Vegan Mofongo
Updated: Jan 20, 2020
One of my favorite traditional dishes in Puerto Rican cuisine is Mofongo! This dish is made of mashed green plantains, using a pilón and is traditionally served with meat in the center. Mofongo is considered a comfort food for many Puerto Ricans including my husband, who ate this not once but twice (he would have had it more if the opportunity arose) while we were traveling in Puerto Rico recently. This dish has an interesting history, as it was originally brought over with the West African slaves who called it fufu. Then the Taínos, the indigenous people of Puerto Rico created their own spin by adding spices. The cool thing about mofongo is that is popular in many other Caribbean countries with each place adding their own twist and name. For instance in the Dominican Republic it is called Mangu and for Afro-Cubans it is called fufu de platano. Mofongo itself represents specifically Puerto Rico as a creole, showing the mixing of cultures and spices to create something that all will be familiar with. I believe this is still evident today as this meal is served with meat, seafood or in our case vegan meat. Giving all the opportunity to try or revisit this wonderful dish in a slightly new way.
So I wanted to give you this super simple recipe on how to make Mofongo. Though I have a few tips before you go. First, choose the green plantains, yes you can make this with sweet plantains but authentically it's made with green plantains and is so good. Another tip grab a small bowl to help shape the mofongo, it will help you give this wonderful oval shape. Also, we like to add a vegetable broth on top of ours with Gardein Beefless Tips! Check out this super simple recipe below and get ready to savor the flavor!
Vegan Mofongo
Servings: 4 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes Total Time: 30 Minutes
Ingredients:
4 Green Plantains
3 Cloves Garlic
4 Teaspoons of Oil
1 cup Olive oil for frying
1 cup Vegetable broth
1/2 tsp Garlic powder
1/2 tsp Onion powder
Gardein Beefless Tips (optional)
1/4 cup White Onion (optional)
Utensils:
Pilón (mortar and pestle)
Small bowl (to shape mofongo)
Directions:
1. Peel and cut your plantains into one inch slices , then soak in salty water for 15 minutes
2. Fry on medium low heat until both sides are golden brown, to make sure they are done stick a fork in the middle
3. Add Plantains to the pilón, add garlic, mash until well combined
4. For the broth, add vegetable broth, garlic powder and onion powder. Heat until simmering
5. We like to make the Gardein Beefless Tips as our "carne" for this dish. Simply we just cook the gardien tips as directed and we like to cook onions with it as well!
6.Mold Mofongo in a small bowl, then flip upside down on plate and serve with vegetable broth on top and Gardien tips on the side! Buen Provecho!
