A healthy cutlet to devour any day…
Don’t let me talk about plantain, I would be seen talking endlessly and you’ll probably doze off 😛 A very versatile fruit, it belongs to banana family yet it tastes different. A lot of people in N.America are not aware of plantain as it’s not common here. Seeing plantain in my shopping cart, many got curious and have asked me what it was and how it was cooked etc. Good thing is that most of the stores carry plantain and can be seen besides bananas.
In kerala, plantains are grown abundantly and is used in making a lot of dishes. Both raw and ripe plantain can be used for making sweet and savory dishes. Ripe plantains can also be eaten just as it is like bananas. It has a lot of health benefits and serves as an instant energy booster. Cooked and mashed plantains are even given to infants, also dried ground plantain is available in Kerala which is used to make infant formulas.
I personally like the sweet dishes made with plantains, and have shared many recipes using plantain. Among them, my most favorite snack is “Unnakaya or stuffed plantain fry”. The other day, I was planning to make unnakaya, unfortunately the plantain was too ripe to make that. Instead, I made plantain cutlet along with other ingredients. Since, I combined plantain and dates, I didn’t have to add sugar to it. This cutlet is naturally sweetened up and makes a perfect healthy evening snack.
To read the other delicious plantain dishes: Click here
Plantain Dates Cutlet
Ingredients
- Plantain, medium ripe- 2
- Dates, pitted and chopped- 10
- Coconut flakes, sweetened- 2 tbsp (optional)
- Almonds blanched, chopped- 2 tbsp
- Rice flour- 1/2 to 3/4 cup
- Oil or Ghee- to pan fry
Instruction
- Use medium ripe plantains, don’t use too ripe ones.
- Steam cook the plantains. If you have a steamer cook in it or place the plantain in a bowl (if it doesn’t fit in the bowl, you can half them). Add some water to a large saucepan, place the bowl with the plantain inside the pan, cover the pan and steam cook it.
- After the plantain has steam cooked, let it cool down.
- Cut the plantain vertically, remove the black seeds in it using a knife.
- In a bowl, mash the plantain using a wooden spoon or your hands.
- Add chopped dates, chopped almonds and coconut flakes to it, combine well.
- The mixture will be mushy at this point.
- Add rice flour to adjust the mushiness of the mixture. Don’t make it too dry, it should be slightly mushy ( see the picture below).
- Combine well and make same balls out of it.
- Flatten the balls in between the palm of your hands.
- Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat, add enough ghee or oil to pan fry the cutlet.
- Place the flattened plantain cutlet over the oil/ghee and pan fry till both sides turn golden brown.
- Transfer to a kitchen paper towel and let cool down a bit.
- Enjoy with cardamom tea.
Â
- Plantain, medium ripe- 2
- Dates, pitted and chopped- 10
- Coconut flakes, sweetened- 2 tbsp (optional)
- Almonds blanched, chopped- 2 tbsp
- Rice flour- ½ to ¾ cup
- Oil or Ghee- to pan fry
- Use medium ripe plantains, don't use too ripe ones.
- Steam cook the plantains. If you have a steamer cook in it or place the plantain in a bowl (if it doesn't fit in the bowl, you can half them). Add some water to a large saucepan, place the bowl with the plantain inside the pan, cover the pan and steam cook it.
- After the plantain has steam cooked, let it cool down.
- Cut the plantain vertically, remove the black seeds in it using a knife.
- In a bowl, mash the plantain using a wooden spoon or your hands.
- Add chopped dates, chopped almonds and coconut flakes to it, combine well.
- The mixture will be mushy at this point.
- Add rice flour to adjust the mushiness of the mixture. Don't make it too dry, it should be slightly mushy ( refer the picture).
- Combine well and make same balls out of it.
- Flatten the balls in between the palm of your hands.
- Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat, add enough ghee or oil to pan fry the cutlet.
- Place the flattened plantain cutlet over the oil/ghee and pan fry till both sides turn golden brown.
- Transfer to a kitchen paper towel and let cool down a bit.
- Enjoy with cardamom tea.
