Ingredients
Plantains
- 4very ripe plantains, black-skinned
To fry
- oil, for deep or shallow frying, red palm oil traditionally
Seasoning
- 1 tspsalt
- 1 tspchilli powder, or ground pepper
- 1 tspground ginger, optional
To serve
- a hot pepper sauce
- sliced raw onion
- grilled fish
- or on its own
Directions
- Use plantains that are genuinely ripe, with skins that are mostly black. A yellow plantain is still starchy and it fries into something bland and stiff, and a black-skinned one has converted its starch to sugar and it caramelises.
- Cut the ends off and slit the skin lengthways, and it should come away readily. Cut them into thick diagonal slices, into cubes, or into long lengths. Keep them thick, about 2 cm. Thin slices burn before the inside softens.
- Heat it to about 175°C, moderate rather than fierce. Ripe plantain is full of sugar and it burns readily, and hot oil blackens the outside while the inside is still firm. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes a side until deep golden brown at the edges.
- Turn them once and let them colour properly, since those caramelised edges are the whole flavour. They should be soft and almost creamy inside and slightly crisp outside.
- Lift them out and drain them on a rack rather than paper. A rack keeps them from steaming and going soggy underneath. Toss them in salt and chilli while the surface is still oily.
- Season them the moment they come out, or it will not stick. In Benin and Côte d’Ivoire it is often simply salted, with hot sauce served separately.
- Serve them hot, in paper, with a hot pepper sauce and raw sliced onion. They must be eaten hot, since they go heavy and oily as they cool.
Technique
- The plantains must be black-ripe rather than yellow.
- Kelewele is the more heavily spiced Ghanaian version.
- It is served with attiéké and grilled fish as a full meal.
Substitutions
- Any neutral oil in place of red palm oil.
- Very ripe bananas do not work and are a different thing.
Variations
- Kelewele, spiced with ginger and chilli.
- Cut into cubes rather than slices.
- Served with attiéké and fish.
Frequently asked questions
What is Aloko?
Aloko is a street food from Benin: fried ripe plantain cubes with chili.
How long does Aloko take to make?
Aloko takes 10 min of preparation and 15 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Aloko?
Yes, within limits. Any neutral oil in place of red palm oil. Very ripe bananas do not work and are a different thing.
What is the most important thing to get right in Aloko?
Heat it to about 175°C, moderate rather than fierce. Ripe plantain is full of sugar and it burns readily, and hot oil blackens the outside while the inside is still firm. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes a side until deep golden brown at the edges.
