Breakfast (Nigeria)
Plantain Mosa (Plantain Puffs)
Most of us throw away our plantains once they become overripe. Instead, you can mash and deep fry them in vegetable oil.
Plantain Mosa Ingredients
The following ingredients give 16 medium balls of Plantain Mosa:
- 1 over-ripe plantain
- 3 heaped tablespoons plain flour (all purpose flour)
- 2 teaspoons fast action yeast
- 8 tablespoons warm water
- Habanero pepper (to taste)
- Salt (to taste)
- Vegetable oil (for frying)
Additional Info
- The vegetable oil should be about 3 inches deep when poured into the pot.
- You can use cayenne pepper (fresh or dry) in the absence of Habanero pepper. The dry one needs to be ground into powder before use.
Directions
- Mix the fast action yeast with the warm water making sure there are no lumps. Cover and set aside.
- Peel the overripe plantain and mash with a fork till a good blend is achieved. Set aside.
- Sift the plain flour and the salt into a sizeable bowl. Mix thoroughly.
- Add the yeast solution and stir till you get a medium consistency. If it is too thick, add a few more tablespoons of warm water and mix till you get a medium consistency.
- Add the mashed plantain. Mix with a spatula till well incorporated.
- Cover with aluminium foil. Leave in a warm place to rest for 10-15 minutes.
- After that time, you'll notice that it a bit fluffy.
- Beat the batter with a spoon then add the habanero pepper (cut into pieces). You can also use cayenne pepper.
- Heat some vegetable oil in a pot. The oil should be about 3 inches deep. The oil is hot enough when a small quantity of batter dropped into the oil sizzles and quickly comes to the surface of the oil.
- Scoop small amounts of the batter into the oil with your finger tips. Watch as they sizzle, come up to the suface of the oil and puff up.
- Stir constantly till golden. Reduce the heat if you think the plantain mosas are turning brown too quick. This is to ensure that the inside is well cooked by the time the outside browns.
- When done, transfer to a paper-lined sieve to drain and enjoy!
Facts
Plaintain is one of the cultivated varieties of the genus Musa or banana tree whose fruit is intended to be consumed only after cooking or other processing, rather than being eaten raw. The shoot is also used to make food and soups in various cuisines and the leaves and fibers are also used. It is commonly eaten around the world but mainly in places such as Nigeria and Malaysia. They have the right climate in order to grow them. There isn't many resources so plantain plays a huge role in the meals.
