufu – If you like plantains, you will love this fufu recipe. It's tasty and easy to make. Try it with traditional African soup and stews like egusi soup, okro soup, or efo riro.
You need to stir thoroughly until the fufu is formed otherwise you might end up with lumps When the fufu is done, cover it or wrap it in a plastic wrap in order to prevent it from forming a crust. Leave it to cool for few minutes.
Hi Lola! I'm excited to try this recipe. Any tips for rolling the fufu into the little "roll ups" in the picture?
Chef Lola's Kitchen
Saturday 25th of May 2024
Allow the fufu to cool slightly so it's easier to handle, but not so much that it becomes too firm. Divide the fufu into portions, depending on how large you want the rolls to be. With lightly oiled or wet hands, shape each portion into a roll. You can make them cylindrical or oval, depending on your preference.
Anna
Saturday 24th of June 2023
How do I make the rolls like you did?
Jeep
Sunday 28th of August 2022
Hi, the recipe doesn't say when to use the water. Is it used in the blender with the plantain or folded into the plantain in the heated pot?
Chef Lola's Kitchen
Sunday 4th of September 2022
Jeep, the water is used in the blender to make the plantain batter. After this, you can pour the batter into the pot and stir. I hope this helps.
Kathryn Gómez
Saturday 19th of February 2022
I come from Trinidad and we have a dish called "pong plantain"actually "pounded plantain" in non Trini English. We boil the plantain in it's skin, green or half ripe and then mash it while still hot with a potato masher or in this day and age I put mine in the food processor. No water required. It looks amazingly like Fufu and since the ingredients are the same I imagine must be either identical or very similar. I have never used Fufu powder, but saw some from Jamaica in the grocery today and was curious as to what it was.Thank you for this, and will try this version, although I love Trini Pong Plantain.
Chef Lola's Kitchen
Friday 25th of February 2022
Thanks for sharing, Kathryn. It's interesting how so similar some cultures from opposite sides of the world can be. I will definitely be exploring Pong plantain now.
Rashidat
Tuesday 5th of October 2021
How can i use the plantain flour to make fufu, am I going to prepare it the way semo is being prepared or the way amala is being prepared
Olive
Monday 7th of August 2023
Hi Lola! I'm excited to try this recipe. Any tips for rolling the fufu into the little "roll ups" in the picture?
Chef Lola's Kitchen
Saturday 25th of May 2024
Allow the fufu to cool slightly so it's easier to handle, but not so much that it becomes too firm. Divide the fufu into portions, depending on how large you want the rolls to be. With lightly oiled or wet hands, shape each portion into a roll. You can make them cylindrical or oval, depending on your preference.
Anna
Saturday 24th of June 2023
How do I make the rolls like you did?
Jeep
Sunday 28th of August 2022
Hi, the recipe doesn't say when to use the water. Is it used in the blender with the plantain or folded into the plantain in the heated pot?
Chef Lola's Kitchen
Sunday 4th of September 2022
Jeep, the water is used in the blender to make the plantain batter. After this, you can pour the batter into the pot and stir. I hope this helps.
Kathryn Gómez
Saturday 19th of February 2022
I come from Trinidad and we have a dish called "pong plantain"actually "pounded plantain" in non Trini English. We boil the plantain in it's skin, green or half ripe and then mash it while still hot with a potato masher or in this day and age I put mine in the food processor. No water required. It looks amazingly like Fufu and since the ingredients are the same I imagine must be either identical or very similar. I have never used Fufu powder, but saw some from Jamaica in the grocery today and was curious as to what it was.Thank you for this, and will try this version, although I love Trini Pong Plantain.
Chef Lola's Kitchen
Friday 25th of February 2022
Thanks for sharing, Kathryn. It's interesting how so similar some cultures from opposite sides of the world can be. I will definitely be exploring Pong plantain now.
Rashidat
Tuesday 5th of October 2021
How can i use the plantain flour to make fufu, am I going to prepare it the way semo is being prepared or the way amala is being prepared
Lola Osinkolu
Wednesday 27th of October 2021
Make exactly like amala. :)